One of the best lessons to learn from indie games, and especially those that can be purchased at a budget price, is that looks can sometimes be deceiving. There’s no question that at a glance Lulu’s Temple has a pretty humble old-school look, but static shots and even brief gameplay videos honestly do sell the game short. While you’ve probably seen classic side-scrolling adventures like this before, including a personal ancient favorite of mine called Montezuma’s Revenge, this is a game with some tricks up its sleeve.

The key to what makes the game stand out, and helps to elevate it above loads of other humble action adventures that fail to make an impression, is its use of light. Given that you find yourself trapped inside a pyramid, it quickly becomes clear that illumination will be the key to your survival. To that end, your torch quickly becomes as crucial a tool to you as your gun, so the prospect of losing it is quite terrifying. How convenient that you almost immediately end up activating a scarab beetle who’ll gladly go and retrieve it for you. Armed with these limited tools you’ll then need to explore, shoot down enemies who thankfully tend to have their glowing eyes give them away even in the dark, throw your torch to light up new areas, and solve a variety of puzzles in order to make your way back to the light.

I suppose there’s something to be said for going out on a high note, but the game’s main disappointment is that the adventure is one that feels like it’s over a bit too soon just a few hours in. That said, where some of its contemporaries are satisfied to drag out sections with too many of the same enemies and repetitive gameplay beats, Lulu’s Temple keeps a fairly brisk pace, letting you get comfortable with new enemies and traps, and then figuring out how best to challenge you before throwing you some new abilities and obstacles to your success once again. It’s a pretty tight and smart overall design, but it would be nice to see a little more meat on its bones, though for the price it’s generally a fair trade.