Another World

For years, game companies had been trying to get the arcade adventure right.  Then along came Delphine, a relatively unknown French developer and they pulled it off on their first go!

Another World, the prequel to Flashback, had everything.  Great action, cool plot, non-stereotypical aliens who actually befriended you, surprises, cutscenes, guns, acrobatics, tension and puzzles.

The game’s opening cinema shows you working late in the lab.  You fire up your neutron accelerator, crack a tinnie and settle back to watch the results.  Outside a storm gathers, lightning flashes, illuminating your sleek sports car.  Just as you ramp up the speed to really put the machine through its paces, a bolt of lightning hits the experiment, following the neutron into the chamber.  Ka-boom! You and your desk are blown into ….  Another World.

Sort of a sci-fi Prince of Persia, Another World has you shot at, blown up, teleported, knocked down, flooded, shot at again, cheered, protected and rescued.  This is quite a day for this guy!

The cutscenes as you can see from the screenshots are all done in-game. Even simple things like picking objects up or using equipment are shown from your perspective in quick, full-screen animations, and then you are back in the game.  This is one of the things that really added to the mood of this game.  Cutscenes were not just there for the end of the level, or for showing off, but actually added to the game! (Revolutionary, I know.  Developers still haven’t got the hang of this though.)