Another World (Out of This World / Outer World)

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JaySevenZero
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Another World (Out of This World / Outer World)

Post by JaySevenZero »

Here's where you can contribute your thoughts and opinions for Éric Chahi's Another World (a.k.a. Out of This World / Outer World) for potential inclusion in the forthcoming podcast.

A friendly reminder that where the feedback for the podcast is concerned, we love it - but keeping it brief is appreciated. We do want to include a breadth of opinions where appropriate, but no-one wants a discussion podcast that’s mostly reading out essays. Better to save yourself time and cut to the chase if you can.
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Jobobonobo
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Re: 499 - Another World

Post by Jobobonobo »

I remember trying this out on a Mega Drive emulator ages ago. I was impressed with the graphics especially for 1991. But repeatedly dying due to the very stiff controls was very aggravating for me. I kept dying at or just after the little worm creature from the very beginning. I admit it may be that I am just not used to Prince of Persia style cinematic platformers but the previously mentioned impressive graphics begin to lose their sheen when you go through the same death cutscene again and again. Just bounced off of this one. Pity really because I do admire the ambition of what they were going for here.

Three word review: Interesting but aggravating
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Superuser
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Re: 499 - Another World

Post by Superuser »

I played this game because I was in the Linux gaming community at the time, where Cheeseness (who was later hired for the port) was a well known figure. I recommend to the hosts and anyone interested to read his well-drawn thoughts on the game along with his interview with Éric Chahi. I bought it to help out my pal and because it looked interesting, with no real knowledge of its history.

It was interesting for sure and its atmosphere is still quite unique. I think the tech behind it is at least as interesting as the game, but importantly, the vector art was used to great effect to illustrate its bizarre but quiet world. One might even call it the Dark Souls of the 90s with how cryptic it is, while also hinting at a larger world.

I would slam the game for its obscure puzzles and would have hated it if I had it in the 90s, but with modern game guides this is not an issue. It is ultimately a short experience that falters in the second half and should be enjoyed with a guide.

Three word review: Vector art showcase
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BlueWeaselBreath
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Re: 499 - Another World

Post by BlueWeaselBreath »

I got this game for Christmas a few years after it came out, a seemingly arbitrary pick by my parents. I had never heard of it, but it looked neat, even if the main character was off-puttingly ugly to me at the time. I remember popping it into my SNES and playing the first few levels while my uncle watched and cracked jokes. He had me convinced for years that my alien buddy was saying, “Let’s rumble,” when I broke him out, even though it doesn’t sound much like that. It took a few years of getting stuck and printing off internet walkthroughs before I finally made it through, and by the time I got to the end, I wasn’t ready for it to be over.

If you dig this game, it’s worth watching a playthrough of the sequel Heart of the Alien, which certainly looks the part, although it seems to disappoint on both the gameplay and narrative fronts.
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T-BirD
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Re: 499 - Another World (Out of This World / Outer World)

Post by T-BirD »

Out of this World was the SNES game I associate with a summer trip in my early teens. The art style and animation were amazing and like nothing I'd seen before, and were what attracted me to the game to begin with. Lucky for me, there was also a really interesting game to be found here. While I never got too far through it that summer, a positive association with it remained in my mind. Nearly 20 years later I decided that I was finally going to remove it from my pile, and thusly played through it beginning to end.

It's difficult - in no small part due to the stiff controls and being quite choppy on the SNES - but also fascinating, exciting, unique, deadly and beautiful. It held up in many ways, though the trial-and-error gameplay and occasionally obtuse puzzles (having to shoot an object numerous screens earlier in order to escape a firefight later) haven't aged as well as the rest of it. If I had to sum up my feelings about it at the time, I would call it a troubled sort of love.

Highly recommended, but keep a walkthrough/hint guide on hand.

3 word review: Early cinematic success.
(alternatively: Nasty floppy slugs.)
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