Another World Longplay (Amiga) [50 FPS]

Описание: Developed and published by Delphine Software in 1991

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Main Game: 00:00
Death Sequences: 24:42

Another World is the brainchild of one Eric Chahi, a developer who managed to build almost the entire game single-handedly. It tells the story of Lester Knight Chaykin, a prodigious young physicist who is conducting experiments with particle collisions in an attempt to simulate the point in time when all creation came into being.

The game commences with cut-scene showing Lester’s arrival at his laboratory one fateful and stormy night. Lester uses the lab computer to initiate a particle simulation program, but the facility is struck by lightning and the electro-magnetic surge causes a malfunction of cataclysmic proportions, opening a warp gate to a new dimension. Both Lester and a large chunk of his laboratory are sent hurtling across time and space, only to materialise in the middle of a lake on an unknown planet. Trapped and alone, Lester must find a way to survive and to find a way back home, if that is even possible.

Following a brief encounter with the local wildlife, Lester encounters what appears to be the dominant race on the planet. Towering over Lester and bearing advanced weaponry, these humanoid creatures stun our hero with blast of laser fire before taking him into captivity.

After eventually regaining consciousness, Lester discovers he is trapped in a small cage in what appears to be a mine. To his surprise, he discovers he is not alone, another of the strange aliens sharing his cell. What unfolds next is a remarkable vision of escape, friendship, joy and sorrow as Lester and his companion attempt to flee from these oppressive overlords in what has to be one of the most beautifully crafted experiences on the Amiga.

The player takes direct control of Lester moving him left and right with the joystick. Holding the fire button whilst moving will cause Lester to sprint, jump and perform other actions depending on the direction being pushed.

Not soon after his escape, Lester is able to arm himself with a laser pistol to take on the alien guards. The pistol has three fire modes, each activated by holding the fire button for progressively longer periods. Tapping the fire button fires the weapon, whilst holding it for a couple of seconds generates a barrier that deflects a limited number of blasts. Holding the trigger even longer overcharges the gun, allowing Lester to unleash a large energy blast that is capable of destroying doors, obstacles and enemy barriers in a single shot. It should be noted that the gun has a limited power cell that will run dry after prolonged use and recharging stations are few and far between, so Lester should use the gun only when necessary.

Whilst the game is linear, the player must discover how to overcome each of the sequences in the game. There’s little in the way of sign-posting, so progress is achieved largely on a trial-and-error basis. Fortunately, the game is broken into numerous sections and progress can be resumed from the beginning of a section should Lester meet an untimely demise. Not only that, a series of passwords can be written down to resume the game from each checkpoint at a later point in time.

I suppose the chief criticism I have about the game is that it’s very short. There’s not much in terms of re-playability once you’ve worked out how to complete each scene and beaten the game. By all accounts, the development of the game was something of a Herculean task for Chahi and creating content was a slow process – later, he would create extra content for other conversions of the game.

Whilst Chahi created the games code and artwork, responsibility for music lies with Jean-François Freitas. The tracks that play during the introduction and ending sequences are great, managing to sound ominous and melancholic respectively. In fact, the bitter-sweet ending still manages to give me goosebumps even to this day.

A sequel entitled “Heart of the Alien” would eventually be released in 1994 for the Sega CD platform, albeit without Chahi’s involvement. The sequel continues the adventures of Lester and his alien friend, but that’s a story for another day.

Whilst maybe not the best ‘game’ per-Se, the beautiful visuals, innovative story-telling and haunting audio make Another World an interactive experience quite unlike any other, at least for the time. It was another milestone release that, as far as I’m concerned, continues to reinforce the Amiga’s reputation as one of the most innovative computers of all time.
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