Animal Well Review – An Eerie Metroidvania Crammed With Surprise

As a seasoned gamer with over three decades under my belt, I’ve seen the evolution of games from simple 8-bit creations to intricate masterpieces that challenge both our reflexes and our minds. And let me tell you, dear reader, Animal Well is one of those rare gems that reminds me why I fell in love with gaming all those years ago.

Billy Basso is the creator behind Animal Well. He was responsible for designing the game’s engine and creating the graphical effects, as well as composing the music. The challenging puzzles within the game were also designed by him. Interestingly, a kangaroo character in the game is voiced by none other than Billy Basso himself. One might assume that he even provided the catering for the entire project. If Mr. Basso didn’t venture into subterranean mazes for research purposes, dressed with a helmet, belt of pitons, and a spool of nylon rope, I find myself wondering why today’s game developers seem less eager to go the extra mile. It seems that Billy Basso truly immersed himself in his work.

In essence, Animal Well is a unique creation that appears to have been born from a singular mind: a blend of cold, dreamlike visions and fixations, joys and compulsions. It calls to mind games like Fez and Braid (now reissued this month), where you feel as though you’re engaged in an intimate, sometimes suffocating dialogue with a solitary creator.

As I step into the game, I find myself hidden in the folds of a mysterious flower petal pouch. It unfurls to reveal a dimly lit world, where my identity remains unclear – perhaps a bud with eyes, maybe a lemony shape. Yet, the purpose is crystal clear: explore, discover, and expand the map. I’m here to fill in the gaps, blow away the shadows, and reveal what’s hidden beneath the veil of mystery. Animal Well is unlike any other game; it weaves combat, character development, storyline, and mechanics into a seamless, self-reliant ball of energy. Pull out just one or two elements, and it continues to pulse with life.

Basso often immerses the entire device in something mysterious and ominous, then presents it, wet, for our examination. There’s minimal conflict involved. Occasionally, we encounter creatures, best avoided, and spectral figures; if you provoke one of these, they dissolve and sizzle, much like glowing egg whites. The game itself has a ghostly quality, detached from time. The graphics have a 16-bit feel, complete with lines that distort and blur the image, but there’s a haunting, modern lyrical quality to some of the visuals, as if the guts of a Super Nintendo had been coated with ectoplasm, and we’re watching a past possessed.

In this tale, Basso chooses to create an eerie ambiance instead of spinning a traditional story, similar to the way mist thickens. Notice the ostrich striding in a giant wheel, producing energy for a nearby device. The cats dangling from the ceiling in cages add to the mystery, leaving you wondering about the builder’s intentions. Saving your progress here is done using old rotary phones, reminiscent of both The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, where such phones gave cryptic hints, and Twin Peaks, which influenced that game with its dreamy, surreal atmosphere. What sets Animal Well apart isn’t just the fact that it shares a similarity to Link’s Awakening, being enclosed in parentheses as if it could break apart at any moment. Instead, it’s that its architecture plays with your understanding of reality and expectations, and there seems to be an underlying awareness throughout, like a hidden telephone line.

If the idea of collaboratively solving puzzles within a Discord community, alongside an energetic group of like-minded individuals, sparks your interest, then Animal Well might just be the place for you. On the other hand, if this type of activity doesn’t excite you, there are still plenty of puzzles to engage with. Some may drive you to consult Google, but I encourage you to resist that temptation and explore other resources instead. The answers often seem elusive, but persistently delving into the peculiar atmosphere will eventually align you with the game’s unique rhythm.

This game is not only an action-packed puzzle, but requires quick reactions and precise jumps to succeed. Raw intelligence alone won’t cut it; you also need to execute your moves flawlessly. The genius of Animal Well lies in the hidden mini light bulbs scattered throughout the gameplay. The tools at your disposal are various toys such as a yo-yo, slinky, Frisbee and more, and their true nature is only revealed through experimentation. I won’t give away any of these clever double uses; revealing them would be a breach of trust towards the game’s greatest asset: the thrill of unexpected discovery. However, what lingers with me long after the credits are over are not these surprises, but another kind of revelation – the intricate details that make you look twice and appreciate. For instance, a group of hedgehogs moving under lamplight, a ghostly cat with a grinning face, and my personal favorite, the detonation of dynamite – a flash of ice blue and pink smoke that fades into nothingness. But it’s not nothing. It’s a new path through the darkness.

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2024-10-22 16:12