Developer: OneManOnMars Art & Games
Platforms: PC (Reviewed), PS5, Switch
Genre: Action, Adventure
Publisher: Mindscape
Leif’s Adventure: Netherworld Hero is an action-adventure side-scrolling game. This game was developed by OneManOnMars Art & Games and published by Mindscape. This review was done on Windows, but the game is also available on Switch and PS5.
In Leif’s Adventure: Netherworld Hero, you play as Leif, son of the village chief. His older brother Ragner is the golden boy of the village, and Leif wants to prove his worth when he finally gets to take on an adventure. Leif’s village gets attacked, and with his older brother missing, he takes it upon himself to take the lead. With his hammer in hand, he sets out on a journey that saves the whole world. Leif befriends a spirit that joins him on his expedition, where they solve puzzles, fight monsters, and complete NPC quests.
Leif’s Adventure: Netherworld Hero can be played locally with another player to join the epic battle that the game has to offer. You can easily switch between single-player and co-op, which is quite effective when playing this action-adventure game. Playing it either way does not take away from the experience, yet it makes the co-op even more exciting. As Leif meets his spirit buddy, who can help him solve puzzles and fight enemies, player two can take on the role of the spirit buddy. I found that this made the game a lot easier to play, as you did not need to worry about controlling Leif and the spirit buddy. Personally, we felt that local co-op works best for this game.Â
The controls for this game are really easy to work with. When on the keyboard and mouse, mostly all buttons are mapped for the keyboard. When local co-op was introduced into the game, we found that the game plays much better with a controller due to its limited controls. This made for a more comfortable couch play.
Leif’s Adventure features a hand-drawn art style which is inspired by Nordic life. With its 2.5D style, the characters almost resemble to be paper-like with the detailed animations. The game captures a great motion between 3D elements, and the characters are able to occupy a 3D space, which gives the game more definition. The game does a really nice job of capturing a Nordic-inspired world through the character’s clothing, appearance and even the landscapes. The colours are vibrant, and everything has its distinct personalities. The designs for the characters and the monsters were well done, as the humans had a semi-realistic look, whereas the enemy designs were anything from real bats to a big green ogre. I would have to say that some of the camera movement felt a bit disorienting, in cases where Leif would jump, and the whole screen would shift up, which caught me off guard. The soundtrack, accompanied by the visuals, is quite nice. The soundtrack is filled with epic battle music to calm, whimsical instrumental sounds that play as you explore. The atmosphere built within the game is really nice, as it captures the beauty of folklore.
Leif’s Adventure stands true to its title as the game is a great adventure game. You get to encounter several fights while traversing and exploring different levels. The game gives the player a lot to do within its side-scrolling ability. After the initial tutorial and debrief on mechanics and story, the game starts in a way where the player is in a hub. The hub has portals to different realms that they can continue through to progress onwards (similar to Rayman Legends). There are six unique worlds that are crafted with much detail that you can explore to complete side quests, find hidden treasure or meet NPCs that share their memorable backstory. I truly enjoyed the exploration of this game, as you can play out platforming mechanics through the landscape. The platforming aspect was designed in a way that gets you to pay attention to your controls and timings, which makes the game even more fun. It almost felt like I was playing Rayman Legends with some inspiration from Mario, where bonfires had acted like checkpoints. Exploration is rewarding as you can collect crystals that will help you buy armour, weapons and potions. Leif’s Adventure is filled with secrets that you can uncover by talking to characters to explore on your own, and it really will help in making Leif a better warrior!
The combat for Leif’s Adventure is nicely balanced, but I did feel that, at times, the evading was a bit clunky. Sometimes, you would think you had evaded an attack, but you still end up getting hurt. Besides that, the battles are much fun as you get to encounter a variety of creatures and fight insane bosses. Initially, I had thought that the combat would mainly consist of swinging Leif’s hammer, but the game makes the player focus on how to attack while avoiding damage. Leif’s Adventure is melee-focused, which is perfect for Nordic times. Your trusty hammer will always be your offhand, and you can always find other weapons that will either be better or worse. What was so interesting was the weapon and enemy elemental aspect. This meant that you could have a sword that would deal more damage to the enemy with its specific element. I found this quite interesting as it meant that keeping loot for the future was highly important.Â
If you are looking for an action-adventure game where you are rewarded by exploring the secrets the world has to offer whilst taking on several enemies, then this game is just for you. Not only can you play this game by yourself, but you can play locally with another person. The hand-drawn visuals, the compelling story, and intense boss fights will all help you grow as you play Leif. It is up to you and your spirit buddy to solve puzzles and find treasure to save everyone from danger. Be sure to check out, if you check out, Leif’s Adventure: Netherworld Hero!
Overall: 7.5/10

This is S & S. We are world game explorers. We play games. We have played over 10,000+ games! We travel, we write reviews AND we play more games!!!!