Review - Out of This World (Another World)
Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2012 9:20 pm
I played through this last night and thought I'd write up some brief comments, since I was surprised to see that no one's reviewed it here yet.
Since Another World (retitled Out of This World for the US market) is quite famous, I'm not going to give a comprehensive review of the game's history, backstory, all its different iterations, etc. There are many other sources for that, like this article at Hardcore Gaming 101.
That said, if anyone hasn't played Eric Chahi's masterpiece, it's a cinematic, atmospheric, and highly scripted (though essentially wordless) game with puzzle and action-platforming elements. Really, though, it's in a genre all its own -- albeit one that was anticipated somewhat by Prince of Persia, and continued by games like Flashback, Abe's Oddysee, and Chahi's own Heart of Darkness.
So how does the 3DO version stack up against other platforms? Well, the version I know by far the best is the SNES port, which has a brilliant soundtrack but tons of slowdown. Still, I absolutely love that version of the game, partly because of nostalgia (no doubt) but partly because it has a mysterious, cryptic feel that's almost enhanced by the slowdown. It almost reminds me of the latent promise hidden in old Atari games like Raiders of the Lost Ark, where nothing was explained and everything had an enigmatic, almost hallucinatory air.
I've also played the Sega CD version a bit, which has much less slowdown and a different soundtrack. I've also tried one or two other ports (including the demo level for Atari 8-bit!), but unfortunately I haven't yet played the Amiga original.
Compared to these versions, the most striking difference in the 3DO port is the redrawn textures and backgrounds. I was expecting to hate the new artwork, and the Hardcore Gaming 101 article lambastes the 3DO port for what it deems a betrayal of Chahi's vision. But as it turns out, I wasn't bothered by any of it; some of it is irrelevant, some is misguided, and on a few occasions, it arguably improves on the original.
The HG101 article is more on point with its criticism of the soundtrack, which certainly isn't as immersive, appropriate, or polished (bad loop points) as the SNES version. But this, too, is basically a non-issue; there are a few attractive passages of music, while the other, less successful ones don't really detract from the game.
What's more disconcerting is how fast the game now plays. Sequences that take quite a while in the SNES version fly by here, and in a few cases it's actually quite tricky to pull everything off in time (especially the colosseum/tank sequence). The net effect is that the game becomes quite a bit more arcade-like, though it doesn't undermine the atmosphere or gameplay.
And that's really the crucial thing: despite the faster speed and redrawn graphics, is Chahi's game intact? I'm pleased to say that it is. In some ways Out of This World seems just as fresh now as it did decades ago. The game's immersive quality, its mystery, and its nifty puzzles are all still totally captivating, at least for me. It really does feel like "another world", even with the more straightforward 3DO graphics in play.
Last night I put Out of This World in my 3DO merely to test it out, and ended up playing through the entire game! It took about two hours since I remembered most of the game quite well, and only got stuck a bit towards the end. The game's brevity and total linearity should be liabilities, but it's really a meaningless issue because those qualities are so inherent in Chahi's vision of the game: it wouldn't be the same game if you had multiple paths, because the game is (in part) about engineering a succession of unlikely miracles to allow you to survive in this strange world.
Speaking of Chahi's vision, the end of the game includes (spoiler alert?) a teaser for the sequel, Heart of the Alien, which ended up coming out on Sega CD but not 3DO. The difference in art style and sensibility is immediately apparent, and to my ears it's a big step down. Instead of the mystery and elusiveness of the original game, we get action-hero theatrics and female aliens with sexy curves. I haven't played the Sega CD version yet (so far I've restricted myself to the OOTW half of the disc), but I'm planning to approach it with appropriately low expectations.
So, worth owning? Absolutely, without hesitation. Is it the definitive version of the game? Probably not -- a game like this deserves to be experienced as the designer intended, and this port doesn't really reflect Chahi's intentions. But if you interpret it as a different perspective on a well-known text, then it works and is a real boon to the 3DO library. Pity that the sequel didn't also come out on the 3DO!
