Not long ago, I started my traverses into the wondrous world of “Another Eden: A Cat Beyond Time and Space.”
Now, I’m not yet done with the game, nor am I close.
However, I have put a good few hours in to it and would like to discuss my thoughts on it so far.
This is for anyone like myself, who missed out on this title when it initially released back in 2017 by Wright Flyer Studios.
the WFS team collaborated with writer Masato Keto and music composer Yasunori Mitsuda on this project.
The duo both worked on Xenogears, Chronotrigger (Chrono cross included) and other renown JRPGs.
Another Eden begins in a mystical, yet, ominous forest known as the “Moonlight forest,” located near the starting town of Baruoki.
We’re introduced to who appears to be our main antagonist, later revealed as the “Beast king,” who stumbles upon an abandoned baby near a bush. She is one of our protagonists, Feinne. The Beast King seems to have plans for this baby and is ready to claim her as his own, until an elderly human comes his way.
The scene soon after, reveals a boy emerging from the bushes, this is our main protagonist and Fiennes brother, Aldo.
Both Aldo and Feinne were taken in by the Mayor of Baruoki and lived together in harmony for the next 16 years, until obvious plot sets in, of course!
With a great sigh of relief, I can wholeheartedly say Another Eden doesn’t feel like another cash-in mobile game tied with big names.
The effort put in to its creation is very much apparent. The cutscenes are colorful, vibrant and full of expression; It’s by far some of the best I’ve seen on any RPG mobile title.
The battle system plays like a traditional JRPG with techs/abilities you can unlock over time. It plays very fluid and you even have the option to speed up the animation for times of grinding.
My favorite element though would have to be the musical composition. Each nostalgic hymn is full of life and personality, taking you back to the PS1 era of RPGs. Namely, I hear a lot of influence from Chrono Cross in the OST.
Speaking of Chrono Cross, there is a small easter egg in Baruoki where you can find a straw made dummy who looks very similar to Mojo.
The only qualm I have with this game is the voice acting. Though it’s not terrible, it’s not exactly good; necessary either. Another Eden is free to download, though, chrono stones (game currency) are needed to unlock a wide array of animated & unique party members, as well as certain dungeons. These stones can be obtained through completing quests and obtaining awards or purchasing them with real money; though, the game is mostly free-to-play.
I highly recommend this to anyone seeking an action pack adventure with fantastic visuals and yearning to fill the void that the Chrono series left them upon their completion. Another Eden is also available on iOS, but, if you’re not looking to play this via mobile, Its said to release in Spring 2021 on Steam and there’s even a plan for a Nintendo Switch Release. Though, the release date is TBA.
