The Inner World (PlayStation 4) Review

The Inner World stars Robert, a humble servant to Conroy, a sort of leader in Asposia, and Robert's father. Conroy - a wind monk - acts as a protector against Basylian attacks. This simple plot guides the story, and manages to have enough twists and turns to ensure it remains engaging throughout.

The world of Asposia is packed with weird characters, all of whom are incredibly interesting to get to know. A handful are more annoying than others (a certain trash peddler comes to mind), and some of the voice acting is less than on par, but in general the cast of supporting characters is fantastic. Each character overflows with personality, and it's easy to come away with your own favourites.

The star shines in this one, though, and that star is Robert. Robert is dangerously optimistic and sometimes frustratingly naive. Fortunately, it all comes together as him being wildly loveable. It's hard to remember a time where the lead character has been such a simpleton, yet had so much depth. Robert's affinity for Conroy is especially noteworthy, as he continues through his quest, if for nothing else but to appease his master.

The game, like many point and clicks out there, uses humour fairly liberally. Good news is that it mostly lands. A few jokes just come across as silly or stupid, but they never feel forced. The humour in The Inner World works because it feels organic, and while none of it is side-splittingly funny, it's plenty witty and charming.

Artistically, The Inner World manages to look both unprofessional and professional simultaneously. The choppy graphics, all of which are hand drawn, begin to come off as having their own style. At first, everything looks sloppy, until you realise how well it fits into the package overall. For graphics snobs out there, give this a chance. It will pleasantly surprise, and eventually it's clear no other art style would have worked here.

The Inner World has a lot working for it, but there's plenty to drag the experience back. For one, the hint system ranges from totally useless to entirely too informative. Now, you don't have to use it, and it gives you plenty of chances to back out. Still, there are some inconsistencies that weigh heavy. One moment, the player is told how to perform a task with explicit detail, and the next, they are given next to no clues at all. It seems odd to spell certain things out and not others.

What doesn't seem odd, but instead incredibly tedious, is how gamers interact with their environment. The player must cycle through points of interest until they land on the person they want to speak to or the item they want to interact with. In smaller scenes this isn't too bad, but in larger scenes it's downright confusing. The order Robert cycles through doesn't seem to have any real rhyme or reason, either, making navigating each scene very awkward and annoying.