Another World (Out of this World)
Another World is one of those rare gems. A true piece of art, and surprisingly original and ahead of it's time. It was created almost completely by Eric Chahi, a programmer, artist, and game designer from France.
I started playing this through the first time on the Super Nintendo, and didn't actually finish it until well over 10 years later. While there have been many different versions on as many platforms, I want to focus on the creativity and design found in all of them. For what it's worth, I started with the SNES and Genesis versions, and finished playing the recent Hi-res remake.
To say it's unique is an understatement. It is very easy to see that this was quite the visionary project, that knew well it's technical and artistic limitations, so chose to explore within them.
You control a young particle physicist. The game opens up as you are returning to your laboratory. Night has fallen, and the thunderous and chaotic weather provides a thinly macabre sense of atmosphere. The advanced and intelligent security systems in your lab give a key to the significance of this place.
The player is ignorant of where this lab exists, but it's obviously a very important place. Perhaps an experimental offshoot of a larger, well funded organization. Government? Military? The player is left to ponder these external bits of fiction themselves, as the answers are only subtly hinted at. The story is not aware of the viewer. Rather, you feel more like an outside observer, watching their actions and only being able to guess at their meaning. The creativity of the human mind is an extremely powerful tool that is harnessed masterfully.
It's business as usual as you saddle up to your computer and proceed to begin another test in conjunction with the particle accelerator. You pop open a soda as you wait for the test to finish.
Outside, the thunderstorm has picked up, and a sudden flash strikes into the side of the building, interfering with the test. As your equipment is surged beyond control, some remarkable combination of forces causes a pocket of space to rip you from your place in this world.....
You are hurdled, computer desk and all, into a lethal and alien world. This is where the game itself begins. Suddenly existing many feet below the surface of a water pool, the player is for the first time given control. Slowly, dark tentacles of some unseen predator rise up from the depths to reach out for you. Your survival instincts are triggered, and they tell you one thing, "go up!" and thats just what you need to do.
Its the first of many situations that relies purely on context. In fact, that aspect alone is what is so remarkable about this game. Everything is derived from whatever situation you happen to find yourself in next. control inputs have general actions associated with them, but these may change depending on the circumstances. This approach to the game design really forces the player to think about their surroundings, and how to use everything at their immediate disposal.
From swinging back and forth to harness the gravity and inertia of your suspended cage in order to come crashing down on top of the guard below you...
To observing the reflections off of these suspended lamps to accurately shoot one down and into the head of the enemy below...
To taking a leap of faith off a cliff to avoid being devoured by one of the landscapes larger predators...
The creativity, and uniqueness of these contextual situations is well thought out, and rely heavily on predictable and realistic physics and sound problem solving. Sadly, this type of immediately understandable method of design seems to be the exception rather than the norm throughout the industry. An issue that so many problem solving games face is that they are:
A: Overly predictable and unrealistic "puzzles" slapped into whatever world they exist in. These examples are usually the most basic application of some sort of impediment that the player must tackle. Such as pushing three multi-colored boxes into three multi colored floor slots. I would describe them as "gamey," as they feel as if no effort was given to make the puzzle's existance reasonable or justified within the world. They remind the player that its a game, and break down the illusion of any fiction present.
B: So complex and unrealistic that its nothing more than a matter of trial and error until you stumble upon what works. Many point and click adventure games suffer from this. I'm sure anyone reading this who has played an adventure game or two can think of more than a few instances when they had to do some ridiculous series of actions to get to the simple outcome required to progress. Often times with examples like this, were the player actually in that world, they could arrive at the outcome much easier if everything there were at there disposal, but limitations of character control prevent these solutions. These also break down the illusion, as they remind the player of the limitations of the system.
Another World walks the delicate balance between the two. It relies so well on the experiences and fundamental understanding of the everyday world around us, that it feels very real and plausible.
While there is a great amount of trial and error in Another World, it's never a matter of feeling that you are in a poorly executed and pre-determined order of progression. I spoke earlier of design within limitations, and this is an example of what I mean by this. There are no arbitrary limitations. If you are stuck somewhere, its because theres feet thick wall on one side, and a sure plunge to your death on the other, and not because of something such as a low built fence that you character simple "cant" climb over. Things such as invisible walls, and other arbitrary and unrealistic elements of restriction are very destructive to the player's suspension of belief. This sort of thing was surely in the mind of the designer, as every possible course of action was thought out, and ends with a reasonable conclusion (In most cases a very interesting and unique death.)
