Low Story is a distinct passion project that’s full of personality and basks in strangeness. The stark, minimalist, and surreal world almost feels akin to Inside. But there’s an equal share of eerie and silly creatures, including jack-in-the-box enemies wielding rocket launchers.

Essentially, Low Story is a blend of playful pulp with imagery and dialogue that are legitimately bizarre, like a retro comic’s fever dream. The story unfolds with unexpected turns that rarely make sense, in a good way.

The basic shooting and abilities are pretty satisfying. But there are also some small, interesting mechanics that stand out. Early on, you’ll need to both lead and avoid dangerous balls of energy that follow you, in order to use them as keys.

The visuals and animation also look surprisingly smooth, with crisp effects and some creative character designs. Enemies have distinct behavior and attacks that are fun to learn. And I really enjoyed shooting backwards, just for the way it was animated.

Unfortunately, much of my gameplay was marred by a variety of damaging technical issues. Simple walking is a stiff and uncomfortable movement. Worse, trying to jump while you’re moving forward can also make you dash. These make basic platforming a clumsy chore.

Enemies can attack you while you’re at the store. Dialogue appears to have been translated, and doesn’t always read well.

There were also quite a few bugs, and I encountered multiple crashes throughout. However, it’s always possible that some of these flaws are only a result of trying the Xbox version.

Final Thoughts

Low Story is an oddity with a compelling world, full of creativity and atmosphere. I appreciate the mystery, visuals, and ideas. But Low Story is also rough around the edges, with clunky movement and frustrating bugs. At the very least, this is the work of a developer with enormous potential and lots to say.

Score: 6.5 / 10