Little Big Adventure – Twinsen's Quest

Little Big Adventure was huge when I was a kid. Not financially, but it sure left an impact on me. After 20-plus years of no updates, I figured we'd never see a sequel to Twinsen's charming adventure. And while that's technically true, this unexpected remake is still a welcome revisit, even if it's a frustratingly broken experience.

Luckily, it's also an example of how smart gameplay design choices can bring back classic titles in new and exciting ways. Even when it doesn't work, Twinsen's Quest is a fantastic way to experience a classic adventure title without the frustrations of dated controls.

The story of Little Big Adventure is simple enough. On a distant planetoid, the creatures of Twinsun live in peace. One day, the nefarious scientist, Dr. FunFrock, invents cloning and teleportation, and quickly brings the peaceful inhabitants to their knees. Sometime later, our hero, Twinsen, is arrested by the fascist rulers of the planet for his visions of the end of the world. What begins as a quest to save his loved ones soon turns into a battle for the entire planet, as Twinsen's destiny is revealed to be far greater than anyone could have imagined.

It's part fairytale, part parable, and just as charming today as it was 30 years ago. While the game's creator, Frédérick Raynal, is no longer involved, most of his original story remains untouched. The result is a deliriously loopy tale of weird species, wacky inventions, and delightfully French plot twists that work because of the conviction in the story that it tells. Like Star Wars, Little Big Adventure is an emotionally resonant piece of art because it is silly. Originally envisioned as a trilogy, the series stalled after the second part sold poorly, and we never got to see the end. Now, the vision is to bring it all to a close, and hopefully, we won't have to be disappointed twice.

The imaginative world has been brought to life lovingly. Originally released for the first PlayStation, Little Big Planet was never much of a looker. It had scope and vision to spare, but you could tell where the hardware limitations really bit into the finished product. Even though the characters were beautifully animated, the tank controls and obscure solutions to puzzles grated even in the 90s.

Today, the claymation-style landscapes and adorable characters stand out in their uniqueness. They feel like distant relatives to Aardman animations like Wallace and Gromit, yet always distinct.

The revived soundtrack is also a treat. It's just enough of the same old thing that it satisfies nostalgic cravings, while still delivering new tunes and updated tracks in the process.

But charm can only go so far, and it's in the technical aspects that Twinsen's Quest falls apart. This is a broken, often unplayable experience that needed another 6 months to a year of production.

Audio cues play at the wrong times or not at all. The game stutters and stalls frequently. NPC animations stop randomly. Platforming is a chore, combat is a nightmare. You can see what the developers are going for, and it makes the end result even more frustrating. There's a great game buried under here, somewhere, but we can't get at it.

I want to like Twinsen's Quest more than I do. It has all the elements of the classic game that I love and numerous great ideas and updates that make it worth a revisit. But it's a hard sell to newcomers, yet that's exactly who it should cater to. there aren't enough of us old-school fans to justify an entire remake trilogy. Little Big Adventure needs to put its best foot forward if it's going to compete in the legacy sequel category, especially as far bigger titles are muscling their way into the release schedule.

For now, Twinsen's Quest remains still an acquired taste. I'd love for everyone to see what I see and love it even with its faults. But I can't see that happening. At least no in its current state.