Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth Soundtrack, Peposoft, 2021
Few fantasy franchises have enjoyed the same longevity – and have produced as many media products – as Record of Lodoss War. First seeing the light of day as a series of fantasy novels published from 1988 onwards, author Ryo Mizuno’s creation spawned numerous mangas, animes and video games (not to mention soundtrack releases). At the time of writing, the still burgeoning franchise’s latest offspring was 2021’s Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth. Neither one of the two companies behind the game – Team Ladybug and Why so serious? – were particularly well-known. That being said, Team Ladybug’s previous two games (Touhou: Luna Nights and Shin Megami Tensei: Synchronicity Prologue) had been well-received. Using Touhou: Luna Nights’ Mogura engine, Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth clearly took its inspiration from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Upon release, reviewers found much to like about the Metroidvania-style gameplay and lovingly rendered 2D graphics.