Developer: Eric Chahi
Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch
The impact that the original Another World had on the gaming industry upon its original 1991 release cannot be underestimated.
A moody, minimalist cinematic platformer featuring protagonist Lester Chaykin’s travels through an alien landscape whilst accompanied by his alien companion, ‘Buddy’, the game captured the hearts of an entire generation of gamers.
Over the years the game has been ported to many, many different platforms and we have seen both 15th and 20th anniversary releases.
Now making its way to Nintendo’s newest console, whilst it’s a blast of nostalgia for those of us old enough to remember (and cherish) the original, I can’t help but feel that newcomers to the game may find the experience less than stellar.
A moody, minimalist cinematic platformer featuring protagonist Lester Chaykin’s travels through an alien landscape whilst accompanied by his alien companion, ‘Buddy’, the game captured the hearts of an entire generation of gamers.
Now making its way to Nintendo’s newest console, whilst it’s a blast of nostalgia for those of us old enough to remember (and cherish) the original, I can’t help but feel that newcomers to the game may find the experience less than stellar.
It’s not that there’s anything particularly wrong with this port, it’s a solid, smoothed-up HD remaster of the seminal title with a few extra features and at its low price point of under a tenner, it’s hard to take umbrage.
The fact remains that this was very much a game of its time that kick-started a genre but contains game mechanics that have not aged well. Progress through the brief game (it can be completed in around half an hour if you know your way, although you’ll squeeze an hour or two out if you are a newcomer) is very much a trial and error process.
Mistime a jump? Dead.
Roll the wrong way? Dead.
Walk off-screen without inching forward to trigger an enemy entrance? Dead.
Whilst it’s not massively challenging (a lot of the challenge comes from the slightly cumbersome controls and the aforementioned trial and error) the game does seem designed to show off it’s numerous (and sometimes harsh) death animations, so be prepared to die. There are also some sections in the caves where the awkward jumping can get irritating and it’s possible to get stuck requiring a restart from the nearest checkpoint, which luckily appear at regular intervals, taking away the element of back-tracking.
The music in the game is as beautiful and ambient as ever and the intro still gives me a shiver of pleasure with its portentous opening and evocative imagery. The lack of hand-holding throws you into feeling like you and Lester are truly the aliens in this other world and the mostly silent interaction between you and Buddy is oddly endearing whilst the animations and brief cut-scenes tell this tale solidly and with an emotional punch. Another World hasn’t missed a beat in this respect and shows that it still has a lot going for it.
The fact remains that this was very much a game of its time that kick-started a genre but contains game mechanics that have not aged well. Progress through the brief game (it can be completed in around half an hour if you know your way, although you’ll squeeze an hour or two out if you are a newcomer) is very much a trial and error process.
Mistime a jump? Dead.
Roll the wrong way? Dead.
Walk off-screen without inching forward to trigger an enemy entrance? Dead.
The music in the game is as beautiful and ambient as ever and the intro still gives me a shiver of pleasure with its portentous opening and evocative imagery. The lack of hand-holding throws you into feeling like you and Lester are truly the aliens in this other world and the mostly silent interaction between you and Buddy is oddly endearing whilst the animations and brief cut-scenes tell this tale solidly and with an emotional punch. Another World hasn’t missed a beat in this respect and shows that it still has a lot going for it.
Extra content-wise, there’s the option to modernise the audio and the game has a button that flicks between the original and remastered graphics, but that’s pretty much it. In a way, the extras take an approach reflected throughout the game’s design, that of absolute minimalism.
Summary
Summary
A lack of replay value and the absence of any kind of secrets or hidden features may put some off, combining this with the dated game play and brief length takes too much away to make this an essential purchase, but for those who don’t own the game on any other platform or fancy dipping into an important moment in gaming history, Another World is definitely worth a look.
Right, I’m off to kick an alien in the nuts, mysaroombar!
💧❄️ RATING: MELTING ❄️💧
Ratings Explained
ICE COOL (Great Game Recommended)
MELTING (Recommended with reservations, one to consider if you are a fan of the genre)
MELTED (Not A Recommended Purchase)
Review By Britt
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