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Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy
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Graphics & Sound:
Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy became an early favorite among some of the staff here. Although I would love to say it was the tricky level designs and Zelda-like gameplay that drew us in, it was actually the sadistic fun of seeing how much pain we could inflict on the Mummy -- but more on that later. Visually, Sphinx ranks with some of the PS2's heavy hitters. Before playing the game, I took a few minutes to watch the 'Making of...' feature that's included with it. To be honest, when they got to the part about the art direction and how the game would sport 'feature quality animation', I had a few chuckles. That turned out to be a big mistake on my part, since the feature wasn't all that off. Character models, even for the minor characters standing around the background, look fantastic. I really liked the Egyptian style of everything in the game since it offered something a little different than the fantasy worlds other games present. Some of the best animations in Sphinx come from the Mummy -- or more directly, what you can do to him. For example, if you electrify him, he flinches and jerks all over the place or if you catch him on fire, he dances around with hot foot. These animations provide most of the levity of the game. On the other hand, Sphinx is nobler in his animations and exudes a strong, confident power in his actions. To top it all off, Sphinx delivers gorgeous worlds, complete with all the fun little graphical effects like lighting and reflections. Sphinx is a game that will make you glad you shelled out the cash for a surround sound system. The game's soundtrack is remarkable and combines traditional fantasy scores with a little Middle Eastern flair. The game's sound effects are just as good and feature some nice, subtle varieties in actions. The only low point in the audio department is the lack of voices. This came as a real downer -- especially after witnessing the sights and sounds leading up to the first story sequence. The facial animations of each character do a very good job of conveying the mood and tone of the characters, but it just feels like something is missing.
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Gameplay:
In Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy, players are treated to a more traditional adventure game which combines many aspects of platformers with those found in Zelda. The game, which takes place in ancient Egypt, chronicles the story of Sphinx, a young demi-god on a quest to rid the world of evil. His quest eventually brings him into contact with Tutankhamen, a young prince who is turned into a Mummy by his traitorous brother. Except for a scene at the beginning, the interaction between the two is minimal. Most of the interaction between the two is mediated by Bas-Ket, an enchanted basket that transports items between the two. Each character's quest plays out in a different manner. Sphinx's quest plays out in a more action oriented, Zelda-like fashion, where players are thrown into a world in which they are free to explore. A few platforming elements are also thrown in. As the young demi-god, players will learn numerous tricks and moves to help them conquer the game's many traps and monsters. You begin the game with virtually no powers, except the ability to pick up rocks, which keeps Sphinx from exploring certain areas of the world. Sword combos are incredibly easy to pull off, as are many of the moves Sphinx will learn over the course of the game. Sphinx is also armed with a blowpipe that can be loaded with several different dart types, such as fire, acid and bouncing. Not only will the pipe prove to be an invaluable combat resource, but it also plays a major part in many of the game's head-scratching puzzles. And believe me, some of the puzzles in the game are extremely clever, and will take a while to figure out. Whereas Sphinx's quest is rather typical for an adventure game, that of the Mummy is incredibly unique. Mummy's sections are more puzzle oriented and eventually take on some aspects of stealth gameplay. This section of the game was easily one of my favorites, as with some of our other editors. Since the Mummy is already dead, he is able to take all kinds of punishment. The way this plays into the entire scenario is very interesting and one of the more creative modes of gameplay I've seen in a game, especially in terms of problem solving. The puzzles in this section ranged from having to light yourself on fire in order to light a torch, to literally flattening yourself so you can fit through the thin spaces between bars. |
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Difficulty:
Since Sphinx starts off with very few powers, Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy is rather slow going and difficult in the early stages of the game. It's not until you gain the Sword of Osirus that things pick up -- but after that, watch out, because the game becomes a challenge. It isn't overly frustrating and offers a decent challenge, but it does have a few moments where you'll begin to curse the developers. Most of the time when this occurred, it was due to misleading clues within the game. You're rarely told where you need to go, which helps the exploration aspects of the game. However, there are times where Sphinx hints that you need to go to one area when you don't. For example, I was told about a temple, at which time the camera panned back and showed me the temple. To me, this suggested that this should be the first place I check out -- but it turned out that I had to go and find some obscure cave in the mountains. Thankfully, this doesn't happen to often and you eventually begin to trust your exploration instincts more than the game.
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Game Mechanics:
The control scheme is very easy to use and responsive. Most of the movements are inspired by other games of the genre. Both Sphinx and Mummy can run, jump, grab onto ledges and drag objects. In addition, each character also has their own set of unique moves. Aside from brandishing a sword, Sphinx will eventually be able to pull off slam attacks, somersault and go down (and up) zip lines. As Mummy, players have the ability to sneak over narrow ledges and will eventually be able to turn invisible. Each character's moves are displayed in the upper-right hand corner over a layout of the face buttons on the controller. Because of this, there is never a time when you'll scratch your head wondering what to do next. Anyone who played Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets or any Zelda game should feel right at home with this system. The game's combat system does present a few problems, mostly relating to the lack of any kind of lock-on system. This isn't usually a problem when facing smaller enemies since you can take them out in a few hits. However, when facing numbers of medium-range enemies or some larger ones, trying to constantly adjust the camera to give you a good view of your target gets to be a hassle. I was also a little disappointed with the inability to strafe or move when using the shield. There are a few puzzle areas where I can see why this wasn't allowed, but it doesn't seem right to hinder the combat system to make a few puzzles more difficulty to navigate. A lock-on system would have also helped when using the blowpipe since the controls tend to loosen up when trying to aim in first-person mode. Finally, Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy contends with some load time issues. They're a little too long and happen way too often. When entering nearly every section of the game, you have to sit though a load time of about 5 seconds or so. This not only includes going into new rooms in a level, but also when entering shops or caves. When entering some shops, the wait is even longer. This doesn't kill the action in the game, but it certainly puts a damper on things. Aside from a few minor control and gameplay problems, the good in Sphinx more than makes up for the bad. Great action along with a very innovative puzzle mechanic make this a must play title for any action fans. |
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-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker |
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