Heart of the Alien: Out of This World Parts I and II

Heart of the Alien: Out of This World Parts I and II is an unusual package that combines the original Another World and its sequel, told from the perspective of the alien companion Buddy, on a single disc. The first part stays faithful to the legend of a scientist thrown by an experiment into a foreign world, while the second reverses the perspective and lets the player control a creature that navigates this environment far more skillfully. The gameplay stays the same: running, jumping, ducking, crawling, and using a weapon or whip in an environment where a single mistake means instant death. Progress is based on observation and repetition — every screen is essentially a puzzle about timing.

Technically, this is an interesting case. The vector graphics with large flat color areas and fluid character animation look just as economical and stylish on the Mega-CD as they did on computers; the disc's main contribution lies in the recorded music. It is noticeably darker and more atmospheric than the chip-tune arrangements of earlier versions, underscoring the feeling of loneliness in a hostile world. The game does not use a single line of dialogue, relying instead on facial expressions, gestures, and cinematic editing, which still gives it a peculiar dignity today. The second part is more action-oriented, less mysterious, and still difficult, at times almost unfairly so — checkpoints are far apart and some passages demand frame-perfect precision.

At the time, the first half was received as a classic worth owning in any form, while the sequel divided players and critics alike: it lacks the mystery and exploratory calm of the original. Another World's influence on cinematic platformers is undeniable and can still be felt today in the whole wave of independent games built on silent storytelling and lethal precision. Today, this version is interesting mainly for its music and for the fact that the sequel remained practically exclusive to the Mega-CD, so you won't easily find it elsewhere. The playtime is short but intense, and few games of that era manage to evoke such a sense of otherness.