Albert and Otto

Albert and Otto sends mixed signals at a first glance. It feels like it’s a game that takes after Limbo and many others like it, but, in fact, it’s something different, and equally good as the aforementioned title.

Albert and Otto starts off looking rather innocent despite its black-and-white-with-gray graphics, and it features a little boy who sets off in search of a young girl. She’s been kidnaped by a strange and dark entity and it’s your task to free and get her back. At first, the story feels rather generic but as you progress, as you enter deeper into the Albert and Otto word, things change for the better.

The game features a good range of well-known mechanics that you can find in other games that are nicely brought together in this 2D platformer. With the help of Otto the bunny, Albert can make objects levitate, he can shoot them far away, activate switches, freeze stuff in mid air and more.

Having a wide range of mechanics to play with is a blessing and makes things a lot more interesting. Albert and Otto puts you face to face with a lot of puzzles, and while some are pretty straightforward, others require a good dose of skill and brainpower.

In terms of gameplay speed, Albert and Otto is pretty mellow but that won’t be an issue. The soundtrack is excellent, and you won’t go more than 3 seconds in a direction without having a new challenge ahead or witnessing a new portion of the mysterious world.

What’s great about Albert and Otto is that it keeps you connected, driven to push on forward. Something all games should do but not all manage to do it this well. For an indie game, Albert and Otto has its share of flaws and it does need a bit of polishing here and there, but on the good side, none of what’s ‘wrong’ makes the experience less of what it is intended to be.

To wrap it up, Albert and Otto is a game you have to try out because there’s a very good chance you’ll fall for it. That is, if you like games that are focused on delivering a well scripted silent story, good gameplay and a fun experience.