Tak and the Power of Juju

"Patience will be rewarded if you just stick it out"

Forget all you have heard about this game being easy and just for kids. It isn't very hard, but some thinking may be required. There are only two things I can see that mar this game, one is that there is no consequence for dieing, you just respawn at the same spot, and the other is that you really need to play for a fairly long time before the fun kicks in, about 5 hours minimum. The game's main idea of using animals to solve puzzles is not maximized to it's fullest potential, but for me, that is a plus, because it really is just a standard platformer, but rather well done.

GRAPHICS: 7/10 The graphics are very good, animations are smooth, and I haven't seen any of the usual problems, but, it is not remotely ground breaking in it's presentation. I'm sure that the Cube is capable of better, but as it is, it is a pleasant experience, with some nice, but hardly earth shattering effects.

MUSIC/SOUND: 8/10 I love the music, even though there is not a lot of variety, and the sound effects are likewise excellent. It is just a shade less than the music and sound for Crash Bandicoot, which I think is some of the best work in gaming.

CAMERA/CONTROL: 9/10 While nothing is perfect, I was tempted to give this a 10, especially after having been exposed to the awful ''Wallace and Gromit''. The controls are easy, responsive, and intuitive, and the camera is not a problem most, if not all, of the time.

GAMEPLAY: 7/10 The game starts out as a mere collectathon, and I was sorely bored by the whole thing. You must start out by collecting 9 flowers, which is easier said then done, as they fight back. You will continuously die getting each one. After that you can start collecting Yorbels, you need to get 100 of them. You also must find Tikis, and spells, a lot of them. Just when you are about to give up on this game, it starts to kick in. The first tiki you can get, I think, lets you go to the mummy area, where you must find a way to get 4 mummies to where they have to go, which makes you think a little, and is fum to do. After that you need to get three balloons, not easy to do. The game is not solely linear, as you can warp back to other areas you've been to and try to find more Yorbels, or tikis, etc. It's certainly never hard enough to stop you from progressing, always fun, and just enough of a challenge.

VALUE: 7/10 Having only played for 9 hours, and not knowing how many objectives there are in the game, I can only surmise how long this might be. From what I previously have read about this game, there are 10 worlds in it, of which I have only seen 4-6, and have access to two others. There are a total of 12 plants and 200 Yorbels to get everything and unlock all unlockables in the game. After 9 hours I have the nine plants I needed only, and 32 Yorbels. The game might be as long as a Banjo, or Donkey Kong, or Mario, or Zelda. At any rate, it would appear to be at least 20-30 hours minimum.

FINAL COMMENTS: I was leery of this game as being too kidified and easy and short, and I was happily wrong about that. It may not be Jak 2, or Ratchet and Clank Going Commando, but it needs to be given some recognition as one of the seasons better platformers. If you have any doubts about getting this game, then it may not be for you, because I suggest buying it, not renting it, due to its length.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 10/27/03