Albert and Otto Review

It Otto Be A Longer Game
By Brett Wolfe
Reviewed on Xbox One
​Released on January 10th, 2018 for Xbox One (Also Available on PC)
​Developer: ​K Bro Games
​Publisher: ​Digerati

Albert and Otto is a 2D puzzle platformer developed by K Bros Games and published by Digerati. It tells the story of Albert, a little boy who wakes up in a haunted version of Germany set in 1939. He sets out on a quest to find a strange girl with rabbit ears named Anna, little did he know this was going to be the adventure of his lifetime. Alone in the German wilderness, Albert faces puzzling terrain and vicious animals. Until he comes across Otto, Anna’s beloved bunny with magical superpowers. Together they continue Albert’s journey in hopes of finding Anna.

The gameplay mechanics of this amazing title is very similar games such as Limbo or Inside. You control Albert through basic puzzles and platforms at the beginning and they increasingly get more challenging as you progress through the levels. Something unique about this title that makes it different from the two that I previously mentioned are the powers you gain when you find Otto. Otto’s magical powers give Albert a wide variety of abilities that were not possible by himself. This magic gives Albert the powers of levitation, an electric charge, and even a sweet new double jump, which makes life a bit easier for the dynamic duo. However, Otto is not the only star here as Albert does have some tricks up his sleeve, well mainly one trick…he has a gun and that’s about it. Damn, maybe Otto should have been the star of the show.

Their journey consists of seven levels that put your wits to the test to safely navigate the two of them through dark caves, running rapids, and brutal boss fights. Each level tasks you with using a different power to reach the end, and ultimately using all of them throughout the final boss fight. I personally really enjoyed this game and found that even though I died a fair amount of times, it was not extremely frustrating. However, I did find a few issues with the checkpoint system especially when it came to the puzzles on the river. This gauntlet-styled puzzle would put you through a plethora of obstacles to reach the end and be made worse by the lack of checkpoints. You had to have a perfect run to get through this section and while this was doable, it was definitely the most frustrating aspect of the adventure.

The visuals and soundtrack of Albert and Otto were eerily amazing with a nice spooky undertone. The black and white aesthetics provided a dark and eerie premise to the game without anything even going on. I personally really enjoy this art style as it just cements the bizarre nature of the world around you without even needing to move a muscle. The environment presented throughout this title is full of horrors and the dark visuals just add more and more depth. The ghostly soundtrack furthers it, but I feel that the sounds were a bit lacking in this title that has a lot going for it already. It wasn’t bad, but nothing to write home about.

I noticed Albert and Otto a while back and I knew that it was something that I would be interested in. Little did I know that it would be one of the greatest indie titles that I have played in quite a while. The overall appeal of the Albert and Otto was so enjoyable, and I honestly could not put it down. Although the game was short, I felt that it took nothing away from the enjoyment that I achieved from playing it. In addition, I feel that the short length is preferable for a game like this. The endgame can be a bit brutal and I feel that if it was a six to eight hour experience, instead of two to three, then most players may give up and never actually experience the entire story. With this in mind, it looks like the game will be getting more content as it is referred to as ‘Episode 1’.

In the end, I had no big issues with Albert and Otto and would highly recommend it to anyone out there. It is priced at $12 USD, which I feel fits right for the game. Like I mentioned it is a bit short, but you get a lot out of those couple hours that you do play it. Plus, the games addition of collectibles and no death achievements add some nice replayability to boot. Even if you haven’t had interested in Limbo or games like it, I would say to give this game a shot as I feel you would not regret a single moment of it.

*Note: A copy of this game was provided for the purpose of the review.

Final Score: 9/10

+High Replayability
+Eerie Visuals
+Dark Undertones

-Shorter Experience