Little Big Adventure, or Relentless: Twinsen's Adventure outside of Europe, blew my tiny freaking mind in 1994. The isometric, pseudo-3D, non-linear adventure romp seemed so ambitious at the time, and I vividly remember devouring every preview and drooling over the glossy screenshots that graced my favourite mags. Thankfully, it managed to live up to my huge expectations, even if it was absolutely too tricky and elaborate for my stupid nine-year-old brain.
It was a big deal in Europe, and was followed up by a sequel a few years later, but apparently nobody gave two shits about it across the Atlantic. If you're an American reader, then, you might not have a clue how magical the adventures of Twinsen actually were. Maybe it was just too French for '90s America. It really was very French.
This mistake can soon be rectified, thankfully, as both games are getting a remaster makeover courtesy of developer [2.21], which is also working on a third game in the series.
Both games have actually aged pretty well, visually, but the remasters have made some significant changes, not just buffing them up for 4K resolutions but giving them a soft cartoon style that's slightly evocative of Studio Ghibli's wonderful creations. These new Unreal Engine 5 remasters also tout more fluid animation, a follow camera and new analogue controls. The old school control option will still be available, but I remember it being a bit fiddly even in the '90s.
While you'll have to wait until next year to play them in full, you'll be able to get an early peek via a demo available during Steam Next Fest on June 19. If you'd prefer a more authentic trip back in time, the originals were re-released on Steam years ago, and you can pick these fantastic adventures up right now for less than the cost of a sandwich.
