All Our Asias

All Our Asias is a very strange game, but in a way that I think works surprisingly well. I play as Yuito, a Japanese American man whose father is dying, and I enter a strange Memory World built from his father's memories. From there I am exploring surreal places, talking to characters and trying to understand more about a father Yuito never really knew. It is a very short experience, around 90 minutes to two hours, and it feels much more like a personal story than a traditional adventure game. The thing I like most is the atmosphere. Everything has this strange old 3D look that reminds me of early PlayStation and N64 games, but the simple graphics actually fit the dreamlike setting really well. The environments can look familiar one moment and completely bizarre the next, which makes exploring the Memory World feel like I am moving through someone's thoughts rather than a normal game world. The music also adds a lot to this. It is calm and sometimes quite haunting, and it gives the whole experience a feeling that is difficult to get from a more conventional adventure game. The story is where most of the real substance is for me. Yuito is trying to understand his father, but the game also gets into ideas about Asian American identity, family, race, immigration and the way people can inherit experiences they never personally lived through. I like that it does not simply give me a straightforward explanation of everything. A lot of the meaning comes from the strange places I visit and the conversations I have along the way. It can feel confusing at times, but that confusion also suits the idea of exploring somebody else's memories. There is not much traditional gameplay here. I am mostly walking around, talking to characters and doing some light platforming, with some sections involving a small flying vehicle. There are also secrets and optional things I can discover, which gives me a little reason to look around instead of simply following the most obvious route. Still, I have to be honest about what this game is. I am not getting combat, complicated puzzles or a deep progression system. The gameplay exists mainly to let me experience the story and the world, so I think it works much better when I treat it as a short interactive story rather than expecting a full RPG. The short length is probably the biggest weakness for me. I actually think the game benefits from not overstaying its welcome, because the unusual ideas would probably lose some of their impact if they were stretched across a huge campaign. At the same time, I finished feeling like there was still more that could have been explored. Some of the story moves in directions that feel quite sudden, and there are ideas that I would have liked to spend more time with. The simple movement and camera can also feel a little awkward, especially when I am trying to navigate some of the more open areas. I do appreciate how personal the whole project feels. The developer deliberately presents the game as an authored work, and that makes the strange structure and unusual subject matter feel much more intentional. It is not trying to be another generic adventure game with a serious story attached to it. It has its own voice, its own visual style and its own way of discussing identity and family. I also like that it is completely free, because I can experience the whole story without needing to make a big commitment or spend anything. Overall, All Our Asias is a short and unusual experience that I think is much more interesting for its ideas and atmosphere than its actual gameplay. I like the surreal memory world, the strange old school graphics, the music and especially the story about Yuito trying to understand his dying father and his own identity. The basic movement can feel clunky and the short length means there is not a huge amount of gameplay, but I do not think this game needs to be long to make its point. For me, it is the kind of game I remember because of how different it feels rather than because of any particular mechanic. Rating: 7.7/10

Totally worth your time. Though the writing can be on the nose at times Yuito is one of the most fun protagonists I've ever seen. Very much a walking sim that you take your time to enjoy. A little frustrating dealing with the invisible walls but an unforgettable experience.

Beautiful game with beautiful story

nice

I had a 100% great time with "All Our Asias" so far. I don't understand what kind of person would criticize a gift, but even if I wanted to, I wouldn't have anything negative to say about this game. The music, retro graphics and gameplay are very relaxing. The categorization Walking Simulator is not wrong, but unfortunately it has a negative connotation for no reason. Why would a visual novel or playable movie be a good thing but a walking simulator not. I enjoy exploring this surreal world and getting an important message told in a great way. Analgesic Productions' games manage to make me look at the world from a different perspective every time. The writing is some of the best and most unique I've seen. While many big productions such as FF16 fail to captivate me with their mindless, clichéd stories and dialogs I look forward to every new line in this game. Nevertheless, I think that the action-adventure "Anodyne 2" and the 3d platformer "Sephonie" are a better entry point for newcomers, as they are among the best indie games for me. In my eyes, Analgesic Productions' games are proof that video games can be art because of their uncompromising individuality. I'm definitely looking forward to playing this game to the end. Thank you for this great gift.

Хорошая игра, мне нравится как локации сделаны. Будто реально из снов. И музыка в некоторых локах прикольная. Даже какой-то сюжет есть

Жена сказала если на этом обзоре будет 50 лайков и 5 наград , она купит ящик пива, мужики выручайте! My wife said if this review gets 50 likes and 5 awards, she will buy a case of beer, guys help me out!