The Landscape and it's inhabitants are immediately alien. While bearing many similarities to our own earth, time and evolution have clearly lead only the strong and deadly to survive. pulling yourself out of the water from which you just escaped death, even the seemingly docile land dwelling animals pose the highest threat to you.
Once upon the land, a bunch of slow moving and clumsy slugs crawl across the ground. striking incredibly fast, even the tiniest amount of venom from their tetracting tooth will kill you instantly.
This dynamic of presenting one of the most harmless earthen creatures (the slug), something that the player is immediately comfortable with, and showing its incredibly lethal capacity in this world sets up the inherent dangers that the rest of the experience is so rich with. It asks the question "If this is the bottom of the food chain, what else am I going to have to contend with here?" Its a very ominous beginning that establishes a wealth of anticipation for what may happen next.
You find yourself soon enslaved by the civilized people of the world, and you are thrust into a environment you know nothing about. Waking up after capture, you discover yourself imprisoned with another one of these beings.
The bluriness of sedation wears off slowly, and your eyes again take their focus.
A guard paces slowly beneath you, and off in the distance, slave workers dig into the cavern with their pickaxes. Elements of an oppressive political climate are immediately noticeable. Things do not look good.
As much as the player is like an observer into the adventure of this young man, so too is the man like an observer into this strange new culture. A lack of verbal communication only enhances this abstractly claustrophobic and disconnected feeling. You have done nothing wrong, but find yourself enslaved under the whims of whomever is controlling these people. You are innocent, which also questions the imprisonment of your cell mate, and the other slave workers in the background. Have they done nothing wrong? Do they deserve this? Your innate sense of justice and desire for simple survival is what spurns you forward from here on out.
The course of the adventure takes you from the ravaged landscape outside the city, to the slave mines, and eventually into the heart of the city itself. All along the way, subtle elements of this culture exists here and there to more flesh out the story.
I believe the designer was quite clever by not making a visual distinction between the slaves and the guards. A clear distinction between the two, such as varying clothing color, would make the division between the two much more black and white. I think a lot is gained when you don't immediately know the differences and motives of these beings. You derive everything from their actions.
Catching a glimpse from a high rise structure within the jails, even the style of architecture seems sharp and dangerous.
As you make your way into the heart of the city, you become witness to more of the enemies lifestyle and culture.
From their indulgence in brutal gladiatorial combat, and their recreational lust for entertainment through death....
...to their vain self-indulgence. Your presence is a most unwanted one in this city.
Its an observational story. The literal motives, and social and political ideologies are never laid for you. Nor is there any closure. Just as the game starts out thrusting you into this world, and leaves the reasoning all up to you, so too does it end like this.
crippled by the sadistic beating of one of the aliens, death seems more close at hand at the end than it ever has. Only the interjection by your nameless friend saves you. The only being that has showed the slightest bit of compassion and understanding for you so far.
The end finds you helpless, legs broken, at this mercy of your new comrade. Flying away from the city, the player is left to ponder what the true outcome for our hero might be.
The basic ideas of friendship and responsibility come full circle in this experience. While you saved your friend from the cage so early on, so too does he come to your aid when you need it most. All unspoken, but with the simplest of understandings for each other, the relationship between you and the alien is one of the strongest examples that the gaming artform has produced. Its an excellent example of what the most extreme of circumstances can bring out in an individual.
The artistic approach is very simple and stylized. Having to exist within the constrains of the technology, the level of detail of the visuals is sacrificed for the addition of other things. Cinematics look rotoscoped and are very well executed. The simple balance of resources is superb.
There is detail and movement in all the right places to give the illusion of life. The game's focus on the mundane is also a testament to the appreciation therein of subtlety. It removes that larger-than-life feeling that so many games constantly strive for, and instead, brings things down to the human level. The experience feels much more intimate that way.
Its easy to relate to this character, because he thinks and acts in the ways that you might, and not like a superhero. There is as much drama to be found as there is science fiction within this tale.
