Introduction

Another World - The Tree of Promises is an entry in the 2015 Indie Game Maker Contest. And, I'll be upfront in admitting that this game will most likely be counted amongst the lowest-tier of entries in the contest. And while its only one issue in particular that really cements it's place as being amongst the lowest-tier there are additional issues that deserve attention as well.

Story
Plot

I'm not really sure what the plot of this game is. While the game does include a ten minute long intro that helps to establish some aspects of the world that the player will find themselves in. The game doesn't last long enough to explain how all or any of those pieces will really fit together. Though, based on the opening scene in the intro I'm willing to speculate that the game will contain a damsel in distress plot device though if it will be the main focus or only one plot device in a much larger game I'm not so sure.

Grammar and Writing



One of the more noticeable issues with this game is that it suffers from a lot of grammar issues. While this is likely the result of the developer probably not being a native English speaker. This game is an entry in a contest with a cash prize and as such every little detail when it comes to presentation matters. This game really can't afford to have these sorts of issues if it wanted to be competitive with the other entries and really should have motivated the developer to seek outside assistance. Or at least that's how I see it.



Another issue the game suffers from is some rather awkward dialogue. While this is mostly the result of the poor grammar, but in a few cases its the result of rather bad writing. The best example of this is Ray who spams the word "anyways" far more often then he should and in ways that are completely nonsensical.

Gameplay


The final screen of the game.

This game doesn't have any gameplay in it's current state. Shortly after the player gains control of the player character the game comes to an abrupt end. I'm not sure if this is because the game freezes because of bad programming or if the developer hadn't finished the combat system and actively decided to bring the demo to a close where he/she did.

Graphics & Sound

On the graphical side of things the game is alright from what I got to experience, but my opinion on this topic might change if I ever take a look at an updated version of this game.

On the sound side of things the game is a bit mixed for me. On the plus side the game does feature some original music albeit you'll probably only get to listen to a track or two before the game comes to a screeching halt. On the downside the game does feature a rather annoying sound effect when Sandra begins to pace back and forth during the intro.

Conclusion

Another World - The Tree of Promises is a project that is best avoided at this current time in my opinion. As it stands the demo is just a ten minute long introduction to the game's universe and some of the major players. As such the game lacks any sort of meat to catch the attention of the player and some aspects of the intro might even push potential players away because of how cliche they sound or appear.