Months prior a stateside release of Trace Memory, Europe and Australia got their hands on the highly anticipated point-and-click adventure game, Another Code: Two Memories. Despite the text and story being already available in english, the game won’t make it for a US release untill early this fall; which keeps me wondering “why such a long wait?”. Is it because we’ve been bad, bad boys, or perhaps because our fellow Europeans won’t get Kirby: Canvas Curse untill this september?
I vote for the later one.

Brought to us by the talented developers at Cing Inc., Another Code features rich and detailed environments, displayed in both stunning prerendered scenes and full 3D overhead view. The cutscenes and character art are done in very good looking anime-ish style drawings, which is one of the concept that caught my eye at first view.

Puzzles are the key to progress in this game genre, and Another Code is certainly not lacking of those. Most of them are original and using key functions of the DS hardware. But personally, I would’ve liked more complex puzzles; the one that leaves you scratching your head for minutes, hours. I played through the game in a single session of 5 straight hours, and the only puzzle that got the best outta me is this little stinking 8-puzzle!

Setting aside the short lenght of the game, Another Code is driven by a deep story that brilliantly unfolds as you progress throught the Edwards Mansion; the main location that you’ll be “investigating” in the game. Alongside our heroine Ashley, is ‘D’; a young boy’s ghost who asks you to help him uncover the mystery of his death. The game follows Ashley’s story a little more the first time you play through it, but after clearing it once, you get to play a second time to uncover more truths about D’s death and whereabouts. That’s when I stopped playing.

But what about the boots? I guess I’ll get my answer when Trace Memory hits the stores this fall. I gotta keep a reason for buying the game, no? ;p