The Inner World (PC) Review

Have you ever wanted to learn an instrument, but not been able to afford it, or thought that buying something would be a waste of money because there would never be any time to actually play it? Well, for Robert in The Inner World neither of those issues are relevant, firstly because his actual nose is a flute (yes, it can be played later!), and, secondly, he is the court musician and just needs to play, no matter what. One day he stumbles upon a thief named Laura, whilst trying to retrieve something for his father, but they end up embarking, purely by chance, on adventure to restore wind to his homeland of Asposia.

The Inner World does not over-complicate matters with its storyline, simply sending Robert on his way via sheer happenstance, and then diving into the adventure swiftly, leaning heavily on the superb charm of its lead character, strong scripting, and impressive supporting cast to keep attention levels high. With a beautiful hand-drawn world that contrasts very well with the quirky characters atop of it, a sublime soundtrack that gives chills whilst playing, and some fabulous, evocative voice work, even before the main puzzles kick in, this is a total joy to behold.

As was found in Cubed3's recent review of Memoranda, attractive aesthetics without well integrated and smart brainteasers ultimately led to a very disappointing journey. There is no fear of that here as the puzzles fit smoothly into the story itself, really getting the ol' grey matter working (some of the best include chains of events that involve numerous steps, or actually making use of people or creatures Robert has previously been talking to), all being tied together by some heart-warming, and also amusing, script work. There are even clever references throughout, with nods to the Harry Potter series and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask mixed in, for example.

Everything about The Inner World smacks of sheer love, devotion, and careful attention to detail. It is a delightfully themed adventure, which does have a few instances where it falls foul of the age-old problem of needing to use a touch of trial-and-error when creating new objects that are required for story progression, but the majority are so well crafted that any minor hiccoughs are easily forgotten about. With five chapters of goodness included, expect to be enthralled for one hour-plus per section, making it not overly lengthy, but great enough value for money on the whole, especially for its current £11.99 price listing on Steam. Expect an even more in-depth look at The Inner World when it comes to Xbox One soon.