Once upon a time there was a video game that took place in a children’s book. On the pages of this book are drawn the colorful landscapes of a land called “Mojo”, whose population is strictly representative of the canons of the genre: there are magicians, trolls or talking animals… and, unsurprisingly, a chivalrous hero always ready to defend his kingdom.
Phrygian cap on his head, sword in hand and nicknamed “Vaillant Petit Page”, the young character sets off in pursuit of Ragecuite, an evil magician who wants to seize power. This quest leads him to slay plump monsters, solve numerous puzzles and overcome various funny mini-games.
However, there is no question of making fun of the tales here, but rather of paying them a tender and mischievous homage – as the film was able to do in its time. Princess Bride (1987). Castles and sticky marshes, poet snail and pirate starfish… Everything is done to summon up childhood memories and place us in a state of permanent wonder.
Breaking the fourth wall
This is another film conducive to childish daydreams, Toy Story (1995), which we can’t help but think of when the first adventures arrive: using a power called “meta-magic”, the villain Ragecuite kicks the paper hero out of his book. Dazed, our Little Page lands on the messy desk, where the book with his name on it has been placed by its young owner. Little disturbed by the existential turmoil that such a discovery could have caused, the young hero sets off on an expedition on this desk strewn with pencils, toys or little monsters that have also escaped from our fairy tale.
Soon, he proves himself able to travel at will between the two worlds, each of which offers a different perspective: that of the book is made of two-dimensional drawings, while that of the room is in three dimensions. To advance in our quest, we will have to quickly navigate between the two.
It is reminiscent of the two nested universes, one flat and the other in volume, of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (2013), but this trick of the two worlds – the great success of this title – succeeds in imposing its own motif: that of the contamination of the outside world by a fictional character. In this way, the first production of the Australian studio All Possible Futures offers a beautiful metaphor on the powers of imagination.
Children in the crosshairs
Despite the sophistication of his interdimensional device, The Valiant Little Page never loses sight of its simplicity of approach. The difficulty of the fights is not very high, it is possible to obtain clues to solve the most complex puzzles, the toughest minigames are optional and the progression is, in general, very guided – perhaps even too much, seasoned players will judge.
All Possible Futures thus seeks to appeal to a family audience, from middle schoolers to adults who love a no-nonsense experience. This interlude of gentleness is, however, punctuated by peaks of difficulty that can be destabilizing, a bit like finding a pepper hidden in a cream puff.
The World
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Other instabilities, of a technical nature, have attenuated the strong impression given by the aesthetic bias and the frenetic pace of this adventure: the test version provided to the World by the publisher suffered from some blocking bugs in the last quarter of the adventure. It’s a shame, because this Petit Page has the profile of a great one.
Pixels’s opinion
We liked:
- the back and forth between adventures in the book (in 2D) and outside its pages (in 3D);
- an adorable artistic direction full of references;
- the most successful French translation.
We liked less:
- a few unexpected difficulty spikes in a generally easy-going game;
- rather than accessibility options to simplify the game, we would have liked to be able to launch it in a “difficult” mode;
- Our test version encountered some blocking bugs.
This is more for you if:
- you have Peter Pan syndrome.
This is not for you if:
- you are more on Captain Hook’s side.
Pixels’ Note
It was three times/four.
