An underrated adventure that expands the mind while pleasing the eye.
If AYIM is a one-trick pony then so is Portal. To criticize AYIM for relying to heavily on it's basic mechanic is to miss the point. As another reviewer put it, this game shows how far one simple idea can be taken and expanded on. And it's done beautifully.
AYIM is a breath of fresh platformer air for PC. The resolution options and seamless support for my Logitech Cordless Rumblepad are appreciated gestures that many game devs who are working on games of this size and scope could learn from.
The game is comparatively short, but with ghosting time trials and achievements to earn, the replay value is there. Not to mention that the game also doesn't waste your time and always keeps the experience interesting. The levels with fire and psychedelic obstacles are particularly memorable.
Some complain that the game has no story, but I wonder if the game would really have benefited from one? Part of what kept me fascinated by the unique and vivid world that AYIM drops you into is the mystery that comes with no explanation. I'll admit that maybe it would have been more compelling to gradually work towards an explanation of some sort, but I've suffered through enough poorly done, stereotypical video game storylines to appreciate it when restraint is showed, rather than a half-baked plot delivered.
The bottom line is that you have not played a game exactly like AYIM or seen a world like AYIM yet and for that alone, respect should be given. In a market flooded with retreads and the same old tired ideas, AYIM offers a new experience.