We're barely 2 weeks into 2023 and we have one of the first new C64 releases of the year. This comes courtesy of knifegrinder, and it's a bit of a corker.
Set aboard space station where the central AI core has gone haywire, players assume control of android L-3573-R (or Lester to its friends), which must search the various ducts and corridors of the facility to discover exactly what has happened. The game is a classic Metroidvania affair, with the player scouring the map to locate key cards and other items that will allow access to additional locations.
The odds are certainly stacked against poor Lester. The station is protected by an army of service droids, sentry guns and other automated defence systems, and there are plenty of environmental hazards to deal with, including rivers of toxic waste, spikes and more. Special weapons and power-ups can be discovered by destroying enemies and barrels with Lester's laser rifle, and most enemies leave behind collectible coins. These can be spent at one of the various terminals dotted around the station, upgrading your gun and restoring health.
In addition to acting as an interplanetary vending machine, terminals also show a map of your current location, plus all other rooms on the station. Visiting each location will fill the square with a colour representing the level of security clearance required to access the area, so it's pretty easy to work out exactly where you've been, as well as where you should probably be heading next. Finding the access cards can take a while until you're familiar with the map layout, but it's actually quite difficult to get lost.
Overall, Lester is a fantastic little game. The game mechanics are simple to understand and well-executed, and the size of the map means you've got plenty to get your teeth into. Quality-of-life features like the map and checkpoint system are great additions, and the aesthetics are top-notch.
As with so many recent C64 games, Lester would have undoubtedly cleaned up if it had been released back in the day, putting so many commercial titles to shame. Although the game can be downloaded for free, I chose to make the optional payment - it's a great effort and well worth a few quid for the amount of effort on display!
Developer: knifegrinder
Publisher: knifegrinder
Year of Release: 2023
Download: https://knifegrinder.itch.io/lester
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