With a name like Lux-Pain, Rising Star’s latest DS endeavour could entail just about anything. Well, you wouldn’t be able to get away with calling a kid’s game Lux-Pain but it’s a name that would definitely suffice for a beat’em up or a shoot’em up. It’s neither of those though – it’s an incredibly text heavy anime-influenced adventure game, not dissimilar to the Phoenix Wright series.
Lead character Atsuki is a telepathy-blessed detective out to find the source of a parasitic virus infecting Japanese citizens. It kicks off with an investigation on a crime scene where a man who tortures animals has been laying dead for weeks, before moving onto a Japanese high school where the kids have been committing suicide. Grim stuff, then.
Progression in the story is usually made by asking people the right question or by being in the right place at the right time. The only real ‘gameplay’ of note is when Atsuki gets to flex his powers and rid people of their infection. This is achieved by rubbing the screen to find the worm-like virus and then jabbing it with the stylus before the timer runs out.
Despite polished presentation, such as occasional anime cut-scenes and stylish menus, everything feels a bit shallow. It doesn’t help that the storyline does nothing but confuse either. It’s not a horrid game by any means – it’s just a bit pointless.