LISA: Definitive Edition

Developer: Dingaling Productions
Publisher: Serenity Forge
Platforms: Switch, Xbox One, Playstation 4, PC, Playstation 5, Xbox Series X|S (reviewed)
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $19.99 – Available Here

Overview

Now and then there comes an experience that breaks through and becomes a cult classic. LISA was one of those titles. The dark, yet humorous RPG released on the PC years back, gaining a loyal following in the process. Dingaling are now bringing their gem to consoles with LISA: Definitive Edition, with both the Painful and Joyful editions of the title. Do these definitive Editions have legs on consoles? Let’s find out.

Overall

After an event dubbed “the flash” wipes all women from existence, a loner named Brad finds a baby girl and raises her. Named “Buddy”, he keeps her close and protects her at all costs until his own habits get in the way, causing him to lose her due to a break-in. Now, Brad must set out and attempt to save his daughter in a grim adventure where he must face his own demons in order to progress forward.

LISA: The Painful and its follow-up LISA: The Joyful play quite similarly, with the latter focusing more on the events after the title beforehand. The plot is not for the weak, either. Filled with disturbing themes and laced with jokes to make it easier to consume, LISA is a polarizing experience that some may not be able to find accessible as even though the plot is deep and meaningful, it has a very juvenile execution which attempts to make the player understand the plot from the perspective of our unwilling hero. I get it, and I think it mostly works, but even though the plot is interesting, I found it to be a bit uncomfortable to actually go through. Again, that’s the point here, but abuse, suicide, and so on may not hit the right note with all audiences, so please go in with an open mind and know what pill you are taking before plunging in unexpectedly.

Gameplay

For the gameplay, LISA is a cross between its obvious inspiration of Earthbound and platformers from the SNES era. Players explore a large map (think a Metroidvania), where the story plays out as they progress and smash foes along the way. Combat is turned-based, where players and their respective party do damage by unleashing various abilities. Exploration really is the core here, with players travelling to various paths while encountering new allies and foes alike.

This world is grim, and even one wrong step can lead to a permanent pit death – so the game wants you to be on your toes as you traverse it as all things come at a cost if executed incorrectly. There are a lot of humorous interactions, ailments, and so on to find along the way, much of which effects the outcome of future battles by giving the player boosts or deficits to their combative styles. These party members keep battles fresh and engaging, even if the core mechanics do not evolve all too much for much of the experience. Mini-games and other side fare can also be nice distractions to the norm, breaking up the combat for what feels original yet familiar to the player at all times.

Visuals

The art style is certainly something for LISA: Definitive Edition. The pixel art is ugly and the models are hard to look at with abrasive imagery littered throughout the game. Of course this is intentional to give that feeling of discomfort, so for that, the art style is at least successful. Not all will love it, but much like The Binding of Isaac and other “dark” adventures, some are sure to find something to their liking by exploring this chaotic world ahead.

Audio

The music is no more pleasant that the visuals. With sound that can cut you in half, it is rare to find a pleasant beat within LISA. Again, the point to make the player “feel” the atmosphere within is felt here, with moments of brilliance found in the warm notes found during the humorous segment. Its like putting an ice cube on a burn. The pain is still there, but its more tolerable, even for just a short time.

Overall

LISA: Definitive Edition at the very least is an accomplishment as it will make you feel things. The dark plot, and uncomfortable themes, and tough visuals and audio all come together with a lot of grit to attempt to put a pit in the player’s stomach. In the 90’s, there were comics that came out strictly to try to make readers feel awkward or discomfort. They were edgy and brutal, and not very smart, even though their content was more adult. I think that kind of was my lasting impression of LISA overall. There is a fun game here that has a lot of cuts and bruises that have been applied to make you, as the player feel something. Some are going to find this more accessible (or meaningful) than others, and many will leave early if their form of escapism from these themes is an actual video game without the salt. Either way, LISA: Definitive Edition is certainly an experience that will not be easily forgotten as its as intentionally polarizing as it is thought provoking.

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