There’s no doubt that games with a general style that honors titles from earlier generations have had their moment to shine in this generation. Whether in the form of fully retro titles in both look and feel, or ones that look more modern but have adopted a play style that feels more from yesteryear, old-school gamers have had quite a number of solid options within the Switch’s lifespan. In the case of Leif’s Adventure, its look is more broadly “modern”, though perhaps in a way reminiscent of a Flash game to some degree, but in terms of how it plays it has a more classic feel, for both good and bad.

Starting with the positives, it doesn’t take long to figure out that this is a world of hidden secrets that rewards exploration. Whether in the form of hints you’ll pick up talking to characters, or simply being daring and doing some exploring on your own, you’ll find there are some great weapons or at least loot lurking all over. That isn’t to say there won’t often be some accompanying puzzles and peril to make getting those things more complicated than just stumbling into them, but fortune definitely does favor the bold. One potential pitfall the game can fall into with this fact is that when you go poking around everywhere it can make it hard to follow the story, or at least keep track of what you’re actually supposed to be doing next, but for people who like to be free to wander you’ll get plenty of encouragement to do so here.

In terms of the issues that jump out, unfortunately I’d say that the game’s biggest problems lie with some fundamentals, and that can make for some frustrations. The first is with the camera, which can simply be jarring as it tries to keep up with you when you’re trying to do things like complete platforming sections, especially if you’re moving pretty quickly both vertically and horizontally. I suppose games that handle this more smoothly are taken for granted simply because you don’t notice or feel the effort of the camera keeping up, but in this case you can sometimes get a bit of motion sickness by how it will shift around. The other issue is with the game’s combat, which is workable but simply doesn’t feel very satisfying on the whole. The weapon variety can be nice, though you’ll have to keep an eye out for your durability, but more often than not it all feels a bit clumsy and unrefined. As you go further along there are ways to help improve your effectiveness, but the fundamental feel still seems to be a few steps behind the game’s peers.

In the end, whether or not Leif’s Adventure works for you is a bit of a toss up, and it will likely depend on what sort of experience you’re looking for. If you’re seeking a world full of people to talk to, and areas to explore, it can absolutely work and have some appeal. If your preferred emphasis is on satisfying combat and action, the case to be made is quite a bit weaker. There’s no doubt that this game was crafted with some love, but that doesn’t change the fact that it isn’t nearly as polished as some of the better competition out there in the eShop.