Another Sight is the first title from indie company Lunar Great Wall Studios. In their foray into the gaming world, they've managed to produce a platformer that offers unique mechanics, creative storytelling, dynamic visuals, and an eerie soundtrack that takes you to another world and time. Fans of platformers, indie games, and steampunk visuals will not want to miss what Another Sight brings to the table.

You start off the game as a young girl named Kit. She wakes up in an underground passage below the city of London. Very disoriented and with her eyesight damaged she has no idea where she is or how to get out. Enter Hodge, a mysterious red-furred cat, that acts as a guide and provider of vision in the dark. The two of them traverse underground StumbleUpon more questions than anything else. Directions out are few but a cast of influential characters orient Kit further into the depths and show her that she's part of something greater than she could ever imagine.

The most unique mechanics within Another Sight is dual character control. You can alternate between controlling Kit and Hodge. You have to use both characters in order to remove obstacles that block your route and to turn on switches that'll power up machines and generators. Kit's vision is extremely limited. Certain environmental objects and Hodge's voice can illuminate the path ahead of her. Hodge specializes in climbing up certain walls and pipes and he can squeeze through tight spaces allowing him to access areas ahead of Kit and opening the way for her.

Besides dual control and standard platforming mechanics, you can expect to see a diverse environment for your to traverse and admire. While Kit's vision often leaves her surroundings appearing dark and creepy, Hodge can admire the splendor that's all around. At some points, you'll feel as if you're in an MC Escher drawing while other teams you'll swear you were in the middle a Tim Burton set. The change of scenery keeps the adventure fresh and engaging.

This game's creative narrative is arguably it's biggest draw. As the first title from a new game developer, you'd think that Another Sight would focus on nailing down the core aspects of the game. The engine, art design, soundtrack, and controls usually take up the most energy and time for new studios. However, Lunar Great Wall clearly spent a lot of time coming up with a cool idea for a story. They decided to unravel a small adventure in London's underground labyrinth in Victorian times. Then, they used Kit as the vehicle for gamers to meet influential people and great thinkers of the past. For example, you'll run into people such as Claude Monet, Nikola Tesla, and Jules Verne.

Not only do they each have a quirky personality, personal goals, and a great voice actor that brings them to life. But they're all part of a secret society that is working in unison to protect the Node. This mysterious artifact is an object of infinite power and energy. According to Tesla, the Node is powerful enough to alter matter and the minds of people within its radius. Apparently, the discovery of the Node is what brought Tesla and the other geniuses like him down below the streets of London. In Tesla's words, there’s a race going on between the secret society of protectors and ones that are looking for the Node to harness its energy for devious reasons.

At first, Kit knows nothing about the Node, the secret society, or why her uncle (Thomas Edison) is looking for it. She just wants to be reunited with her family. Her mother passed away some time ago. But her father is still alive. She desperately wants to reach the surface again to see him and forget about this nightmarish labyrinth she now finds herself lost in. Hodge is the most peculiar actor in this entire narrative. He was down there before the society had ever heard of the Node. He doesn't speak but he is a source of comfort and protection for all. Now that he's met Kit, he seems intent on leading her directly to the Node.

None of ever seen the Node up close, but the prodigies underground all seem to feel that Kit is destined to use the Node. Once she reaches it, she'll have to make a choice. Keep it protected with the help of the underground society, hand it over to her uncle and his corporate henchmen, or make her own personal wishes come true. No one knows how the Node works or what will happen once it's fully activated, least of all Kit. However, the time has come for the Node to be harnessed by its chosen one.

The beginning portion of the game, where you're underground in the sewers, is by far the most tedious part of this game. It does a decent job of showing you the different mechanics at your disposal throughout the rest of the game but it’s very boring and there’s a bit of backtracking. It feels burdensome and tiring from our experience. The game does look beautiful, it's original, and plays like nothing that we’ve tried before. It’s a shame that there wasn’t good background music for this portion of the game because in later parts there’s definitely very engaging music. It sounds beautifully classical and somehow eerie at the same time. Most likely, the developers chose to make the opening feel desolate, dirty, and undisturbed by society. But in doing so, it doesn't have the personality or feels amusing like the rest of the game does.

We already mentioned the variation in aesthetics and level design. Our favorite was easily the "MC Escher level". Besides the stage design, time looks distorted and objects in the background appear to be a mirage of some sort. It's hard to tell if time has stopped or if it simply doesn't exist in this particular dimension. The BGM complements the look with strange sounds and oscillating synth waves.

Cutscenes in this gameplay out like in visual novels. However, Another Sight stands out because of its Impressionist style. At least the background is in that aesthetic. The characters themselves appear to be a mix of color pencils and watercolors. The pastel colors are vibrant and warm at the same time. This abrupt change from the regular stage layouts are a welcome change and leave you wanting more time with these NPC's.

Speaking of characters, our protagonist has a bombshell dropped on her about her father that is never answered. On top of that, this game's ending is anti-climatic and obscure. It doesn't seem like a sequel was planned, but the ending is too short and lackluster for our taste. Even though there are three different endings to choose from, they all feel uninspired and rushed. It's a shame because the story up until that point was interesting and mysterious.

Overall, this game is unique enough in terms of controls, aesthetics, and narrative warrant a playthrough. It surprised us with what it tried to accomplish as the first title for an indie game company. Even though it has some problems with the intro, minor control issues, puzzle repetition, and the story's ending, it delivers on plenty of other factors. It's probably not a game you'll want to play to completion more than once, but it'll keep you entertained for a few hours and get your imagination working about these influential figures and secret societies.

Thanks a lot for taking the time to read our review for Another Sight. We expect big things to come from Lunar Great Wall Studios. You can find this game on Steam or check out playthroughs first if you want to make sure it’s your cup of tea. Have a great day and we’ll see you in the next one!