DaRmaZat After nearly twenty hours of gameplay and seeing the credits roll now, I’m certain of more than one thing. But what stands out the most is that Brainwash Gang has achieved something special with this game. At first glance, LAIKA: Aged Through Blood seems like yet another Metroidvania dealing with death, revenge, motherly love, and broken family bonds. But above all, it delivers a story about loyalty.
Just as the world gradually opens up through painstaking backtracking, the plot unfolds at an exceptionally slow pace, culminating in a catharsis that evolves from a bitter coyote seeking vengeance for her lost loved ones to a heroine embracing her fate as a martyr for a greater good: the world and the future of her child. Paired with a gripping soundtrack and an art style that could easily be found in one of the better comic books, the deeper you dive into the game, the clearer it becomes that this is a true gem waiting to be discovered.
Initially armed with a simple pistol and riding her trusty dirtbike—its frame rotatable to shield against a hail of bullets—Laika tears through desolate landscapes, hunting down every last member of the ruthless gang known as the Birds. They spread terror and sorrow through horrific acts of violence in the doomed, withered world. However, Laika stops at nothing, at times literally prying the last useful scraps of information from their mouths before executing them mercilessly. The hatred is mutual, as the Birds soon realize that their biggest concern should be keeping an eye on Laika. Fortunately, she is not alone. Many of those she helps along the way often return the favor.
Gradually revealing more of the side-scrolling map is just as crucial as unlocking fast travel points. Because without knowledge of the terrain, any rider risks getting lost or going in circles. The Metroidvania mechanics are brilliantly interwoven, though I wish the pacing were a little tighter. It takes a long time to truly master the damned motorbike, where every fall can be fatal—let alone the challenge of executing air flips to dodge mini-gun and bazooka fire from the Birds, who lie in wait like assassins along the roads. And then, it takes an eternity before you finally obtain the shotgun that literally opens new paths or the coveted grappling hook that lets you tear down the structural pillars of the Birds’ infestation.
Yes, the difficulty level is as brutal as the game’s depiction of a harsh, old-school Western truth: anyone can take a bullet, and any bullet can be their last. Mutilation, depression, suicide, child abuse, and revenge killings—LAIKA: Aged Through Blood does not shy away from controversial themes. This is not a game for children, nor for the faint of heart, and certainly not for those who dislike acrobatic precision platforming on a motorcycle combined with twin-stick dead-eye shooting mechanics. With limited ammunition replenished only through successful backflips, every shot counts.
At some point in the story, you realize exactly why Laika so often leaves Where We Live: her blood is bound to her motorcycle, a metaphor explicitly referenced multiple times. On her dirtbike, she feels free again—unburdened, detached from the past and future, invincible. This theme is further reinforced by Beicoli’s mesmerizing soundtrack—yes, that same Beicoli, whom you later encounter under different circumstances in a bar in The Undernest. The music unlocks progressively, driven by a clever mechanic requiring you to discover cassette tapes.
Now I also understand why, once again, the well-known tragedy of a fallen hero (or, in this case, heroine) still makes for a gripping narrative. At the same time, I can now clearly see how the slower pacing of the Metroidvania genre forces players to become more deeply engaged with the world’s characters and the game’s universe, maximizing immersion. So many moments in this game will stay with you—whether gruesome, tragic, coldly pragmatic, or emotionally overwhelming.
I can still vividly recall the seemingly endless boat journey to the Lighthouse via Where the Waves Die, the tense infiltration of The Big Tree using severed bishops’ heads for the retinal scanners, and, as it should be, the epic finale. First, a rigorous climb to the highest point of The Floating City, followed by yet another grueling boss fight, culminating in an ending that hits like a bomb.
So, to conclude: did we overlook this work of art? To some extent, yes, but also no—after all, this game has been very well received on Steam. And let’s not forget, in the fall of 2023, everyone was still in awe (and rightly so) of that other phenomenal game, the blockbuster that swept up nearly every award—even into the following year: Baldur’s Gate III. But perhaps now the time has come—if you’re up for the challenge—to give LAIKA: Aged Through Blood a chance. Because without a doubt, it is a masterpiece in its own right.
