Leximan by Knights of Borria
Didn’t I just review an RPG focused on building words? Is this going to become the new Rogue-like craze? Should I be expecting the next Final Fantasy to feature Vanna White flipping letters?
All jokes aside, a game with a magic system rooted in building words is a concept that just makes sense. Newcomer Leximan takes this concept to its logical conclusion: an adventure in a magic school. The question is, does it make the grade?
Say the Magic Words
Embodying a small child with a mysterious book, you arrive at the prestigious Academy Elementinia without knowing why. A proverbial outcast, it soon becomes clear that you possess the previously unknown power of Leximancy: the creation of magic through words. Will you be able to overcome your social ostracism and save the school?
Through its premise, visual aesthetic, and most of all its writing, Leximan lets you know its influences right away. Effectively Harry Potter by way of Undertale, the game’s wireframe sketch art visuals and absurdist humor are undoubtedly influenced by Toby Fox’s beloved indie phenomenon. If you’ve played that, you know what you’re in store for thematically here.
However, that’s not to say Leximan is a copy. Far from it. Eschewing turn-based battles for puzzles and experimentation, Lexicon is far more of a casual adventure game. Exploration of its top-down 2D world yields new words for spells to cast, each of which can affect the environment in myriad ways.
Similarly, “battles” in the game are more a matter of assembling one of several word choices and watching the wacky result. It’s a system that likely won’t satisfy loot grinders, but for someone looking for a laid-back adventure, this will scratch that itch quite well.
The Mundane and the Magic
It bears mentioning that from a production standpoint, Leximan is a slam dunk. The visuals are colorful and interesting, the music is genuinely gorgeous, and the writing is often very funny (so long as you’re into this kind of humor). Clocking in at just over six hours, it’s an adventure that features plenty of enjoyable twists and turns without overstaying its welcome.
However, the game does feature one particular flaw that lets it down quite a bit. The magic system of typing words is ultimately very limited, with only a few words coming into use throughout the story (sometimes only once or twice). It’s genuinely disappointing given the potential on offer, and given how much the game advertises itself on this mechanic, it feels like it needed more time in the oven.
The Verdict
Despite this one major gripe, Leximan is still very much worth experiencing. As an interactive story, the writing and visuals are strong enough to overcome some disappointment in its gameplay. It’s not going to be for everybody, but I think there’s an audience out there who will absolutely love this.
Leximan is available via Steam.
Watch the trailer for Leximan below:
