4/18/2004 10:54:30 AM
Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy Xbox ReviewBy Zach Rosenberg
I'd wager to say that "Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy" is, in many ways, better than its primary competition, "Prince of Persia: Sands of Time." Released at the same time, they both offered platform action with twists. Ubisoft's "Prince of Persia" gave you the ability to control aspects of time, and Eurocom and THQ's "Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy" gave you multiple avenues of puzzles. Though "Prince of Persia" gave you a unique ability, the problem was that the player often went for long stretches of time limited to simple hack-and-slash that became repetitive. This is the triumph of "Sphinx"--as you play, the gameplay varies itself so that you're not simply hacking away at constant waves of enemies, waiting to rewind time. The gameplay elements of "Sphinx" do get slightly tiresome at times, but in comparison to its peer titles, "Sphinx" definitely shines more brightly.
The game centers around, you guessed it, Sphinx and the Mummy. Sphinx, a half lion, half human demigod, is trying to rid the land of evil; the Mummy, a boy pharaoh, is on a quest to break the curse that turned him into a mummy. The two main characters cross paths in interesting ways (even in the way they meet), and though the dual-character element sometimes serves to confuse and detach people, in this case, I feel that it helps to keep the game fresh and interesting (especially in the face of the same old "vanquish evil" plotline). Where most such games fail is they'll give you two characters to use, but the characters will be, aside from one weapon, basically the same. But the triumph of "Sphinx" is that the lead characters play in such different ways, but still create a nice dynamic that keeps the game fresh. Plus there's the dynamic of the Mummy character--as a Mummy, he can't be hurt, so you can find interesting ways to pass quests: light him on fire, cut him in half, electrocute him...it's all fair game for puzzle solving. Character upgrading comes into play in the game as well. Like you'd find in a "Zelda" game, you can upgrade your tools and skills (things like double-jumping and invisibility), and gain access to areas that you previously couldn't. The controls are the standard this-n-that mix, and change a little over time as you gain new abilities. Meanwhile, the independent camera (right stick) allows you to perform your moves and tricks with an excellent precision. And thank god, there's a jump button (sorry "Zelda," we just NEED one).
As for the quests, they're a mixed bag. Naturally, the game starts you off with some easy quests to get you moving. As you progress, however, the quests get tougher and the puzzles get a bit tricky. There's never anything too daunting, though you'll no doubt have moments of frustration. Also, at times the puzzles and fetch-quests get a little too platform-cliché, but again, nothing that will turn you off to the point of putting the game down. Whenever I became frustrated with Sphinx's puzzles, Eurocom juggled in a quest for the Mummy, as if they knew when you'd need a break. Kudos to Eurocom for developing a game that, even in its moments of cliché, drive the player with a simple sense of momentum.
The graphics are excellent and fitting for this title. The character models look great, but what was impressive were the huge Egyptian-flavored environments that you'll be running through. Eurocom did a splendid job of bringing a fantasy-infused Egypt to life, and at no point will you stop and think, "Hmmm, that doesn't belong here." The animations are all fluid, and even the physics of things seem to be intact. Even the Mummy's "mutilation" moves look great, which I thought would be hard to pull off on the fly.
The sound is a tale of the good, the bad, and the okay. The game runs in Dolby Digital sound, which you'll appreciate if you've got the receiver to hear the nuances. The cartoony effects work very well with the game's presentation, and again, you won't think anything's really out of place. One of the problems, however, is that there's no voice acting. In a game so begging for vocal talent that would make the characters come alive, "Sphinx" leaves you wondering why Eurocom didn't at least pull in a few game testers to rattle off the game dialogue. And the background music...well, sometimes you'll be engrossed and it'll pull you further into the game, while other times, you'll forget there's music playing at all. But overall, the game's effects carry the gameplay and shine, despite the oopsies that exist.
"Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy" is indeed the jewel of Eurocom, offering excellent gameplay, spectacular graphics, and a momentum-causing semi-non-linear gameplay mechanic. It's one of the few games to pull off a dual-character plotline while not detaching the player from the game and not blanching both characters. Though elements of this game fall through the cracks, the gameplay more than makes up for the shortcomings. If you were a fan of Nintendo's "Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker," or always wanted to get into a nice platform game like it, this might be the title for you. And if you find yourself frustrated early on, stick with the game; though it starts off slow, "Sphinx" really proves its worth as you get deeper in. Given the choice between this game and "Prince of Persia: Sands of Time," which received a lot of attention in the media, I'd choose "Sphinx" for its character and gameplay. Though not as epic, "Sphinx" once again proves to me that there are companies that can take the old models of gaming and add small elements to rejuvenate them. Kudos to Eurocom.
Ratings (1-10):
Graphics: 8. Rich and continuous, everything is done well and feels right.
Sound: 7. Great effects --lacking voice acting, but better gone than done wrong.
Gameplay: 8. Constantly keeping the game fresh, offering two different and interesting characters.
Story: 6. It's the typical "defeat evil" plotline...couldn't we come up with better?
Replayability: 7. As a fun semi-non-linear platform, it may be one of those games you pick up later and enjoy just as much the second time.
Overall: 8 (not an average). Eurocom's jewel was widely overshadowed in the media by "Prince of Persia," but this one outshines the competition.
Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy Xbox Review
