Laika: Aged Through Blood Review

thesixthaxis.com:

Laika: Aged Through Blood will either be your dream game or your nightmare. The idea of a nail-biting metroidvania where you ride a motorcycle the entire time is already an incredible cool concept on paper, and as a long-time Trials fan, I couldn’t was excited to boot this one up. This is so much more than just a motorist power fantasy, though. It’s a haunting, grim game set against a stark world and somber soundtrack that constantly clashes with the bullets, blood and guts constantly being spilled – resulting in one of the most emotionally striking metroidvanias I’ve ever played.

Laika: Aged Through Blood is a story of bitter survival and unrelenting revenge, like a post-apocalyptic John Wick where John Wick happens to be a badass coyote mother with a motorcycle. As Laika, you’re tasked with eliminating the imperialist bird army that is quickly gathering up their military strength to destroy your village and everyone you love – including your daughter. The world of Laika is stark and oppressive, similar to the barren, desperate wastelands of Mad Max: Fury Road – Laika lives in a world that is on the edge of emptiness, but pushing along through her endless journey of vengeance feels so much more important because of that emptiness. In a world with nothing left in it, struggling to protect what little remains crafts an emotional hook that never let me go.

That emotional core contrasts strongly with the gameplay of Laika: Aged Through Blood. Rather than walking and running, you’ll be on the back of a motorcycle for the entire game, and required to constantly pay attention to your acceleration, orientation, and wheel placement. If you’re a Trials fan, this stuff will come naturally to you, but for others, the constant