Cult of the Lamb is a lovely “croissant” published by Devolver Digital. We play
the role of a lamb acting as a scapegoat [no one said that the life of an interpreter is simple] for one of the ancient gods of the presented world. In the afterlife, we receive an offer to return from beyond the grave, preaching the good news and miracles of Narinder and building our own, title cult.
Me me me, the hooves carry me
During the adventure, we travel through new locations in which we most often defeat the next enemies who are the followers of the other four deities-siblings, respectively: Lesze, Heket, Kalmar and Shamura, getting to know heavy family relationships and prophecy pushing us forward. The gameplay itself resembles something between The Binding of Isaac and Enter The Gungeon – two successful croissants, which also have a large group of fans. We run, shoot enemies, save the faithful and gather resources in our crusades before returning to our beautiful and (most likely) very dirty base.
You need witnesses for miracles
After returning from the crusade, we look after our village in the middle of the forest. We pray and work miracles and care for well-being. Some of the improvements that help us in the fight are obtained there, so we cannot ignore this part – if we do not have enough followers, we will not be allowed to enter new locations.
Taking care of the faithful to a large extent reminded me of Zynga’s browser games, popular a few years ago, available via Facebook (remember Farmville ?). This is a relaxing springboard, but also the most controversial part of the entire production. These two genres contrast so much that no one will pass by this idea indifferently.
In the short term – a great idea, but with time the need to clean up the next purchases (!) Of our followers, preparing dinners and building a shelter for our pupils was a barrier for me against further fights. Overall, if there was an option to turn off this care for the village, or at least limit the number of stays in the base, Cult of The Lamb would gain at least half an eye on me.
a wolf in sheep’s clothing
The game wins hearts with its aesthetics. The cute sheep smacking herds of enemies with swords, axes and gloves is to the liking of millions of players for a reason. The light and eye-catching visuals and calm music make the game well conceal the subject of ancient evil – many parents this fall will probably be surprised that the game about a cute sheep briefly deals with the subject of sacrificing the faithful and the like – if you have someone sensitive in your family on this point, you have been warned.
Certainly, immersion (the favorite word of all producers and publishers) is well influenced by the quality of the title – from the technical side, everything sounds and buzzes, I have never fallen victim to any errors. Considering that I spent over 10 hours playing – this is a really remarkable achievement.
Part time shepherd
It’s been a while since the premiere of Cult of the Lamb , so I’ll spare you more sheep’s jokes and puns. The latest bestseller in the Devolver portfolio is a very successful title that neatly combines the arcade rougelike with an aesthetic reminiscent of Animal Crossing .
At the moment, aftergame attractions are missing here, which makes it a game for just a few evenings. There is no mode for people who like the challenge, known for example from the beloved by all Hades . I just don’t know if we should approach this game with this comparison, because in motion it reminded me more of The Binding of Isaac and another great roguelike from Devolver Digital portfolio – my beloved Enter The Gungeon .
I’m afraid the pace of the game is too uneven for Cult of The Lamb to be remembered as the best game of the year. I know that nowadays the publisher requires originality, but I doubt that the unique combination of the classic roguelike with caring for a herd of believing in you (figuratively and literally) cute pets is what players needed.
I was also completely surprised by the ending, or more precisely – by its suddenness. I believe that the authors may have woven one more “world” to explore, especially since there is still a totally untapped plot of the final boss and his two devoted minions.
