Another World is a cunning authorial work; one can assume that Lester, sitting at his sci-fi lab computer, preparing to plunge headfirst into another world, is a clear parallel to sole developer, Éric Chahi. That sly, carefree smirk on his face, brightened by the orange of his hair is all we need to understand the lack of consequence -- fitting, since the player is bound to die, over and over and over again.
A sort of precursor to the likes of Limbo (not to mention Oddworld and Uncharted and just about every 'cinematic'-esque title released in the past three decades), Another World seems almost determined to constantly kill the player at every interval, not maliciously but with a witty nudge-nudge as though Chahi were reveling in his cleverness. Often, games where the player can die inherently suggest a realisation of multiple universe theory; Another World plays out like a stitched-together account of Lester's numerous attempts across parallel worlds, fastened together by a self-aware charm that infers the protagonist himself acknowledges the inconsequentiality of death within this virtual realm. Limbo plays for shocks, but Chahi's cult classic plays for chuckles.
The game is always thinking two steps ahead of your next move; but it's always laughing with you, not at you. At its core, Another World presents a fundamental quest to get back home. Its ambiguous ending proves that, though such a goal isn't always attainable, a home can be wherever one finds comfort and friendship. The bulky confidant Lester meets along his journey is a voiceless outcast themself, and the two immediately empathize with each other without even having to speak.
Another World therefore presents a roadmap of the soul, complete with interchangeable waterways, daunting creatures, vast, arid, alien landscapes, and plenty of lasers. A mystifying environment, as much a threat as it is a vacation for our cool-headed Lester. Not to mention a vision of the future for games, a medium predicated on intense, elaborate escapism, where the limits to creative expression suddenly seem boundless.
A sort of precursor to the likes of Limbo (not to mention Oddworld and Uncharted and just about every 'cinematic'-esque title released in the past three decades), Another World seems almost determined to constantly kill the player at every interval, not maliciously but with a witty nudge-nudge as though Chahi were reveling in his cleverness. Often, games where the player can die inherently suggest a realisation of multiple universe theory; Another World plays out like a stitched-together account of Lester's numerous attempts across parallel worlds, fastened together by a self-aware charm that infers the protagonist himself acknowledges the inconsequentiality of death within this virtual realm. Limbo plays for shocks, but Chahi's cult classic plays for chuckles.
The game is always thinking two steps ahead of your next move; but it's always laughing with you, not at you. At its core, Another World presents a fundamental quest to get back home. Its ambiguous ending proves that, though such a goal isn't always attainable, a home can be wherever one finds comfort and friendship. The bulky confidant Lester meets along his journey is a voiceless outcast themself, and the two immediately empathize with each other without even having to speak.
Another World therefore presents a roadmap of the soul, complete with interchangeable waterways, daunting creatures, vast, arid, alien landscapes, and plenty of lasers. A mystifying environment, as much a threat as it is a vacation for our cool-headed Lester. Not to mention a vision of the future for games, a medium predicated on intense, elaborate escapism, where the limits to creative expression suddenly seem boundless.