I started playing this through the first time on the Super Nintendo, and didn't actually finish it until well over 10 years later. While there have been many different versions on as many platforms, I want to focus on the creativity and design found in all of them. For what it's worth, I started with the SNES and Genesis versions, and finished playing the recent Hi-res remake.
To say it's unique is an understatement. It is very easy to see that this was quite the visionary project, that knew well it's technical and artistic limitations, so chose to explore within them.
You control a young particle physicist. The game opens up as you are returning to your laboratory. Night has fallen, and the thunderous and chaotic weather provides a thinly macabre sense of atmosphere. The advanced and intelligent security systems in your lab give a key to the significance of this place.
The player is ignorant of where this lab exists, but it's obviously a very important place. Perhaps an experimental offshoot of a larger, well funded organization. Government? Military? The player is left to ponder these external bits of fiction themselves, as the answers are only subtly hinted at. The story is not aware of the viewer. Rather, you feel more like an outside observer, watching their actions and only being able to guess at their meaning. The creativity of the human mind is an extremely powerful tool that is harnessed masterfully.
It's business as usual as you saddle up to your computer and proceed to begin another test in conjunction with the particle accelerator. You pop open a soda as you wait for the test to finish.
Outside, the thunderstorm has picked up, and a sudden flash strikes into the side of the building, interfering with the test. As your equipment is surged beyond control, some remarkable combination of forces causes a pocket of space to rip you from your place in this world.....
You are hurdled, computer desk and all, into a lethal and alien world. This is where the game itself begins. Suddenly existing many feet below the surface of a water pool, the player is for the first time given control. Slowly, dark tentacles of some unseen predator rise up from the depths to reach out for you. Your survival instincts are triggered, and they tell you one thing, "go up!" and thats just what you need to do.
Its the first of many situations that relies purely on context. In fact, that aspect alone is what is so remarkable about this game. Everything is derived from whatever situation you happen to find yourself in next. control inputs have general actions associated with them, but these may change depending on the circumstances. This approach to the game design really forces the player to think about their surroundings, and how to use everything at their immediate disposal.
From swinging back and forth to harness the gravity and inertia of your suspended cage in order to come crashing down on top of the guard below you...
To observing the reflections off of these suspended lamps to accurately shoot one down and into the head of the enemy below...
To taking a leap of faith off a cliff to avoid being devoured by one of the landscapes larger predators...
The creativity, and uniqueness of these contextual situations is well thought out, and rely heavily on predictable and realistic physics and sound problem solving. Sadly, this type of immediately understandable method of design seems to be the exception rather than the norm throughout the industry. An issue that so many problem solving games face is that they are:
A: Overly predictable and unrealistic "puzzles" slapped into whatever world they exist in. These examples are usually the most basic application of some sort of impediment that the player must tackle. Such as pushing three multi-colored boxes into three multi colored floor slots. I would describe them as "gamey," as they feel as if no effort was given to make the puzzle's existance reasonable or justified within the world. They remind the player that its a game, and break down the illusion of any fiction present.
B: So complex and unrealistic that its nothing more than a matter of trial and error until you stumble upon what works. Many point and click adventure games suffer from this. I'm sure anyone reading this who has played an adventure game or two can think of more than a few instances when they had to do some ridiculous series of actions to get to the simple outcome required to progress. Often times with examples like this, were the player actually in that world, they could arrive at the outcome much easier if everything there were at there disposal, but limitations of character control prevent these solutions. These also break down the illusion, as they remind the player of the limitations of the system.
Another World walks the delicate balance between the two. It relies so well on the experiences and fundamental understanding of the everyday world around us, that it feels very real and plausible.
While there is a great amount of trial and error in Another World, it's never a matter of feeling that you are in a poorly executed and pre-determined order of progression. I spoke earlier of design within limitations, and this is an example of what I mean by this. There are no arbitrary limitations. If you are stuck somewhere, its because theres feet thick wall on one side, and a sure plunge to your death on the other, and not because of something such as a low built fence that you character simple "cant" climb over. Things such as invisible walls, and other arbitrary and unrealistic elements of restriction are very destructive to the player's suspension of belief. This sort of thing was surely in the mind of the designer, as every possible course of action was thought out, and ends with a reasonable conclusion (In most cases a very interesting and unique death.)
