Can this lucky fox compete with Mario?
Super Lucky’s Tale follows the adventures of Lucky the Fox who is trapped in a book full of worlds that he needs to proceed through to escape. This is the second game in the series, the original was a VR game that I hope we get some version of on Xbox One down the line, but even if not the story of the original is told briefly at the beginning.
Super Lucky’s Tale looks like it has taken a lot of elements from other platformers, it feels like a homage to the likes of Mario, Crash Bandicoot, Banjo-Kazooie and Spyro name a few. Each level contains 4 four leaf clovers to collect, you get these by completing the level, collecting 300 coins, completing a challenge and collecting the letters L U C K Y much like the K O N G element from Donkey Kong Country.
There are only 4 worlds and a handful of levels in each, a total of 99 clovers to collect and the game will take you a few hours to complete. It’s a fairly easy game, though they were certainly challenging moments like some of the later levels and the final boss took a good few attempts to crack. Having said all that, Super Lucky’s Tale has to be the most charming game I’ve played in a long time. The exception being the recent Super Mario Odyssey, but that’s just bad timing on Lucky’s part.
Besides being on the short side and really wanting more, I actually can’t fault the game other than the camera that can be cumbersome at times. It also looks absolutely stunning in 4K with HDR, it’s bright, vibrant and nicely detailed. Lucky himself looks adorable and the whole game looks like a 3D cartoon. The music is also pretty impressive, as if Grant Kirkhope (famous for Banjo-Kazooie and Yooka-Laylee’s music plus many others) himself was behind it.
The Verdict
Super Lucky’s Tale is a short albeit charming platformer and a showcase of true 4K for the Xbox One X. I just hope the hint of a sequel at the end is more than just a tease, I want more outings with Lucky!