Game review - Against All Odds
[UNHCR]
Developer: UNHCR
Publisher: UNHCR
Genre: Educational
Original release date: May 10, 2005 (Swedish), November 7, 2007 (English)
Platform(s): Adobe Flash
Back in 2005, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) created a Swedish-language Flash game titled Against All Odds (Swedish: Mot Alla Odds), which was followed by an English version two years later. The purpose of Against All Odds is to educate about the life of refugees and their struggles, and it succeeds greatly in that field, even if the gameplay elements are rather compromised.
In Against All Odds, you play as a refugee who must make the right decisions to escape his deteriorating country, and seek asylum in another. of your choice The game is divided into three chapters, each with four different stages. Chapter 1 (War and Conflict) involves you having to escape your native country to avoid prosecution, Chapter 2 (Border Country) depicts the struggles of newcomer refugees upon arriving at their destination, and Chapter 3 (A New Life) looks into you fitting into your new society.
The game's depiction of refugee situations is defiantly it's strongest highlight. All twelve levels authentically display all the struggle that a typical refugee must go through. This can range from the many threats of trying to escape a corrupt country, to the challenges of understand the new world you inhabit.
Throughout the game, facts about refugee testimonies and asylum history are displayed to provide context to the player. The facts are easy to understand, yet they are also fascinating and enhances your perspective on the life of a refugee.
[UNHCR]
The presentation of Against All Odds also enhances the feel of being a refugee. Animations may be minimal, but the visual style is rather engaging, giving the feel of a graphic novel, and providing a clear visual idea of asylum situations. The nice use of shades also help convey the dark themes presented.
In terms of the audio, use of music is very minimal to avoid distraction, though the sound effects are appropriately enhance the experience. My only complaint with the audio is that while foreign-speakers are voiced (not sure if the language is real or gibberish), the English speakers are not, thus requiring you to read what they say.
While the presentation of refugee life is well-presented in this game, the gameplay itself isn't nearly as remarkable. It generally plays as a standard point-and-click game where most actions are determined by the choices you make. Most of the stages revolve around trial and error solving with a few exceptions that present no wrong turn. Some require quick reactions and tough decisions which can create a sense of dread.
After completing the game in under a hour, the knowledge on all the correct actions will result in much-shorter subsequent replays (I completed my second run in about 20 minutes). Despite that, the game does contain replay value where the player can experiment with different choices to understand all the possible outcomes.
Against All Odds may not have a big focus on it's gameplay, but what it greatly exceeds in is it's intention. It aims to educate and provide an experience of living life as a refugee. The game shines mostly in it's authentic display of asylum depiction and it's themes, visual style, and different choice outcomes. And for a short game you can play for free online, it's well worth trying out, and should be admired to it's ambition to present refugee life in an interactive medium.
You can play Against All Odds online for free here. Adobe Flash Player is required.
