No Holds Barred Review: Another Perspective (PC)

Another Perspective (PC)

            Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen to the No Holds Barred review of the latest game to spawn from the mind of indie developer Shawn Spalding. I’m the Guardian, and this is Another Perspective.

            Ah another week; another review and with the new release drought continues ever onwards as game publishers endeavour to put another 200 layers of shiny onto the graphics of their new games, I’m left with a conundrum of what to review next.

Thankfully however, my prayers are answered in the form of the Steam new release tab which has inevitably lead me to an interesting little indie title that seemed to not only hold a fair amount of promise but also a very interesting game mechanic as well. All of which leading me to this point right here, with an eternal question to ask. Is Another Perspective any good?

            Well, starting off with the story we find a misleadingly simple tale that seems to play out as nothing more than a little bit of text to help give meaning to the events unfolding onscreen as well as some tutorial advice for the player. However, as the game progresses onward; it starts to come to light that this hardly the case and instead we find a slightly dark and interpretive tale – much akin to the final episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion in some respects. Though, as such, the story is quite easily one of those love it or hate it deals with a fair amount left up to the interpretation of the player rather than the game spelling out every little detail. Reflecting, in part, the cryptic nature of many games and the interpretation and arguments created by gamers in their stead. Though this is just my personal theory on the matter.

            As for the stories impact on the game? Well for the most part I found that the two aspects blended fairly well together, with some interesting moments of gameplay being crafted through the words of narrative (or to be more exact, the thoughts of your character) such as the character asking you to pause the game so he can think; which uncovers a door, or even causing you to question your own morals and sanity as one of the inactive perceptions calls out for you not to abandon him. Something that really stuck a cord with me and made me honestly question if I was too hasty with my solution to the previous rooms puzzle, in turn leaving a savable character to his death. A pretty clever, if not a little sadistic, way to mess with the players head but at the same time I would be lying if I didn’t say that it was a brilliant way to twist the story from fun puzzle game into something of deeper meaning.

            So aye, the story of Another Perspective isn’t too bad at all. Nor the ending for that matter, which I found quite touching in its own way. And even though it took me a bit of time to get into it; the whole story did made me think, which is nice change of pace as not a lot of games go for that angle these days. With many games electing to go for overly simple plots that are a tedium to play through and walk you through every blasted plot point under the sun as if it’s some form of toddler’s story book. So yes it’s a good story in my opinion, hardly Shakespeare but still good nonetheless.

            Moving onto the graphics, we see that Mr Spalding has electing for a basic 2D cell-shaded aesthetic which admittedly serves the game very well, giving off a certain charm in its art style. Though with that said, what really steals the show in my opinion, is the games dynamic use of light and shadow effects which smoothly shifts around the little sprite on screen, illumination the dark swirling fog in the background as the player endeavours to solve the puzzles laid out before them. In turn creating a spooky, almost ethereal, dream scape around them and helping to forge some very nice visual effects that you wouldn’t necessarily expect when you first load the game up.

            And as for the games audio work?

Well to put it this way. For an indie title that only cost me a couple of quid (£) I wasn’t expecting a fully orchestrated soundtrack composed by Hans Zimmer himself but at the same time, I at least expected more than 2 tracks in the entire game. Especially when one of those 2 tracks is played throughout next all of the screens in the game; short of the ending and credits. Though credit where it’s due; the songs are fairly decent with my only complaint about them, minus the lack of variation, being that the games main song needs the bass turning down -  going so far as to giving me a bit of a headache by the end of it all. Though that’s not to say I don’t understand what they were going for with it as it does set up the atmosphere of the game pretty well, even going so far as to adding a sense of disorientation to the mix of the puzzle solving. However at the same time, some minor editing on the mix wouldn’t go amiss ether. Unlike the second song on the soundtrack which is nowhere near as uncomfortable for me to listen to, instead being much more simple and elegant as well as fitting in perfectly with the games ending.

