Lorelei and the Laser Eyes review - Puzzles wrapped around puzzles

After seeing wild success with Sayonara Wild Hearts, developer Simogo is back to impress with Lorelei and the Laser Eyes. Contrasting with its previous cheery, upbeat, and vibrant electro-pop-infused game, the latest outing does a complete 180 as a hardcore puzzler boasting a dark, noir atmosphere with horror elements. Topping it all off, it's encapsulated by a high level of challenge due to zero handholding.

With other outings from Simogo, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is not for everyone—most certainly not for the faint of heart—as it's an overwhelming experience on all fronts. Yet, despite some odd design choices, this game is like no other on the market right now and one that will delight puzzle fans to no end.

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Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is an interesting experiment that melds together puzzles and narrative

The hotel boasts many locked and hidden areas, and secrets to discover (Image via Annapurna Interactive)

As a fan of puzzle games, ranging from Valve's iconic Portal series and Croteamn's The Talos Principle 2 to Phil Fish's Fez and Jonathan Blow's The Witness, I don't exaggerate when I say Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is obtuse, and in the finest definition of the term.

It won't be uncommon for you to feel literally and metaphorically lost as you explore the vast Hotel Letztes Jahr as an unnamed woman summoned by a letter to the mysterious location. Aiming to learn the goal behind this invitation as well as the truth of the hotel and its oddball denizens forms the foundation of the story of Lorelei and the Laser Eyes.

One of the earliest puzzles in Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (Image via Annapurna Interactive)

However, the journey isn't straightforward by any stretch of the imagination. The game's setting is non-linear as you walk through corridors, hallways, and rooms to make your way through the hotel. It becomes quickly apparent that something is not right, from the bizarre denizens of the mansion who speak in riddles to set pieces that defy the rules of time and space.

Who is the old woman with the glowing eyes? What is the story behind the little masked girl? Lorelei and the Laser Eyes does a great job of setting up intrigue at each step. On top of a fixed third-person camera akin to Resident Evil, players will also collect notes and items around the place to progress, much of which is barred by cryptic logic and maths-based puzzles.

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Curiosity bamboozled the cat

Discerning solutions will require a careful combing of available information (Image via Annapurna Interactive)

In and around the hotel, it will be hard to go a few meters without encountering a puzzle; from doors locked by a code input to statues with slots awaiting some key to complete them. Dozens upon dozens of puzzles await players at each turn, and it can be easy to get quickly overwhelmed.

Thankfully, much of this is alleviated as you have access to a memory bank where all encountered logs, books, clues, and other hints are easily accessible. Like a massive spider-web, many of the puzzles and their solutions will be interconnected with other mysteries, both gameplay and narrative-driven, even later in the story.

Figuring out what information applies to which puzzles, is a puzzle in itself (Image via Annapurna Interactive)

As you explore the fortress of mysteries packed with antiques and equipment across history and periods, the utmost attention and a keen eye are a must. After all, this is one game whose puzzles are complicated enough to demand the use of a pen and paper or other means of jotting down notes.

Subjects like Roman numerals, Strobogrammatic numbers, lunar phases, and more are the tip of the iceberg, which may lead to an information overload.

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Wading through a garden of thorns

While clearly a deliberate design choice, the one-button input scheme will take some getting used to (Image via Annapurna Interactive)

Unfortunately, its high complexity can unwittingly also make for rare annoyances in the game that hurt the pacing and experience at times. For starters, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes uses a single button for all its inputs (minus the movement keys); in other words, one button acts as the "OK" or "Interact" button. So, navigating menus can be cumbersome, especially at the start.

Secondly, the interconnectivity of its large library of hints and their relation to the game world can mean players have a lot to slog through to find the right piece of evidence or hint to progress. This is on top of keeping track of the locations of each puzzle throughout the large mansion.

While you find yourself breezing through a series of puzzles, be prepared to eventually run headfirst into a roadblock that may see you throw several instances of trial and error permutations at it before an answer surfaces. There is zero handholding here, and while this works to the game's benefit for the most part, there are exceptions.

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Graphics, sound, and performance

The visuals are creepy yet immersive (Image via Annapurna Interactive)

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is a simplistic game on a technical level but its artistic flair is on full display. The game features a monochrome filter for the most part, save for highlights like the crimson of blood or the bright neon pink in otherworldly scenarios.

This fascinating visual choice is accentuated by an atmospheric soundtrack that keeps the immersion flowing. Performance-wise, there is nothing out of the ordinary to report here as its system requirements are very low, and even decade-old PCs can keep up easily.

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In conclusion

An adventure like no other awaits (Image via Annapurna Interactive)

From its bizarre visuals and eerie aesthetics to hardcore logic and math puzzles and haunting set pieces that blur the line between gameplay and story, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes feels like a fever dream every waking second you play it. It truly is a journey that needs to be experienced to be fully grasped as a review in no way does justice to the game's execution of themes and concepts.

Some annoyances aside, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is one of the most unique puzzle games in the history of the gaming medium. It demands wits and patience to overcome its most brutal challenges, all the while telling an intriguing story through its enchanting and horrifying setting.

If there ever is one game that will make you go "I have no clue what's going on" at nearly every turn yet sees you making steady progress despite occasional roadblocks, this is it. Those who persevere through its onslaught of complex challenges will find that the solutions to Lorelei and the Laser Eyes' conundrums will appear as crisply as a beam of light cutting through a maze of darkness.

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Lorelei and the Laser Eyes

Final Verdict (Image via Annapurna Interactive || Sportskeeda)

Reviewed on: PC (Review code provided by Annapurna Interactive)

Platform(s): PC, Nintendo Switch

Developer(s): Simogo

Publisher(s): Annapurna Interactive

Release Date: May 16, 2024