14 DAY TRIAL // 
If you grew up with games such as Kings Quest or Broken Sword, you will definitely savor Headup Games and Studio Fizbin's point-and-click adventure game The Inner World.
What makes it stand out is the balance that has been obtained between cartoon-like art and grown-up, and much more serious topics going as far as to portray the realities of totalitarianism and even genocide.
This particular game brings forth a uniquely designed universe with some great artwork, captivating animation, challenging puzzles and numerous twists and turns.
Also the quirky, humorous dialogues go beyond what players have grown to expect from titles in this genre and will have you ask yourself “Did the character just say that?!”
The Inner World will definitely catch the player's eye, bringing him / her into a whole different world as the title so obviously says. It is called “Asposia” and presents a city located in a hollow core where wind mills provide its air.
I won't tell you too much because you will certainly want to discover things by yourself, but I will say that the game begins with its main character Robert, a novice that has never left the castle monastery, and a pigeon nicking the amulet he is holding.
This object, which will be become quite desired by many characters in the game, belongs to the great Abbot Convoy, the adored hope-giver of the inhabitants of Asposia.
The plot is triggered by the sudden stop of the wind mills resulting in numerous events taking place. As they slowly break down, the powerful wind gods come to the world of Asposia to punish its most sinful inhabitants. “How?” you might ask. Well, let's say they won't be moving around too much.
As the last hope of this inner world, Robert (you) must go through all sorts of places, forests, castles, jumping from dark and gloomy surroundings to cheerful and optimistic ones in order to find a way to save the town.Right from the very beginning, you will notice that the interface is your typical point-and-click deal.
All you have to do is click on the things you want to interact with, with options such as talking to other characters, examining and merging objects that can be found in your inventory.
The game auto-saves after each major puzzle, a welcome feature for people that are forgetful or just hate wasting time with manual saves. It can be quite the lifesaver in case of a game or computer crash.
Although puzzles do get tricky at times, The Inner World incorporates a hint system that helps even the least experienced player finish the game. The riddles have been designed in such a manner that it does not test your patience; therefore, the atmosphere of the game can actually be described as soothing.
Furthermore, the player can actually play another character. At some point in the game, he / she will have the opportunity to step in the shoes of the mysterious and sassy Laura in order to save the main character, Robert.
Speaking of characters, Headup Games and Studio Fizbin have created some intriguing as well as peculiar ones.
The style is quite fresh, the people of Asposia as well as the world they inhabit being designed in cartoon-like manner.
As the game unfolds in front of your eyes, you will get to know more about Robert. He is one very straightforward kind of guy. You will be amazed by the sincerity of this words as well as by his way of thinking, leading to a lot of amusing interpretations from the other characters.
Even so, being so bluntly honest does not make him rude at all. The developers have managed to capture the funny side of such a human trait and construct a character that has a certain charm, unseen in other games.
In terms of graphics, the game does bring something new to the table, you just have to know how to appreciate it. Not all can enjoy the peculiar kind of style.The soundtrack is actually pretty soothing, the kind you listen to when you are at home, in bed and require a relaxing moment, something to take your mind off things.
What might come as a bit disturbing to certain players can be the voices of the characters. The fact that the actors’ voices have not been recorded together has led to a misplaced intonation at times and even changed meanings in certain places.
Fortunately, it is something that doesn't come out too strong, therefore it doesn't affect the beauty of the game.
The Good
- Unique artwork
- Humorous dialogues
- Entertaining puzzles
The Bad
- Lacks option to speed up character movement
- Changed meanings in dialogues
Conclusion
The game is as beautiful as it is amusing, having some spicy and well-put comments, as well as many memorable characters.
Although it might seem old fashioned to some because of the hand-drawn backgrounds, you will be pleased to know that there is nothing old about it, and it should definitely be on your adventure game to-play list.