Also, on one final note, the games sound assets are of a good quality as well and quite pleasingly - unlike other indie games out there that utilise whatever sound assets they can get their hands on; good quality or not - matches up perfectly for each effect.

And now we finally move onto the realms of gameplay, and given what I’ve said in this review so far; you be forgiven for thinking that my opening description of Another Perspective’s gameplay is once again going to be “simple”, and you’d be at least half right as the gameplay at its heart, is your simple 2D platformer. However this is where the games simple nature ends as Mr Spalding has not only used these mechanics to brilliant effect but via the implementation of the games primary selling point; the ‘perspective switch mechanic’, he has turned what would otherwise have been as simple indie game into one of the most creative puzzle games on the market. Also made possible by the masterful balancing of the games difficulty, with the puzzles running the gambit of simple to complex, with the occasional couple straying into the realms of “frustratingly hard”, though thankfully never into the realms of the “impossible”, which helps to keep you engaged enough to push on through the game but at the same time not to the point where you wish to set the game on fire and toss it into the deepest oceanic abyss you can find.

            Also, as for game modes, the story mode of Another Perspective is not all the game has to offer as on top of the story mode there is also the “Mystery Mode” which adds several new and more challenging puzzles to the game, as well as a continuation to the games main story. However it is strongly recommended (even by the game itself) that you complete the games main story mode first as the game can only hold 1 save at a time. This in turn means that the moment you start the story or mystery mode; you overwrite your original save and thus all of your previous progress. Also, it should be mentioned that the game has a built in “speed run timer” (no doubt for all of the YouTube lets-players out there) and a strange option called “Believe in your Dreams” which I assumed to be a Roughlike option to disable saving and end the game the moment you die, though I have no idea whether this is the actual case; as the option appears to ether be broken or a dud, seeming to have no effect on gameplay in any way.

            It is also quite clear from the moment that you plug in a controller that this game is geared up for use with a keyboard in every sense. Though that’s not to say you can’t play the game with a controller if you so wish, as Another Perspective does have controller support though only in a limited fashion, as proven by all tutorials being aimed solely at keyboard users as well as certain options such as quitting the game and overwriting the previous save file, requiring a keyboard button press - with no controller alternative available. Also, while I’m on the subject of controls, for some reason the ‘perception shift’ is bound to the ‘Shift’ key. Now normally this wouldn’t be so much of a problem, as proven by many past games which utilise the shift key in their gameplay (i.e. Call of Duty, Mass Effect, Bioshock, Crysis, etc.) but the problem with its use in this context is that you will find yourself pressing the shift key multiple times in a row which inevitably causes the sticky keys warning to flash up on the screen and minimise the game (or at least, this is the case on Windows PC’s). Now admittedly this is an easy fix as you can simply follow the on-screen instructions and disable the sticky key warning, but at the same time it has to be asked why the ‘perception shift’ was bound shift key in the first place rather than a neutral key such as ‘z’ or ‘CTRL’. Though if I had to hazard a guess, I’d assume it’s an attempt to make a joke - ‘press shift to shift perceptions’ as it were.

I also have to wonder why there is no option to allow for players to change the games keybindings to a personal preference, though this can be excused to some degree when it is considered that this game was practically made by one man who was undoubtedly on a tight schedule as well as budget. Even so however, it should be mentioned all that same.

            And with that, all that’s left for me to do is to share my final thoughts and verdict.

            As it stands Another Perspective is a fun little game, and even though it only clocks in at around 2 – 3 hours (if that) I think it’s an okay length for its price. It should also go without saying at this point that the puzzles are brilliantly fun, if not a little frustrating from time to time, and have more than enough variety in them to stop the game from feeling too repetitive. Though with that being said I have to wonder how much replayability a person can get out of the game when it’s considered that the puzzles are the same with every play through.

            I also think that Mr Spalding did a brilliant job when putting this game together. Creating not only a winning formula in terms of puzzle game mechanics but also one of the most interesting puzzle games that I have played in a while. At the same time however, it has to be said that a more varied soundtrack would have been nice addition; A different song for the games main menu perhaps. Also a bit of extra thought in terms of the games controls and a bit more fleshing out on the controller compatibility wouldn’t have gone amiss ether as, even though the stuff we have here works, it could have been ever so slightly better – or at least a bit more refined.

            So aye. All in all Another Perspective is a nice little game that is sure to not only entertain for a few hours but to also give a headache to many people as they try to wrap their heads around some of the more complex puzzles that this game has to offer and a definite recommendation for any big puzzle game fans out there.

And so, with all said and done, it’s time for me to give my Final Verdict. I hereby give Another Perspective a solid score of…

6/10

(A Decent/Good Game)

Another Perspective is available right now from Steam for the price £4.79, or your regional equivalent.

And with that Ladies and Gentlemen, all that’s left for me to say is a deep thank you to all of you for reading this review. I’m the Guardian, stay safe out there and may we all meet again.

No Holds Barred Review: Valiant Hearts: The Great War

Valiant Hearts: The Great War (PC)

Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen to the No Holds Barred review of not only Ubisoft Montreal’s latest delve into history but also their latest title in the UbiArt line-up. I’m the Guardian, and this is Valiant Hearts: The Great War. 

            It’s a brave thing to do; making a game about World War 1, especially in the year commemorating the centenary of the Great War but at the same time I honestly believe that this is something that should be done when its considered just many people these days (both Young and Adult) know next to nothing of this dark spot in the worlds history.

            At the same time however, much as the case was when Blackadder Goes Forth was conceived, the Great War is a very touchy subject that must be handled with care and respect, something that many big name publishers struggle to do at the best of times, yet alone with a subject matter of this magnitude. As such I can’t help but wonder just how worthy Ubisoft is of making a game such as this…especially when we take into account how much they’ve been screwing up recently – which in turn has lead me to ask myself; are Ubisoft really up for the challenge? Can they do what Blackadder did all those years ago and make something not only great but also something true to the hell that cost so many innocent men their lives, something showing respect to the sacrifice that they all made?

These questions will be answered before the end of this review; I can assure you that, but before those answers come one final question, the eternal question, must be asked of this game. Is Valiant Hearts: The Great War any good? 

            Starting with the games story we follow the touching, and almost episodic, tale of four people brought together by war in a quest to help Karl, a young German solider, get home to wife and child, which in turn leads us into a story survival in the form of Karl’s Farther-in-Law, Emile, who is incarcerated by the Germans as a prisoner of war; a tale of revenge in the form of French/American solider ‘Lucky’ Freddie and a tale of rescue in the form of Belgium battlefield nurse Anna, who is on a quest to save her farther from the clutches of German commander Barron Von Dorf – incidentally the same man who Freddie wishes to kill and commander of Karl’s squad. So all in all quite an intricate mix up of stories that overlap throughout the narrative of the game, masterfully crafted into a fun and touching story that has more heart in it than I have seen in a game for a long time. Not to mention a story that, most importantly of all, never loses sight of the real truth of the war: the heart ache, the death, the misery, the pain, and the outright insanity of not only the officers in charge but the entire war itself.

            As for the characters? Well I’m pleased to say that Ubisoft have defiantly put their fair share of effort into the main cast, something I wish they would do with some of their other games (…I’m looking at you Assassin’s Creed), and have gone to great lengths to give them personality and backstory – all of which is done throughout the game via cutscenes, narration, and even the way each character acts as you progress them through the story, unlocking even more information about them via the diary entries that you gain access to as the story progresses. All of which, quite happily, leads to a feeling that you have really bonded with each of them, seeing the hell they have walked through and the losses that they have faced, wanting to see them not only succeed in their quests but also live to see the end of that god forsaken war.  All of which leading to you really feel for the characters by end of the story, going to show just how much effort Ubisoft have put into the writing of this game and a nice change of pace really, considering that most game developers these days seem to spent more time developing shiny graphics than honest to goodness story and character development.

