Developer: Mike Bithell
Publisher: Mike Bithell
Rrp: £5.99
Released: 12th November 2012
Available on Their Own website, Steam, Desura
Thomas Was Alone is the story of a rectangle on a journey. I can’t tell you anything more without spoiling something. Despite this rather vague premise I can honestly say this is one the most charming platformers I’ve played in a while.
The visual style is very basic, a few colours on screen and a lightly animated background that doesn’t get in the way. The goal of the game is essentially to make it to the portal that is elsewhere in the level. Different portals correspond to different shapes or rather characters.
The reason I refer to the collection of quadrilaterals that you end up controlling as character is due in no small part to the narration. Each of the shapes is given a name such as Thomas, Clare or Sarah and they all have a skill unique to them that will help you traverse the level.
I mentioned earlier the narration, in my opinion this is the thing that really makes the game. Without this narration this game would boil down to a competent platformer rather than an excellent one. It makes you care about the characters and give you a sense of the personalities, even if that has no actual bearing on the gameplay itself.
It’s also well cast being voiced by the comedian and actor Stephen Merchant (Wheatley from Portal Two) who manages to pull of some of the dry humour in this game with skill.
Would I recommend this? Well, yes I would. But I’d wait for a small price drop, there isn’t really any replayabilty and there are no difficulty settings to alter. It’s also quite short, I finished it in about two hours.
