Review Jevnation 4/5 · Apr 24, 2025
LBA: The magic ball childhood revival
Having waited for news for over 23 years, it tells by itself that I have been a loyal fan of the Little Big Adventure franchise since childhood. Over time, glimpses of endearment appear as the original creators revisit their old works from the 90's and flicker out (even as remasters came out). But as much as I accepted that this …
Having waited for news for over 23 years, it tells by itself that I have been a loyal fan of the Little Big Adventure franchise since childhood. Over time, glimpses of endearment appear as the original creators revisit their old works from the 90's and flicker out (even as remasters came out). But as much as I accepted that this is all there was that the Adeline Software crew had to deliver, I still remained hopeful...
Then, news broke out that a dev team joined up with the core creators to carry on the Twinsunian torch for real. The fanbase had hopes that we would finally see a long-awaited sequel that has been rumoured ever since. Well, the thing is... They made a mutual decision to do remakes on the two existing games; more like, modernized indie-style games.
The first impression was made with the art style, which can be considered divisive for its indie style by warm pastel visuals. The graphic render is a solid improvement and makes the world of Twinsun even prettier. The game's world system allows it to seamlessly stitch together sections into larger regions and areas, most notably in the outdoor environment. This feature helps the world look livelier with the NPC's doing their little routines in cohesive connections.
The overhauled combat swaps the old stance‑swapping clunk for snappier real‑time strikes and dodges, making scraps with clones and adversaries feel fresher. It's not without moments where combat needs smoother manuevering, especially when fighting ranged enemies in a tight spot (but at least more forgiving than the original). The inventory system feels clunky which, despite the added categorization,
Building upon the faithful remake path, Twinsen's Quest gets its save-the-world concept an added depth by adding onto existing and introducing new character roles. Twinsen's personal development has been touched up by introducing him as a civilian type, being compliant (Funfrock's) authority to avoid trouble for him, his girlfriend Zoé and his little sister Luna. Yes, he now has a headstrong little sister, whose abduction by government turns to a driving force for Twinsen's opposition to being a pushover and follow a guardian role that was passed down the family tree (the mention of the ancestor Hégésippe is a neat touch, having appeared in an old fan prequel project). Zoé's ideology is highlighted in the remake as well and takes a different role in the plot's development, too. Such alteration rears some divided opinions among the older fans but I find there's more depth in the character cast found in the remake, under director Fred Raynal's supervision. (I find the vocal DEI accusations hyperbole)
Overall, this remake captures the heart of Little Big Adventure while modernizing enough to lure newcomers. Story remains intact, yet subtle role tweaks freshen familiar moments. The minor flaws in combat remain and the UI could be re-optimized better, yet the remake holds the same quirky charm true to the old games. And what better treat than hearing Philippe Vachey’s old whimsical score breathing new life again.