            Also while I’m on the subject I suppose I should also talk about the “villain” of the piece…or at least the closest thing we get to a villain: the Barron Von Dorf. That said however, Von Dorf to me is like that bully in Toy Story who destroyed all his toys; not really a villain in the conventional sense of the word but still a bad guy who needs to be stopped. He isn’t actively out to kill for sport and pleasure however, rather he’s a solider looking for his glory on the battlefield…willing to do whatever it takes to ensure the German’s win the war like many of the higher up’s on all sides in the conflict; all of whom, I should add, did some seriously dodgy stuff to both man and animal to ensure their side won. In a way, acting as a true example of the power hungry nature that was seen far too often in the war…though that being said, I have to admit that the way they portrayed the Baron reminded me awful lot of General Melchett from Blackadder goes Forth, only much more sinister and far less of a nutcase…defiantly got the lacking regard for human life and the unserious nature towards the war spot on however.

It should also be mentioned that the story plays out in an extremely linear fashion, playing out much like a classic SNES game, and though I personally think this style of storytelling fits this game perfectly…I can also see a fair number of gamers being annoyed by this fact. I also can’t help but feel that the game is a bit too short as well. Not that I’m saying it’s a bad length for its price (clocking in at about 6 -7 hours) but at the same time it would have also been nice to have seen some more of the war, rather than the limited snapshots that we got.

That aside however; I still maintain that Ubisoft have managed to craft one hell of a story. Wonderfully written and with lovable characters that I’m sure will stand the test of time and a story that I’m sure will win over a lot of the naysayers who believe that the Great War should be left out of everything that isn’t a historical documentary or a dark and depressing tale about the loss of life and how war is bad…or at least I hope it does at any rate. 

            Story aside however, the graphics of Valiant Hearts are also something to be praised. Much like “Child of Light” before it, Valiant Hearts is a dynamic 2D game making full use of the UbiArt framework and as such a beautiful looking game. This time electing for the style of an illustrated story book rather than the intricate water painting feel that was use in “Child of Light” and leads to each character and every dynamically shifting backdrop being wonderfully drawn in the games beautiful art style.

Though it should be mentioned that some cut-scenes can be a bit pixelated in some of the close up shots and a few people have come across the very occasional bug. But other than these 2 things the game is graphically fine and still one of the best looking games that I have played all year.           

 

            It also seems that Ubisoft have put their effort into the games audio as well given that we have one of the most beautiful of soundtracks that I have heard since…well…“Child of Light”. Easily helped by each song being composed and orchestrated masterfully, matching the tone of the game and the situation it represents perfectly. Easily one of the best soundtracks I have ever heard and a definite purchase when I’ve finished this review.

            Also while I’m at it, the voice work on the game is wonderfully done and though a lot of it is comprised of short sound bites and gibberish, each character has their own unique sound about them – at least out of the main cast at any rate. Though this is not to say that there’s no solid voice work in the game at all as both the games narrator and the voice of Emile do a truly amazing job. Though I have yet to figure out why Emile sounds like he’s from south London when he’s a farmer from the French countryside…seriously; it makes no sense…well that or I’m incapable of telling the difference between accents, which is entirely plausible.

            As for the rest of the games audio, the sound assets are just as high a quality as the rest of the games audio work, setting the scene of a world at war wonderfully and adding spectacular heaps of atmosphere to the game.  

             A game however, is only as good as its gameplay; and once again I have to applaud Ubisoft for the work they’ve done. For starters, the gameplay, though feeling like an old SNES game, is incredibly fun with plenty to keep you engaged as you run though the story, be it dodging shells and machine gun fire or playing one of the fast paced, if not a little challenging, car chase sections that the game throws at you on occasion which, for some wonderful reason, incorporates the timing of the music with the spawning of obstacles.

