We all have played puzzle games at some point in our lives but undeniably there is no game like Last Labyrinth that has this much emotional impact and a baggage of guilt attached to it. Last Labyrinth was released back in November 2019 for PC, PlayStation, and PSVR 2 and has just been released today for Xbox as well.
This new release was quite unexpected for many players after what they’d experienced earlier. Due to some of its gruesome scenes, Last Labyrinth is rated 18+ and has been disputed among the players for a few years now which we will be discussing in a bit.
Disclaimer: Spoilers Ahead!
The concept is quite simple, you are trapped in a wheelchair and can only move your head and your right hand. With you, is a little girl named Katia whom you give instructions to solve the puzzles, so both of you can escape. Failure to solve the puzzle results in the death of Katia and the player as well.
To me, the whole environment of the game does feel quite immersing, from shadows to the finish of objects everything has been put quite well. Just like any horror-themed escape room game you really expect the things in your environment to be abandoned and worn out which clearly seems to be the case here as well.
Now, the reason why Last Labyrinth is disputed over by many players and has been a victim of controversy is due to some really horrifying scenes. As you progress through the game and cover some easy puzzles it’s natural for players to have a bond of empathy with the unbelievably realistic girl. The game has also emphasized a lot when it comes to players naturally feeling an emotional bond with Katia.
However, as soon as some harder puzzles arrive, and players fail to complete them, they get to see the gruesome death and suffering of Katia to which many players have objected. The fact that this scene is unique with every puzzle and is repeated every time you take a wrong decision is also something that is not so fun at all and that adds to this controversy.
Moreover, there is also this guilt and helplessness that is attached to this game. Because every time the little girl dies or suffers it is because of our decision and because we asked her to do something which ended up in her being dead. So many players who had this emotional bond with the character do feel somewhat guilt and helplessness growing in their hearts.
Nevertheless, there are players who actually do not care much about all this emotional bonding. They just like the whole experience and are here to solve some puzzles and that’s pretty much it. The puzzles of the game are no doubt quite interesting and satisfying to solve. That’s another reason why people actually loved Last Labyrinth and it has been disputed among the gaming community for years now.
Well, guess this will continue to be a matter of dispute in the future as well. Do let us know in the comment section below what you think about Last Labyrinth and its overall experience. We personally love discussing video games so in case you want to know about how Darkest Dungeon 2 evolved to be darker than its original or for more content like this, keep visiting Retrology.
