Lamplight City Reviews

A beautifully drawn, animated and acted game. The writing seemed much stronger than in A Golden Wake, the previous game by the developer. Like that game, I would call this an interactive fiction rather than a true point and click adventure, although it had some decent puzzles as well. Most of the actual progression is done via the dialogue, though. 
 The game definitely starts off on a much stronger footing than it ends with, as the number of world interactions and story implications are reduced towards the finish line. I felt like the game hinted at a much more interesting story than the one it actually went ahead with. Still, I really enjoyed this game for its setup, atmosphere and acting.

I've actually beaten "Lamplight City" before, off GOG, so I thought I'd write a quick review before I continued replaying it in preparation for its upcoming spiritual successor "Rosewater". It's a point and click adventure game of the old school—in the sense that there are no dead ends and the puzzles are mostly logical. Well, sort of: It's also a detective game, so it's structured to let you give up on solving a case, which affects the ending. It also means that you can close off avenues in your investigation if you offend people. *That* said, the cases, while challenging and intricate, aren't going to stump you if you try, and even those "dead ends" can be surmounted. Overall, I really enjoyed "Lamplight City". It has a great sense of place, boasts good writing + story, and knows when to be funny or serious. It also displays a couple of loving relationships, which I wish more video games would try. If you enjoy games like "Grim Fandango," "Sam & Max," or "Technobabylon," you should pick it up.

The narrative is great, but note that the game double downs on the idea of choices having consequences and it is often impossible to say how your decisions affect the plot until you reach the later chapters. If you're fine with however the story unfolds, you'd be right at home, but if you want to achieve something resembling a perfect run, save your time and find a guide online. (Unless you want to replay the "Lamplight City" over and over. )