Another Code: Recollection - Switch Review

Another Code: Recollection is a (re)collection consisting of the updated versions of two previous Nintendo adventure puzzle games, Another Code: Two Memories (Nintendo DS, 2005) and Another Code: R – A Journey into Lost Memories (Nintendo Wii, 2009). 

You play as teenage Ashley. In Two Memories, she receives a letter from her father whom she's long thought to be dead, along with a handheld system he programmed for her biometrics called Dual Another System (DAS) (that has a camera you use to document clues). Ashley arrives on the mysterious, infrequently visited Blood Edward Island with her guardian aunty who immediately decides to take off on her own for no reason, leaving her young niece all by herself in this unknown environment. In trying to figure out where her relatives are, she comes across an amnesiac by the name of D and they investigate an abandoned mansion, recalling memories and piecing together mysteries from the past.

Once you’ve completed that one, you continue Ashley’s story in A Journey into Lost Memories which is set a couple of years later. She is on her way to Lake Juliet to reunite with her dad yet again after not seeing him for six months; the second game focuses on the truth behind her mother’s history.

The Good

The gameplay involves exploring Blood Edward Island (in Two Memories) and Lake Juliet (in A Journey into Lost Memories). The original titles were point and click adventures, but Another Code: Recollection allows the player to wander around these environments, discovering clues and objects to solve puzzles and progress the storylines. The narrative is primarily told through conversations similar to visual novel games, with plenty of flashbacks (as the games focus on memory and mysteries from the past).

I think Another Code: Recollection is good for the kids or those not used to puzzle games because it offers plenty of accessibility options. For example, Navigation Assist is a feature you can toggle on and off that places a compass circle around Ashley with an arrow telling you where to go next. Another optional feature that makes unravelling the mystery even easier is "puzzle hints.” If you—I mean the you in real life—are low on spoons (energy), these convenient hints even include the puzzle answers, so you can get through the entire thing expending minimal energy. Not only do you get directions on where to go but you also get the answers! So, that's a plus if you just want to relax.

The Switch version seamlessly blends these two tales together into one cohesive narrative. But converting games that were originally published on DS and Wii hardware into one integrated experience on the Switch meant certain game mechanics needed to be updated. Some players might prefer the DS’s touchscreen mechanics or the Wii’s motion controls. But as I never played the originals, I didn’t find the Switch adaptation to be clunky (e.g., some puzzles require the user to tilt the console or controller). I think the reason they left out touchscreen options is because some gamers use a paired controller, rather than playing handheld.

TL;DR

• Can fully explore the environments
• Accessibility features
• Relaxing
• Integrated experience on Switch

The Bad

I know they revamped and bundled together the two titles in Another Code: Recollection for a reason: because they were popular enough to do so (cult classics, apparently). So, I hope this doesn't come across the wrong way to fans of the originals but, personally, in the beginning of Two Memories, I found the gameplay and story pacing to be quite slow and tedious in parts, like I almost wanted to doze off. This might be because I was very low on spoons so I chose to cheat with the hints. Solving the puzzles yourself might make the investigations more entertaining. 

So, when you begin the first game, Two Memories, you may need some patience as the pacing might feel quite slow. Also, so many games—and narratives in general—use the "mysterious origins” and “amnesiac character" tropes, not to mention the “teenage orphan” cliché. Another criticism could be the conversation-heavy segments, sometimes with repetitive dialogue, that may put off players (who are not fans of visual novel games!).

However, it’s worth playing more to discover the plot twists that create greater intrigue in the story arc. And the second story continues seamlessly on from the first in Another Code: Recollection, revealing more mysteries surrounding Ashley’s past and allowing the player to discover connections between the two titles.

TL;DR

• Slow pacing at times
• Conversation-heavy at times
• Some tropes

Final Score: 7/10

Another Code: Recollection is a leisurely experience for fans of puzzle games and narrative-driven adventures that has successfully integrated two titles on different platforms into one experience for the Switch—with some new gameplay mechanics. Players can enjoy uncovering the full mysteries of Ashley’s past, including some unexpected plot twists, in this undemanding offering.

Thank you for checking out our Another Code: Recollection Switch review, thank you to Nintendo AU/NZ for providing the review code and thank you to our Patreon Backers for their ongoing support:

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