The Landscape and it's inhabitants are immediately alien. While bearing many similarities to our own earth, time and evolution have clearly lead only the strong and deadly to survive. pulling yourself out of the water from which you just escaped death, even the seemingly docile land dwelling animals pose the highest threat to you.
Once upon the land, a bunch of slow moving and clumsy slugs crawl across the ground. striking incredibly fast, even the tiniest amount of venom from their tetracting tooth will kill you instantly.
This dynamic of presenting one of the most harmless earthen creatures (the slug), something that the player is immediately comfortable with, and showing its incredibly lethal capacity in this world sets up the inherent dangers that the rest of the experience is so rich with. It asks the question "If this is the bottom of the food chain, what else am I going to have to contend with here?" Its a very ominous beginning that establishes a wealth of anticipation for what may happen next.
You find yourself soon enslaved by the civilized people of the world, and you are thrust into a environment you know nothing about. Waking up after capture, you discover yourself imprisoned with another one of these beings.
The bluriness of sedation wears off slowly, and your eyes again take their focus.
A guard paces slowly beneath you, and off in the distance, slave workers dig into the cavern with their pickaxes. Elements of an oppressive political climate are immediately noticeable. Things do not look good.
As much as the player is like an observer into the adventure of this young man, so too is the man like an observer into this strange new culture. A lack of verbal communication only enhances this abstractly claustrophobic and disconnected feeling. You have done nothing wrong, but find yourself enslaved under the whims of whomever is controlling these people. You are innocent, which also questions the imprisonment of your cell mate, and the other slave workers in the background. Have they done nothing wrong? Do they deserve this? Your innate sense of justice and desire for simple survival is what spurns you forward from here on out.
The course of the adventure takes you from the ravaged landscape outside the city, to the slave mines, and eventually into the heart of the city itself. All along the way, subtle elements of this culture exists here and there to more flesh out the story.
I believe the designer was quite clever by not making a visual distinction between the slaves and the guards. A clear distinction between the two, such as varying clothing color, would make the division between the two much more black and white. I think a lot is gained when you don't immediately know the differences and motives of these beings. You derive everything from their actions.
Catching a glimpse from a high rise structure within the jails, even the style of architecture seems sharp and dangerous.
As you make your way into the heart of the city, you become witness to more of the enemies lifestyle and culture.
From their indulgence in brutal gladiatorial combat, and their recreational lust for entertainment through death....
...to their vain self-indulgence. Your presence is a most unwanted one in this city.
Its an observational story. The literal motives, and social and political ideologies are never laid for you. Nor is there any closure. Just as the game starts out thrusting you into this world, and leaves the reasoning all up to you, so too does it end like this.
crippled by the sadistic beating of one of the aliens, death seems more close at hand at the end than it ever has. Only the interjection by your nameless friend saves you. The only being that has showed the slightest bit of compassion and understanding for you so far.
The end finds you helpless, legs broken, at this mercy of your new comrade. Flying away from the city, the player is left to ponder what the true outcome for our hero might be.
The basic ideas of friendship and responsibility come full circle in this experience. While you saved your friend from the cage so early on, so too does he come to your aid when you need it most. All unspoken, but with the simplest of understandings for each other, the relationship between you and the alien is one of the strongest examples that the gaming artform has produced. Its an excellent example of what the most extreme of circumstances can bring out in an individual.
The artistic approach is very simple and stylized. Having to exist within the constrains of the technology, the level of detail of the visuals is sacrificed for the addition of other things. Cinematics look rotoscoped and are very well executed. The simple balance of resources is superb.
There is detail and movement in all the right places to give the illusion of life. The game's focus on the mundane is also a testament to the appreciation therein of subtlety. It removes that larger-than-life feeling that so many games constantly strive for, and instead, brings things down to the human level. The experience feels much more intimate that way.
Its easy to relate to this character, because he thinks and acts in the ways that you might, and not like a superhero. There is as much drama to be found as there is science fiction within this tale.
Labels: Another World, art, games, Out of this World, Video Games