            Don’t be fooled into thinking that traversing war zones and trying not to get blow into many tiny pieces are the only aspects to Valiant Hearts though; as you also get a fair share of environmental puzzles to solve in order to progress. It also seems that Ubisoft have learnt their lesson since ‘Child of Light’…or at least played some Portal…because it seems that this time around the environmental puzzles are not only of a much better quality but also have much more variation to them; ranging from the intelligently designed to the levels of obscure that you would find in an old point-and-click adventure game…though thankfully nothing to the extremes of rubbing an soot covered turnip on a dancing chicken in the attic to unlock a door in the basement…or at least I never came across any like that. I am also quite fond of how they utilize Walt (the dog) in many of these puzzles as well, requiring you to not only work out where he needs to stand but also working out the timing of his commands in order to find the solution…a very nice addition if you ask me.  

            Also, for all you loot hoarders out there, there are over 100 collectables in the game for you to find and collect; with each unlocking a new piece of information about the Great War on top of the unlockable entries in the in-game index. A nice little touch I think, as it helps to give an insight to not only the real war but the era as well, revelling some of the technological breakthroughs of the time as well as showing us some of the horrors that the war helped to create, such as chemical warfare – all of which is done in condensed and easy to understand paragraphs rather than just hitting the player in the face with a book of historical information like many other educational games do.

            I would also like to take point and mention that Valiant Hearts controls perfectly, be you using Keyboard or a Controller; plus, as an added bonus, the Keyboard controls are fully customizable from the games options menu. Though this is hardly surprising when it’s remembered that this game is a 2D side-scroller…to be honest I’d be far more surprised if they had managed to screw it up in some way.

            So aye, all in all Valiant Hearts has some wonderfully fun gameplay, a solid control scheme and plenty of variation…even though it may seem very basic at times. Though I should warn you that if you aren’t a big fan of puzzle games, you may want to give this one a miss as, though none of them are overly complex, there are a lot of puzzles to solve…if you haven’t worked that one out already.

 

            And that’s that with nothing more for me to do than to give my final thoughts, final verdict…and to answer 2 very important questions.

            At the start of this review I asked “are Ubisoft really up for the challenge?” and “can they do what Blackadder did all those years ago...?” Well to answer them both right now, I honestly believe the answer, shockingly enough, is…yes. What Ubisoft have done here is something brilliant, taking the story of the Great War and showing a whole new generation the sacrifice of the brave men who fought in it as well as their stories, maybe even given them a new respect for what their Great-Grandfathers who fought in the trenches of Europe those 100 years ago and maybe…just maybe, helped to keep the memory of these events and the people who fought, alive in the hearts and minds of not only gamers but all people who come into contact with this game, forever.        

And as for my final thoughts on the game? Well that’s simple,  Valiant Hearts: The Great War is one of the best games that I have ever played, easily ranking as one of my all-time favourites, with a story that’s bursting at the seams with more heart than I think I’ve ever seen in a game and some of the most beautiful sound work that I have heard to date; not to mention the stunning graphics, loveable characters, memorable levels and storylines plus one of the greatest endings that I have seen in what seems like an eternity, an ending that reflects the darkness and sad truth of the war and an ending that I strongly suspect, will remain within my heart and within my mind forever more. And to be honest…I can’t recommend this game enough and I honestly believe that it is one that everyone should play at least once - especially schoolchildren when it comes time for them to study WW1.

And so, with all said and done, it’s time for me to give my Final Verdict. I hereby give Valiant Hearts: The Great War a solid score of…

9/10

(A Must Own Game)

Valiant Hearts: The Great War is available right now from Steam and the Uplay store for the price £11.99, or your regional equivalent.

And with that Ladies and Gentlemen, all that’s left for me to say is a deep thank you to all of you for reading this review. I’m the Guardian, stay safe out there and may we all meet again.