I recently downloaded Lucidity, the new XBLA arcade title by Lucasarts. I hadn't really heard much hype surrounding the game, but when I saw a screenshot I had to at least give the trial a shot.

[img width=300 height=400]http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c265/goteamventure85/Lucidity_sm.jpg[/img]

I fired up the trial version and the first thing that I noticed was the art style, which grabbed my attention right away. The imagery is just downright beautiful. It reminds me a bit of the recent stop-motion film Coraline, although I don't feel right comparing the two. Lucidity is definitely its own thing.

The story revolves around a little girl named Sofi, who is dealing with the loss of her grandmother. Sofi is constantly running through her own dreams in search of some form of closure. It's a theme that I personally could relate with, and as much as I hate to admit it, the game did tug at my heart strings. Yeah, I know, I'm a wuss. I also cried at the end of Benjamin Button... So what, wanna fight about it?

[img width=486 height=366]http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c265/goteamventure85/lucidity.jpg[/img]

The atmosphere of Lucidity was initially the main draw for me, but the gameplay really surprised me and warranted a purchase after just a few minutes of playing the trial.

As mentioned before, Sofi is literally running through her dreams, and actually isn't even controlled by the player. She will run right into a giant frog monster or go skipping off of a ledge, and the only thing that can save her is the quick placement of the various tools that the game provides you. Sofi can take a few hits from the basic grunts, and can actually replenish her health by collecting fireflies as she travels through a level.

Lucidity is a bit like a blend of Lemmings and Tetris. It offers many unique pieces to help you protect Sofi, like basic platforms and staircases, and more advanced items such as fans, which throw Sofi vertically into the air, or bombs, which can destroy walls and enemies. That is where the similarities to Lemmings ends though.

Like Tetris, the game provides pieces to you at random. This is where the real challenge comes in. It shows you the piece that you can currently use and the one that you will be able to use next at the top of the screen. Sofi may be headed for a ledge, about to leap to her death, and you may have something like a bomb at the ready, with another useless piece on deck. You can bank one of your pieces to be used later, and can switch between your banked piece and the piece that the game provides you with the press of a button.

[img width=640 height=359]http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c265/goteamventure85/lucidity_xbox_live_arcade.jpg[/img]

This game became really challenging towards the end, and kept me entertained for a few days. It kind of sucks that nobody is really talking about this game, as it is one of the most unique titles to come out in recent memory.

If you have an Xbox 360, do yourself a favor and at least download the trial. Or better yet, do what I did and take a look at a screenshot. The art alone should at least pique your interest.

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