Review - Lilac 0

Roberto Nieves

2 days ago3 min read

Developer: Victor Pouderoux

Publisher: Digerati

Available On: PC

Review Console: PC via Steamdeck

The world is in disarray. Mechanical armies march about the Earth. As the Nidhogg eats at the roots of the mysterious mechanical world of Molybdion, a hero will rise and slice his way through the enemy to secure peace. From Digerati, the house that brought Tale of Paper and Undetected comes Lilac 0, a vertical spaceship shooter with unique hack-and-slash mechanic.

Hardcore and made from a fond era, Lilac 0 is brimming with attitude and substance. A mechanical hero perseveres in a world of fire and steel in a game that reminds me of the good days of The Raiden Project back on my PlayStation. Lilac 0 is a hardcore, rip-roaring good time, if you have the patience for the sheer difficulty.

Heavy Metal

Lilac 0 is a vertical shmup, or shoot-'em-up. As per the genre, the role of shoot-'em-ups is to shoot and down every enemy on screen while avoiding bullets and taking down fearsome foes. A recent example of this is the recent review of Valfaris: Mecha Theron. Compared to other shmups, Lilac 0 takes place in a vertical format, such as Devolver's Digital's Downwell. The goal is to clear each level, destroying waves upon waves of enemies across five levels. The catch is that the task is not so simple. An entire robotic army is out to get you. Fortunately, that's where players have their secret weapon.

Players pilot a mechanical suit of armor. This specialized weapon can fire a vulcan of forward-facing fire, but the real damage lies in its blades. During gameplay, players can shoot the vulcan at enemies, but to truly gain an upper hand and survive, players must use their lock-on and melee attacks. Holding the lock-on button, an orange circle encompasses the entire screen. When this radar circle hits an enemy, a crosshair appears. Letting the lock-on go unleashes an instantaneous slash attack that cuts most enemies in two. Using this is a must as it devastates larger enemies and groups of small enemies. Accompanying this arsenal is a melee attack for close-range combat and a dash.

Old School Feeling

Lilac 0 visually impresses with a scheme that'd feel right at home with the likes of Truxton on the SEGA Genesis or Robo Aleste on the Sega CD. The game feels like a lost-and-found game from the era of 16-bit titles. A flurry of orange and grey mix with ships and bullet fire. Orange, in particular, is a big highlight. Some enemies are highlighted in orange and can only be destroyed through a melee attack. It's a sharp and engaging visual style. Accompanying the visuals is a rocking chip tune music score straight from the era.

The gameplay is sharp as well but leans on the hardcore. Lilac 0 is a game that's easy to learn but hard to master. The screen fills with enemies and bullets. Playing is an act of multitasking between holding the vulcan button down, movement, dashing, and using the lock-on system. It's easy to get lost in the sauce and lose lives instantly with the calamity that ensues. This means that even on the easiest difficulty, repeat playthroughs of levels are a must. It's an old-school, hardcore experience where one hit takes the player down instantly. While I don't normally mind a challenging experience, this makes Lilac 0 a recommendation only for those ready for a challenge.

Slice and Dice

Lilac 0 is a white-knuckle experience that requires focus but has payoff. Every wave down is a thrill and completing a level is a euphoric victory. It's thrilling to take down a giant battle tank or a rival mech. One of the early bosses has players take on a bomber high in the sky. Lilac 0 is an epic game, for those ready for that challenge.

If Lilac 0 had a more generous health bar while keeping the difficulty, the experience would be better. Additionally, there are only a handful of levels, and while there are unlockables for each level completion, like continues, that is the extent of what Lilac 0 has to offer. Still, I cannot help but respect its more hardcore approach.

Behold Lilac 0

Lilac 0 is an impressive old-school shmup with a terrific visual display and sharp gameplay. While it could have used more levels and tweaking in the difficulty, I had a blast with this one. It's a sharp experience of fire and steel, and it is a thrill to literally cut enemies down to pieces. Those looking for a hardcore experience where metal and steel collide should look no further. Behold the power of Lilac 0.