Albert & Otto Review for PlayStation 4

Transported to a time between the Great Wars, we find young Albert. His sister, Anna has been abducted by unknown creatures and has only left her toy bunny behind. Or maybe the bunny has found its way to Albert. Clutching to this last remnant of his sister, Albert pushes forward, leaping into seven levels of terror. The platforms cannot be conquered by him alone. Too tall are the jumps, and too sophisticated are the pulleys holding him from the sibling reunion.

The inanimate bunny, named Otto, begins to glow, and now the game pulls out its clever trick. Armed with the magical plush companion, Albert gains crucial capabilities designed to inventively tackle the 2D platforming level design. Otto unlocks a gap-clearing double jump. Later, the cute beast gives Albert psychokinetic powers allowing him to levitate objects.

As with any proper mechanic, there is a stipulation: Albert only possesses these abilities with Otto tied to his hip as a quiet passenger. In many stages, Otto will need to be temporarily detached in order to hold down a scale, or turn on a power switch remotely. In these moments of separation, the player is transported to the beginning stages of the game, and must confront their reliance on their sister’s gift.

Scattered throughout, are mailboxes with conveniently placed postcards detailing Anna’s life in enemy hands. These sentimental breadcrumbs detail how she conquered the beasts that lie ahead. The narrative here grows more obtuse, and I can only imagine with this release being the first in a series that my dissatisfaction comes from the game only telling a fragment of a story. Fragment is a great word for the game, seeing as it is only a brisk hour to hour and a half play through. There are no out-of-reach collectibles to bloat the runtime, and the measly seven chapters contain two boss battles that will take up a disproportionate amount game time.

Albert & Otto seems most concerned with mood over substance or story. The overt scoring which hits invisible walls during chapter transitions yells at the player, “Look how spooky I am.” The sound design attempts to add a layer of gore that is never visually realized, and turns an unsettling element into a comical one. Each death feels numb and inconsequential. The spawning design even incentivizes intentional deaths to trip checkpoints. Because the game is heavily reliant on interacting with objects, certain objects that you did not carry will respawn with you upon death.

This exploitable glitch is necessary (the alternative would be positively infuriating) but it also removes all the charm and accomplishment from the platformer. Besides the boss battles, checkpoints are handed out like candy, and a stomach ache will transpire for players that desire a fair challenge. The controls hold their own demons as well. Without having a grab mechanic, you can either levitate or shoot an object. Aiming with the right joystick initiates these commands, and it will make you feel as if you have never played a videogame before. Combine these backward control schemes with a stressful auto-scroller, and you have a needless challenge that feels cheap.

The biggest issue with the game is that it has already been made, and has been made better…back in 2010. I am talking about Limbo. Between the greyscale art design, the boy searching for girl narrative, and the gruesome deaths, it is glaringly apparent that Albert & Otto is trying to capture the magic of Playdead’s understated masterpiece. The addition of German interment and a shotgun does not really add anything to the brilliant simplicity and dreadful mood that Limbo drowns you in. Forgive me for saddling the elephant in the room, but everything that is lacking in this otherwise charming game can be found in Limbo.

The “ah ha” moments pop up occasionally, but the levitating mechanic creates more frustration than possibilities. The solutions to the puzzles never come with a dose a satisfaction, which is the greatest failing for a game of this genre. Albert & Otto is a bite-sized game that adds so much cargo that the ship begins to sink. For all its shortcomings, it still plays as a page-turner that can be completed in one setting and will provide a serviceable sense accomplishment. Albert & Otto is a proof of concept that less is more.

Take a Look at the Albert & Otto Console Trailer:

Albert & Otto is available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam.