I was skeptical about this new video game before playing it, but it turned out to be my best surprise of the year on PS4 and PS5!

Even its developer can't define it

Animal Well was presented for the first time in February 2022. It was during an event organized by Sony and PlayStation concerning independent games coming to their system that we were able to discover this metroidvania in pixel- art with a picturesque universe. A title that was developed by the hands of one man: Billy Basso. Following this presentation, the father of the game spoke in more depth about his production. At the time, he himself said it was difficult to describe Animal Well

This game provides the visual effects of survival horror, but it is not a horror game. It contains puzzles and platforming, without being a puzzle platformer.

That being said, it was already certain to offer a significant challenge to those who wanted it with a game structured in four distinct layers of difficulty. The first two are then aimed at “classic” players, composed of 100% fans and those just wanting to see the end credits. As for the other two, it's something else entirely. : Billy Basso himself then challenges the community to find secrets that only he knows.

The particular artistic direction, the impossibility of describing the game for its creator or even the multitude of secrets to discover contribute to the mysterious aura of Animal Well. As a metroidvania lover, it was with some trepidation that I got my hands in it.

A familiar gameplay revisited!

However, Animal Well uses the classic mechanics of platform games of the genre. It involves exploring a predefined universe, divided into zones which are themselves interconnected. Certain locations, however, require special abilities to be explored, these special abilities being unlocked throughout the adventure. This is how the game opens up over the hours, with the sensation (sought by the developers) of surprise once a new passage is discovered.

In this sense, Animal Well blows hot and cold. During my main adventure (a little less than eight hours), the level design did not particularly impress me. There are a few shortcuts to trigger that make exploration easier, but we're still far from an interconnected map. The four zones to go through are separate: it is impossible to come across the seahorse zone by a route diverted from that of the chameleon, for example. However, not everything has to be thrown away as you might expect. What I liked is the way in which our character (a species of lice that we will call Géraldine in this article) uses the tools available to navigate the world around her. Unlike metroidvania with more classic mechanics (rush, double jump, hang on, wall jump, etc.) Animal Well uses everyday objects to solve puzzles. The five objects to collect each have several uses. Discovering them step by step makes the adventure exciting! The bubble gun allows you to climb on bubbles, to be able to reach high places. Conversely, staying on a bubble causes it to fall due to Geraldine's weight: ideal for reaching destinations below.

It is through these enigmas that Animal Well constitutes a real gem. There are a total of 64 eggs to collect in the game, all scattered behind puzzles. I found only 30% despite my undisguised efforts to explore every corner. It must be said that certain platform sequences are difficult and irritating at times. Special mention to that of the pursuit, demanding but with a unique atmosphere.

A special game, for sure

Animal Well is an unusual video game. It takes the foundations of the two-dimensional exploration and platform game to better distance itself from it with gameplay that forces you to use your brain. A recipe that works especially as it is seasoned with an engaging universe. We quickly fall into an animal well (literal translation of the title) with a unique atmosphere, mixing both the enchanting and the frightening. This one, by its mysterious side, pushed me to think, to take circuitous paths of reflection. Something I might never have done if the world used was too conventional.

In any case, it is a game apart that bursts into the metroidvania category. A roundabout way for me to say that, for my part either, I still haven't really understood how to define it after having finished it the first time. Have my eight hours in there been futile? Not in the least, on the contrary. It is precisely because my experience was so special that I will keep unforgettable memories of it. It’s all the more because I was skeptical that Animal Well convinced me. For the curious, it is available today on PC, Nintendo Switch and PS4/PS5, offered to all subscribers (extra and premium) to PlayStation Plus.