‘Another Fisherman’s Tale’ Review – A Captivating Sequel with More of Everything – Road to VR

We’re again for one more dose of mind-bending puzzles à la Bob the Fisherman. The sequel affords up an extended, extra emotionally advanced story whereas packing in a ton of recent puzzle mechanics that makes One other Fisherman’s Story really feel leagues forward of the unique in virtually each sense.

One other Fisherman’s Story Particulars:

Out there On: SteamVR, Quest 2, PSVR 2
Launch Date: Could eleventh, 2023
Value: $30
Developer: Innerspace VR
Writer: Vertigo Video games
Reviewed On: Quest 2

Gameplay

Bob’s tall tales are taller than ever this time round, as the journey swells to scale as much as new emotional depths which reveal extra about the actual Bob and his household. I gained’t spoil the story behind One other Fisherman’s Story, as a result of it’s actually one thing you need to unfold your self. It talks about love, loss, duty, freedom—it’s manner heavier than the primary, and infrequently strays exterior of unique’s protected storybook narration. The place you might need ignored a number of the angsty Dad drama of the unique Fisherman’s Story, and simply obtained on with the sport’s smorgasbord of mind-bending puzzles, this time across the narrative takes extra of a middle stage, all whereas presenting new and progressive mechanics to maintain you guessing.

Essentially the most outstanding mechanic on show is the brand new means to detach, substitute and management your arms—like bodily pop off your arms, commerce them for extra helpful ones, and shoot them out to unravel quite a lot of puzzles that solely a little bit crawling (or swimming) distant managed hand-beast may. Though you actually solely have two different hand kinds commonly at your disposal moreover your wood digits, a hook for climbing and a claw for snipping, the puzzle variations are impressively huge.

Whereas there are a ton of one-off puzzles to go with, a relentless all through the sport is the necessity remotely management your arms, which is completed by twisting your movement controller within the right relative route and urgent the set off to maneuver them ahead. You’ll be pulling levers, crawling your digits via circuitous routes, and grabbing key gadgets earlier than snapping them again to your arms the place they belong. This took some getting used to, as oftentimes you’ll want to regulate your arms from afar whereas really transferring your physique to totally different areas to get a greater viewpoint, which might be complicated at occasions since your physique’s relative place modifications and your arms type of wig out.

And with separable arms, you may as nicely have the ability to pop your head off too. Merely press two buttons (‘B’ and ‘Y’ on Quest) and also you’ll launch your head ahead to succeed in remote areas for a greater standpoint. It’s principally performs out like a splash teleportation that follows a predictable arch versus bodily choosing up your head and tossing it round, which wouldn’t be terribly snug. Extra on consolation beneath although.

Whereas I wouldn’t name any of the puzzles notably arduous, they’re at all times artistic and rewarding. I had hints enabled, though you may flip them off within the settings, which mutes a couple of of Bob’s well timed and useful strains. Nonetheless, Bob isn’t overbearing in how or when he delivers hints, making him really feel far more like a dad who desires you to determine one thing out by yourself than a ‘useful robotic’ that simply desires you to get on with the puzzle already.

My private playtime was just below 4 hours, which places it practically 4 occasions longer than the unique sport. I didn’t really feel like several of it was filler both, which is a testomony to the sport’s deeper story and puzzle variations that require the participant to develop expertise which might be helpful all through—basically every little thing I needed from the unique however didn’t get when it initially launched in early 2019.

Immersion

The star of the present is undoubtedly Bob, who is delivered to life by the whisky-soaked tones of the most likely never-not-smoking French comic Augustin Jacob. In my evaluation of the primary sport, I referred to as Jacob’s interpretation extra akin to a kitschy brief that you simply sometimes see earlier than a correct Pixar film—charming, however not sufficient.

Right here we get a full-fat dose of Bob in addition to a brand new solid of characters which might be equally participating, making it really feel extra like that Pixar journey I wanted it may have been within the first place. One factor that hasn’t modified although is the inclusion of a sweeping rating, which completely frames the sport’s linear, typically storybook model journey.

Whereas the story goes off the rails at factors, snapping you again to actuality, it isn’t a big, open world with a ton of freedom of motion, and even puzzle creativity. One other Fisherman’s Story is compartmentalized into chapters, every of which have quite a few linear areas to unlock. The bodily number of the areas although makes it really feel much less like an extended collection of closed escape rooms, which could in any other case really feel a little bit too repetitive. That’s merely not the case right here, as you’re at all times left guessing at what your subsequent journey will probably be, and the place you’ll go subsequent.

Set items are thoughtfully designed, and the cartoony nature of the sport seems typically excellent, even on the sport’s most humble goal platform, Quest 2. Object interplay could be very primary, though that doesn’t detract an excessive amount of because it’s principally levers and a smaller momentary puzzle bits we’re coping with right here. Because of this, there’s no stock to talk of since all instruments will probably be introduced to you as wanted, and thoughtfully poofed again into existence in case you lose them.

Consolation

One other Fisherman’s Story has what we’d now contemplate the usual swath of consolation settings, which can let most anybody play with relative ease. There are moments although that personally make me really feel a little bit iffy—not ‘hold my head in the bathroom dangerous, however I’ve performed VR lengthy sufficient to know my triggers.

In lieu of cutscenes, the sport likes to do sweep your POV round slowly, which is generally superb, though a lot of the time you’re being shrunk down so scenes can seem greater. I typically dislike this lack of management, even when it solely occurs perhaps as soon as per chapter. There are additionally moments when your POV will probably be upside-down, nevertheless this too is a fairly uncommon prevalence. All issues thought-about, it’s a fairly snug sport that principally anybody can play with out feeling something however few momentary bits of weirdness.