Joseph Young
Screenwriter
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2001
- Messages
- 1,352
I got the Cube version of THQ's Sphinx & the Cursed Mummy (formerly titled Sphinx & the Shadow of Set), a puzzle/platformer adventure set in an imaginary world based on an amalgam of Egyptian mythology. I wasn't expecting a whole lot but I am really impressed so far.
You play as Sphinx (human/lion hybrid) and a recently mummified Tutankhamen, in separate adventures that coalesce into a single story. Sphinx's emphasis is on fighting, platforming, and exploration, whereas the Mummy has to breach traps by putting himself through all sorts of physical punishment (electrocution, fire, flattening).
The game starts out very slowly, as Sphinx tries solves a number of puzzles in a relatively small landscape, with few moves and no weapons. As you progress through the game, however, the immensity and scale of the worlds becomes clear. This is a massive game, and an adventure not too dissimilar from Zelda. The puzzles are ingenious, clever, and built into the landscape.
Here are just some.
* Lure exploding creatures from a cave to blow apart rope holding back a boulder that then rolls into a bed of lava, providing you safe passage across).
* Sneak past eyeball-on-chain guards to get through doors.
* Find a way into the mouth of a creature (whom you learn about later in one of the town's museums), then sit inside its mouth adjusting your trajectory.
The graphics and framerate are really butter-smooth (widescreen mode especially). The Cube version supports progressive scan. When I first saw the reflective floors in Tut's Palace, I was blown away. In fact, there is an entire chapter devoted to controlling the pre-mummy Prince Tutankhamen, right up to his mummification.
There is no voice acting. You can tell this game's long development cycle went into designing really polished levels, rather than employing top voice talent... guess what? It shows. A tradeoff I'm more than willing to deal with.
The music is, no joke, really gorgeous. From tender guitar ballads, to strings and melodies that evoke drama and tension, the music is pitch-perfect.
The fighting engine is not particular sophisticated.. there is no lock-on, but you do get a shield and other offensive/defensive maneuvers as you play through the first few levels. Some gamers who want a stronger fighting engine might be disappointed by the game, but the emphasis is really on exploring, solving puzzles, using your head, and vanquishing the ocassional foe.
This is a really impressive effort and (hopefully) a sign of things to come for these developers. A solid game that lacks some of the preferred elements, like 'badass' fighting and dramatic voice acting -- but sure to be a sleeper hit for gamers who like to delve a little under the radar.
Recommended.
~j
You play as Sphinx (human/lion hybrid) and a recently mummified Tutankhamen, in separate adventures that coalesce into a single story. Sphinx's emphasis is on fighting, platforming, and exploration, whereas the Mummy has to breach traps by putting himself through all sorts of physical punishment (electrocution, fire, flattening).
The game starts out very slowly, as Sphinx tries solves a number of puzzles in a relatively small landscape, with few moves and no weapons. As you progress through the game, however, the immensity and scale of the worlds becomes clear. This is a massive game, and an adventure not too dissimilar from Zelda. The puzzles are ingenious, clever, and built into the landscape.
Here are just some.
* Lure exploding creatures from a cave to blow apart rope holding back a boulder that then rolls into a bed of lava, providing you safe passage across).
* Sneak past eyeball-on-chain guards to get through doors.
* Find a way into the mouth of a creature (whom you learn about later in one of the town's museums), then sit inside its mouth adjusting your trajectory.
The graphics and framerate are really butter-smooth (widescreen mode especially). The Cube version supports progressive scan. When I first saw the reflective floors in Tut's Palace, I was blown away. In fact, there is an entire chapter devoted to controlling the pre-mummy Prince Tutankhamen, right up to his mummification.
There is no voice acting. You can tell this game's long development cycle went into designing really polished levels, rather than employing top voice talent... guess what? It shows. A tradeoff I'm more than willing to deal with.
The music is, no joke, really gorgeous. From tender guitar ballads, to strings and melodies that evoke drama and tension, the music is pitch-perfect.
The fighting engine is not particular sophisticated.. there is no lock-on, but you do get a shield and other offensive/defensive maneuvers as you play through the first few levels. Some gamers who want a stronger fighting engine might be disappointed by the game, but the emphasis is really on exploring, solving puzzles, using your head, and vanquishing the ocassional foe.
This is a really impressive effort and (hopefully) a sign of things to come for these developers. A solid game that lacks some of the preferred elements, like 'badass' fighting and dramatic voice acting -- but sure to be a sleeper hit for gamers who like to delve a little under the radar.
Recommended.
~j
I find them so different in that I have a hard time even drawing a comparison. The only similarity that I find is the third person view camera.