Since Another World (retitled Out of This World for the US market) is quite famous, I'm not going to give a comprehensive review of the game's history, backstory, all its different iterations, etc. There are many other sources for that, like this article at Hardcore Gaming 101.
That said, if anyone hasn't played Eric Chahi's masterpiece, it's a cinematic, atmospheric, and highly scripted (though essentially wordless) game with puzzle and action-platforming elements. Really, though, it's in a genre all its own -- albeit one that was anticipated somewhat by Prince of Persia, and continued by games like Flashback, Abe's Oddysee, and Chahi's own Heart of Darkness.
So how does the 3DO version stack up against other platforms? Well, the version I know by far the best is the SNES port, which has a brilliant soundtrack but tons of slowdown. Still, I absolutely love that version of the game, partly because of nostalgia (no doubt) but partly because it has a mysterious, cryptic feel that's almost enhanced by the slowdown. It almost reminds me of the latent promise hidden in old Atari games like Raiders of the Lost Ark, where nothing was explained and everything had an enigmatic, almost hallucinatory air.
I've also played the Sega CD version a bit, which has much less slowdown and a different soundtrack. I've also tried one or two other ports (including the demo level for Atari 8-bit!), but unfortunately I haven't yet played the Amiga original.
Compared to these versions, the most striking difference in the 3DO port is the redrawn textures and backgrounds. I was expecting to hate the new artwork, and the Hardcore Gaming 101 article lambastes the 3DO port for what it deems a betrayal of Chahi's vision. But as it turns out, I wasn't bothered by any of it; some of it is irrelevant, some is misguided, and on a few occasions, it arguably improves on the original.
The HG101 article is more on point with its criticism of the soundtrack, which certainly isn't as immersive, appropriate, or polished (bad loop points) as the SNES version. But this, too, is basically a non-issue; there are a few attractive passages of music, while the other, less successful ones don't really detract from the game.
What's more disconcerting is how fast the game now plays. Sequences that take quite a while in the SNES version fly by here, and in a few cases it's actually quite tricky to pull everything off in time (especially the colosseum/tank sequence). The net effect is that the game becomes quite a bit more arcade-like, though it doesn't undermine the atmosphere or gameplay.
And that's really the crucial thing: despite the faster speed and redrawn graphics, is Chahi's game intact? I'm pleased to say that it is. In some ways Out of This World seems just as fresh now as it did decades ago. The game's immersive quality, its mystery, and its nifty puzzles are all still totally captivating, at least for me. It really does feel like "another world", even with the more straightforward 3DO graphics in play.
Last night I put Out of This World in my 3DO merely to test it out, and ended up playing through the entire game! It took about two hours since I remembered most of the game quite well, and only got stuck a bit towards the end. The game's brevity and total linearity should be liabilities, but it's really a meaningless issue because those qualities are so inherent in Chahi's vision of the game: it wouldn't be the same game if you had multiple paths, because the game is (in part) about engineering a succession of unlikely miracles to allow you to survive in this strange world.
Speaking of Chahi's vision, the end of the game includes (spoiler alert?) a teaser for the sequel, Heart of the Alien, which ended up coming out on Sega CD but not 3DO. The difference in art style and sensibility is immediately apparent, and to my ears it's a big step down. Instead of the mystery and elusiveness of the original game, we get action-hero theatrics and female aliens with sexy curves. I haven't played the Sega CD version yet (so far I've restricted myself to the OOTW half of the disc), but I'm planning to approach it with appropriately low expectations.
So, worth owning? Absolutely, without hesitation. Is it the definitive version of the game? Probably not -- a game like this deserves to be experienced as the designer intended, and this port doesn't really reflect Chahi's intentions. But if you interpret it as a different perspective on a well-known text, then it works and is a real boon to the 3DO library. Pity that the sequel didn't also come out on the 3DO!