Let's Talk... A Story About my Uncle

1st-person platforming is an idea that's been tried a number of times but never really been done right. Naturally, a side-scrolling or behind-the-shoulder perspective makes spatial awareness and navigation much easier in a 3d environment. Thankfully, A Story About my Uncle makes it both exciting and easy to handle by making some smart concessions to the platforming formula and adding layers of grapple hook-esque mechanics. The tight controls and easy-to-use setup makes A Story About my Uncle's unique blend work excellently.

Unfortunately, however, the game seems to think that it needs to have some kind of story to contextualise the world and the grapple mechanics, and so, for some reason, opts to have a bad and uninteresting story rather than simply not having a story at all. It feels extremely weak, poorly fleshed out and, frankly, completely unnecessary, especially in a game where the core mechanics are easily novel and interesting enough to make up for a lack of narrative. The story essentially is as follows: you are retrospectively telling a story to your daughter about a time when you went searching for your uncle (it is quite a literally a story about your uncle). The writing is clunky, the voice acting is kinda terrible, and the story mode ends before anything remotely interesting happens. Although it doesn't completely ruin the story mode but it certainly slows the game's fast and fluid pace with its frequent, though never particularly lengthy, storytelling moments, which usually just consist of listening to some people talk for a few minutes.  

The game's grapple device, and an example of the game's excellent environment design

However dull the story may be for the most part, the game's novel and unique platforming mechanics: a grapple hook that allows you to fluidly swing through the world. Starting with only one available swing per jump, you eventually build up the capability to swing three times before having to land and recharge (recharging your swings happens instantly when you land on a solid surface). Although 1st-person platforming has always been a pretty awkward thing, A Story about my Uncle manages to make it feel both natural and smooth, with the game's large, open environments feeling very suited to the way the platforming feels. On top of being able to swing, you can charge up your jump to increase the height of your jump, a mechanic that is hugely integral to some of the game's platforming puzzles. Furthermore, as you progress you eventually come across a pair of rocket boots that allow you to boost forward a significant distance in whatever direction you're looking in. It's another neat gimmick that really sets the stage for some rather complex manoeuvres, especially in some of the game's later puzzles. When all the different platforming mechanics come together and are used skillfully it feels extremely tight and making complicated jumps feels highly satisfying.

Despite having some novel core mechanics, the value of the game really depends on how much you're willing to dive into the game's time trial modes that unlock as you finish each respective level. The story mode lasts a couple of hours and there are approximately half a dozen levels to replay in the time trial modes, which, naturally, has you replay each level in an attempt to beat the game's set times for bronze, silver and gold medals. The story mode is a pretty linear endeavour, but the excellent environmental design and art direction make many of the game's larger set pieces well worth seeing, although the time trial mode allows you to experience many of the game's levels without having to sit through the rather tedious story elements of the story mode.

Although certainly more than just a simple gimmick, the grappling mechanics of A Story About my Uncle feel more like an impressive proof-of-concept for a larger, thicker and much more complex set of mechanics and future title. The story mode feels like an unfortunate and unnecessary inclusion, but thankfully the forced story beats are short enough to be easily ignored. Ultimately, it's an interesting, unique and well-executed platformer that's well worth checking if the idea of 1st-person platforming done right sounds appealing to you, even if it is a little thin on fresh content.