Albert & Otto: The Adventure Begins

 Xbox One
Metascore
63

Mixed or average reviews - based on 4 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. TheXboxHub
    Jan 11, 2018
    80
    I have really enjoyed my time in the world of Albert & Otto. It’s a hard but fair platform puzzler with some great level design, innovative sections, great visuals and a cracking soundtrack. It does feel a trifle short, but I hope it sells well and allows the development team to create further episodes in the future.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 4 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 4
  3. Negative: 1 out of 4
  1. Xbox_Alive
    Jan 12, 2018
    7
    Platforming, Puzzles, Black and White Palette; We're not talking about Playdead's 2011 “Limbo” Albert and Otto has more than one story toPlatforming, Puzzles, Black and White Palette; We're not talking about Playdead's 2011 “Limbo” Albert and Otto has more than one story to tell. The game originally did not make its goal on Kickstarter, yet the developers continued and were still able to deliver a great game to PC. After a year finally released to the Xbox One and ready to be appreciated by the community.

    I felt the game was visually appealing, easy to read, and provides a unique take on depth of 2D-Art by using fewer colors to relay so much more. Set in a world inspired by Germany 1939, you are Albert, a boy lightly equipped on his adventure to find his lost sister. The game boasts 2 to 3 hours of puzzles, but as the difficulty rises with the game, maybe some of those puzzles took me longer than the game expected. But I celebrated even greater when I would get it right!
    After a few jump puzzles and narrative discovered through pictures left by your sister, you'll find your sister's stuffed rabbit, Otto. Your first real dash of color in the game, a crimson red rabbit in a world of gray-scale. With the rabbit in tow, you're able to double jump your way higher adding to the platforming experience. With Otto's help you're able to use telekinesis to lift items. Each new power helping identify Albert and Otto as it's own title and not just a copy of other somewhat similar games.

    The controls of the game were quick to pick up, An ease to platforming will allow you a quick start into Albert and Otto. The right analog stick combined with Right Trigger allows you to control Albert's pistol, a slow-reloading, but quick-downing weapon you'll need for ropes and bird's alike.

    The game ends abruptly for some, but is just the first in a three part series that has yet to be released. The boss fight, while I struggled, was easily the best part of the game on a whole. The music set a great atmosphere, peppered with screams and the dark world, the creep factor was high! If you like platforming and puzzles this game is a must purchase.    … Full Review »
  2. TheBackBlog
    Dec 5, 2020
    8
    Albert and Otto is a 2D side scrolling, monochrome (apart from the red bunny), puzzle platformer game which has been handcrafted to aAlbert and Otto is a 2D side scrolling, monochrome (apart from the red bunny), puzzle platformer game which has been handcrafted to a hauntingly beautiful standard alongside equally brilliant sound effects of which I can still hear the sheep’s screams. You’ll find out what I mean soon enough.

    Albert and Otto’s full game title is ‘Albert and Otto: The Adventure Begins’, the first instalment of what is planned to be a four-part story. The game is set in Germany, 1939 and you play as Albert and you’re searching for a mysterious girl with bunny ears. Whilst playing through, it wasn’t abundantly clear that there was any real story to be told and if I hadn’t read the brief summary in the press kit, I probably wouldn’t have realised. As you progress further through the game you discover little clues about her through post boxes and shards, these also double up as your collectibles. You’re not alone for long, though as you soon find Otto, a cute little bunny which just so happens to be magical.

    Together, Albert and Otto make a fantastic team with the ability to double jump, levitate objects, shoot enemies and use electricity to turn on switches. Use your wide range of skills to your advantage by grabbing sheep to use as a makeshift raft across the waters or even setting them on fire to light up your path… I know, I’m a monster.

    The puzzles you are faced with as you make your way through the chapters aren’t too troublesome and you’ll soon figure out the best route through. Naturally, they do get more difficult the further into the game, you get because of the sheer number of things required to do in a relatively short amount of time. The boss encounters were a good challenge and I’ll be honest, it was through trial and error that I managed to work it all out but the feeling of satisfaction when I finally managed to destroy them was absolutely worth all of the stress involved.

    In a game like this, it is absolutely vital that the controls are on point. Frustratingly, I found the controls to be unresponsive far too many times. More specifically the jump button (A) completely failed on numerous occasions which ultimately led to my death. Dying in the game is not a huge issue because the game autosaves so frequently that you never really lose much progress but it becomes a rage-inducing problem when there are achievements for not dying in parts of the game.

    Overall, I loved playing through Albert and Otto but the issues with the controls were off-putting. I feel like for the price, the game was over far too quickly as without retrying chapters to unlock remaining achievements I managed to complete it in just a couple of hours. In all honesty, it was disheartening when “To be continued” popped up on the screen as I felt like I’d only just started to really get immersed in the game before it was all taken away from me. If I had to give it a score it would be 8/10. All being well, I really hope to see the remaining episodes released sooner rather than later!    … Full Review »
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