Lazy Raiders (XBLA) Review

• Game: Lazy Raiders
• Developer: Sarbakan
• Price: 800MS Points ($10.00)
• Release Date: 2/24/2010

I’ll be honest; my first impression of Lazy Raiders was horrible. It was not that the game was bad, but my shallow mind had different expectations based on only ever seeing a few screenshots. I expected a game of exploration with direct control over the character, but Lazy Raiders is exactly the opposite. Lazy Raiders is a clever puzzle game where you control the maze and use that to guide your character to its goal. Once I accepted this fact, I found Lazy Raiders surprisingly fun and challenging.

The basic goal of each level is to navigate your character [either Dr. Diggabone or your Avatar] to a Golden Pick. Grabbing the pick will allow you to venture onto the next level and continue the adventure. You can attempt to grab all the jewels and idols in a level, but they are not required to advance. That aspect is key in keeping the game from reaching undesirable levels of frustration; it doesn’t hurt that the game features two control schemes that are both quite comfortable. Perfectionists will find enjoyment in playing a level over and over again, while more casual gamers will be free to just continue without unneeded hassle.

I don't think Dr. Diggabone is currently enjoying your maze-manipulating skills.

Lazy Raiders features a fair bit of content with 80 levels, 192 Idols, and 16 Relics in total. It will likely take roughly eight [plus] hours to complete the game, but there is plenty of replay value in collecting all the loot and trying to beat your high score; the game features a good leaderboard system for competitive gamers. Best of all, you will unlock Dr. Diggabone’s outfit for your Avatar and it is always nice to be awarded with more than just an achievement.

I never thought I would enjoy Lazy Raiders as much as I inevitably did; my initial impression was deeply depressing. In everyday life, the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” is fairly common, but it holds true here as well. I expected something that was never there and I originally faulted the game for that reason. It was not fair to the game and if I never gave the game a second chance; I would have never come to the realization that the game is actually pretty damn good. I hope you don’t shrug off Lazy Raiders as I originally did; you will only be hurting yourself as you miss out on a surprisingly great game.