In the 1990’s, a game called Another World was recognized for its use of cinematics incorporated into the gameplay. Originally for the computer, we saw this game released for home video game consoles at the time, including the Super Nintendo. Now we switch the timing to today and we see this game once again released this time for the Nintendo Wii U.
Another World is all about this scientist named Lester who has a nice funky hairstyle appropriate for the 90s. He travels in his nice Ferrari to reach his high-tech laboratory located underground. While working with his particle accelerator for his experiment, a thunderstorm takes place. All of a sudden, a lightning bolt strikes the laboratory which causes the particle accelerator to create a warp hole. Lester gets sucked in and, as a result, travels to…another world where he has to face off aliens and other dangerous creatures along the way.
This game is basically an adventure platformer but with a linear pathway. That said, to get through the gameplay behind Another World, you’ll have to depend heavily on trial and error. Within each scenario, you’ll have to figure out how to get through the obstacles accordingly. Some can take a few seconds to get through while others will have you dying repeatedly until you figure out what you’re supposed to do. Considering how there aren’t much clues being disclosed in Another World, finding the solution can be time consuming and frustrating for some players.
Controls in Another World is very easy to get acquainted with, even though there is no instructions or tutorials provided. You just have to play around with the limited number of buttons on the Wii U to figure out what commands correspond to what buttons. But in case you want to save yourself some time, the B button is for jump while the A button is for performing an action. By holding down the A button while moving, you”ll get your character running. It can be quite awkward if you’re used to the control scheme of Super Mairo Bros where the commands and buttons are the other way around. It’s a pity that there are no options to switch the buttons. But it’s not that much of a big deal.
As discussed earlier, because Another World has only one solution to completing a scenario, getting through the game can be tough if you’re not aware of the appropriate actions to perform. Since you basically have unlimited number of lives, there’s no fear of game over and then starting from scratch. But on the other hand, if you’re stuck, it can be laborious figuring out what you’re supposed to do. If you’re even off by the timing or aiming of your weapon, it can spell death for you.
When progressing through the game, Another World will keep track of the checkpoints you encounter, although you won’t know directly of such an occurrence. The only time you know when you hit the checkpoint is when you die and the game brings you back to that particular point. They do happen at short intervals so there is no fear of losing all that progress after making a careless mistake. When you do come back to the game after restarting, Another World gives you the opportunity to replay those scenarios from the checkpoints you’ve encountered.
I should indicate that Another World is not exactly the type of game that will match other games of today in terms of presentation. The graphics are a rehash at best of its original form. By pressing the Y button, you can switch between the original and improved graphics. However, the “improvements†are evident in terms of the added detail and the slight smoothing of the textures. Still, Another World does show its age regardless of the graphical mode you choose. The same goes with the audio, which lets you switch between the remastered and original console music. While the former sounds a bit cleaner with less distortion, don’t be expecting some major bass or other types of audio effects in today’s gaming standards.
Other additions included in Another World are the three difficulty settings available to test your skills. The harder difficulty obviously means more challenges in terms of the enemy encounters you come across. The settings won’t lead to changes in puzzles or obstacles, but instead alter the difficulty in terms of the gun fights you get involved with.
Another World is an interesting title for players to at least get themselves exposed to in order to understand the evolution that video games have gone through. If you’re interested in learning about such a history and you own a Nintendo Wii U, then your chance is here with the eShop having the title available as a downloadable game. While it may appear to be archaic, Another World certainly does have some charm that is suited for certain individuals.
