Rain Games has a pretty fantastic track record of creating indie hits. Teslagrad has been played by 1.6 million players and has a 9 out of 10 rating on Steam. With their newest title World to the West, they have created a game that builds upon Teslagrad’s universe and trades side scrolling for top-down action-adventure style gameplay.
In World to the West you take on the role of four different protagonists, each with their own motivations and storylines that blend together. Each character is unique, from Lumina the Teslamancer to Miss Teri the mind bender. Their storylines will intersect at times as they undergo their own quests and uncover secrets of a forgotten civilization. There’s also an interesting layer of choice involved. An example of this is how you’ll approach your enemies and obstacles without violence and try to utilize diplomacy at times, or if you are lucky you might be able to bypass combat altogether. Alternately you can use brute force in seamless gameplay that alternates between exploring, puzzle-solving and combat fluidly.
You begin with Lumina, a young teslamancer who finds herself accidentally using a teleporter that takes her to a forest. She discovers that her grandfather had been there before, and left notes that act as information for her journey. She is able to use a tesla staff and a blink ability that allows her to teleport across gaps or utilize pads that lift her to higher elevations.
The second character is Knaus, a little miner who uses his shovel to dig and tunnel under soft ground (like Bugs Bunny) he uses his shovel for combat, but has less health than Lumina due to his small stature. Miss Teri on the other hand, is a mercenary who utilizes the mind-bending technology of her homeland in order to control enemies. Miss Teri is also able to sprint, in order to move more quickly. Knaus and Miss Teri are unable to defeat enemies, as they only can stun enemies with their shovel or scarf respectively, while Lumina is able to defeat enemies with her staff.
The characters also have unique capabilities that make them suitable for different tasks. In addition to digging under things, Knaus can also fit through small holes, while Lumina is the only one able to use those previously mentioned boost pads to reach higher elevations. Miss Teri’s scarf works similarly to Lumina’s blink, as she can cross some gaps if she has something she can use to pull herself across. The majority of World to the West’s gameplay involves cooperation puzzles between characters, utilizing their skills to progress through various tasks.
Each character (including the fourth Lord Clonington, who is a strongman that punches things) can acquire items that will enhance their capabilities. There is a lot to do and a lot of ways to explore. From secret health upgrades to items and shortcuts, each character has a ton of things to do and see. Even if you’re progressing through an area you’ve already explored, it’s interesting just using a new character. In some areas backtracking is important, the first time you visit an area you may not have a certain character with you, which will block certain pathways for you to explore. Luckily there is a fast travel system in place, though it only works for characters who have visited the area previously so it’s not perfect. It would have been nice if you could fast travel to places you’ve been to with a character and then just switch to other characters to explore the previous unavailable areas.
My only complaint with World to the West is that there are periods of time where there just isn’t enough direction. Sometimes you’ll reach an objective and instead of getting a new one, you have to wander around through areas you may not have explored until you figure out what comes next. The combat takes getting used to as well, though it can be unfair at times. After playing World to the West I am eager to pick up Teslagrad and play through it as well. I haven’t had the pleasure of playing it but now that I see a different side of the universe established in Teslagrad, it makes me all the more eager to give it a try.
World to the West is a game that is campy, cartoony, and surprisingly fun. The puzzles aren’t too difficult, the character switching mechanic never really wears out its welcome, and the world created by Rain Games is beautiful, well crafted and colorful. If you are looking for an interesting adventure/puzzle title, give World to the West a closer look.
A Steam Product Key for World to the West was provided by Rain Games for the purpose of this Review.