TEST – Another Fisherman’s Tale: is the sequel to the essential adventure and puzzle game in VR up to the level?


Another Fisherman’s Tale
has the difficult task of succeeding a first opus, A Fisherman’s Talewhich brought to VR a true poetic adventure where the narration, the mechanics of gameplay and the puzzles were really original. The French Studio, InnerspaceVRtherefore took up the pen again to write a new well-crafted story trying to keep the spirit of the original game while bringing it new environments and new passages putting our neurons to the test. Successful bet, or not?

Rare are the sequels that equal or surpass the original opus but with Another Fisherman’s Tale, InnerspaceVR has succeeded with flying colors

If, ideally, it is better to have already done the first episode to fully appreciate this one, it is not essential. On the story side, without divulging, the sea and the old sailor’s boat are always at the heart of the plot with a story that is still just as poetic, but much longer. (we took nearly five hours to get to the end). The playing area is much larger and each chapter brings something new to the places and especially new problems to solve. We alternate between the incarnation of the hero’s daughter and the latter’s puppet. It is while tidying up the cellar that she remembers the different passages of the stories that her father told her and it is these that we are going to experience during the different chapters. If there are games whose scenario is only a pretext, here the narration, the voiceover, the dialogues are all excellent and are even the heart of this adventure which oscillates between quest for truth and nostalgia. To note, InnerspaceVR offers here a total French dressing, including in the voices, which is very appreciable. The dubbing actors who lent their voices really provided the vocal dressing while the musical is just as good. with some surprising songs, but we let you discover them on your own. Other French studios, often only offering subtitles in our language, should follow the example. The adventure, divided into several chapters and as many interludes including the introduction, takes you through various exterior and interior universes which are all very successful. Visually, Another Fisherman’s Tale remains qualitatively faithful to its predecessor and offers very cartoony colorful graphics. It’s clean, it’s fluid and the art direction clearly has a style that has character.

Getting to the heart of the game, the gameplayit must be recognized that the studio has achieved a masterstroke by offering something new on all floors. This time, Bob, the puppet of our Hero, Bob, is a kit and his head and limbs can be used separately from the body. This slightly crazy idea offers particularly original game mechanics. For example, at the end of Bob’s arms, there can be a hand, a pirate hook or even a crab claw in order to be able to interact according to the circumstances. These three “accessories” can also be thrown to reach places out of reach. And to go where a projection is not enough, the hand can be controlled remotely to move like “the thing” of The Addams Family. It can then, without being exhaustive, catch objects from a distance, move latches or even move levers. Last little subtlety, the head can be ejected from the body in order to “land” in a corner allowing you to see what is happening beyond your own direct vision. In Another Fisherman’s Tale, these mechanics are perfectly exploited, the level design of each level is excellent and brings a new situation that avoids boredom. To move forward and reach the end, you will have to master your subject well and have a little logic to try to understand what to do in order to get out of trouble. Frankly, some passages made us struggle and getting through them was very satisfying. To note, if you’re the type who doesn’t like getting stuck, there is a “Hint” option to activate so that the voiceover, in case of trouble, can help you with instructions that guide without saying too much. Otherwise, the grip is quite intuitive and only the remote handling of the “hand” took us a little time to understand. because it is done by pressing the trigger and positioning the VR controller in space to give direction. Brief, Another Fisherman’s Tale is easy to learn, pleasant to play even if it sometimes takes a little patience to reach your goal and above all a little logic to move forward.

another fishermpen's tale screenshot

In conclusion, rare are the sequels that equal or surpass the original opus but with Another Fisherman’s Tale, InnerspaceVR passed the exercise with flying colors. Whether it’s in the scenario which offers, under cover of humour, a beautiful love story between a daughter and her father, whether it’s in the visual and sound design, whether it’s in the environments which are now much more wide or even in the game mechanics that have been intelligently renewed since the first title, every aspect of this game pushes it to be a VR staple for anyone who loves the genre.

Most

  • A poetic, funny and poignant story*
  • Very successful colorful cartoon graphics
  • Top-notch sound design
  • Perfect French voice dubbing
  • Effective handling
  • A successful level design
  • Increased lifespan (compared to the 1st opus)…

The lessers

  • …But we would have liked to be able to play longer
  • The “hand” sometimes a little difficult to master

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