Tak and the Power of Juju

"Getting down to brass Taks"

What happens when you try to make a platform/adventure game geared towards kids? The same thing that happens with every platform/adventure game geared towards kids. It ends up being too simple and yet surprisingly frustrating at the same time. I don't understand how that can be, but it's a trend I'm getting mighty sick of. Keep reading and you'll see what I mean:

Graphics:
Very well done. It might not be the photo-realistic essence you've come to expect from your games, but you have to appreciate the art that went into Tak. It has a very unique, mellow, cartoon feel. The game is that of a hub world with branching sub-worlds, and each area is vast and pretty. There are some spots, though, where the framerate takes a major hit. You might not like the load times, either, but they're not nearly as bad as THQ's previous Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy. All in all, the graphics are Tak's selling point, hands down.

Sound:
For the most part, the work in this department is commendable. The music consists of lots of drums and blow pipes, which is all very fitting and cool, but not so cool that you can stand listening to it for several hours. The voice acting is terrific and packs a lot of charm. When it comes to the sounds of the world, however, such things like the grunts, yells, and hisses of the enemies become the most annoying things in the game.

Gameplay:
It goes downhill from here. Tak is a kid-oriented platform/adventure game that is too hard for kids and too easy/uninspired for adults. As mentioned above, the different areas you will visit are very large and impressive, but the problem lies in that there's not a lot to them. After playing the game, nothing really sticks in my mind, because everything Tak had to offer was very basic and dumb-downed. In fact, from the get-go, the game just becomes a fetch-quest, a collect-a-thon. First, you have to explore the different areas and find/defeat 12 plants. Then you have to go back to the levels again and find 100 yorbels (spheres). Last, you have to find three moon stones. The moon stones are hidden within temples a la Legend of Zelda, but unlike Link, Tak is thrown into generic puzzles hampered even more so by seemingly impossible tasks and slews of stupid monsters. There are essentially only two kinds of enemies, and both are extremely obnoxious in just about every way you look at them. They rapidly respawn, too, meaning they will be forever tormenting you. The worlds are also filled with nonchalant animals, though, which you can interact with in various ways. I really like this inclusion. It creates the illusion that greater things are at bay, but this idea isn't used a whole lot.

Controls:
Tak is one of the worst controlled current-generation mascots I've ever had the misfortune to play. His double-jump alone pushes the limits of bad mechanics, feeling light and airy and rarely working properly. Speaking of jumping, having two different weapons is a pain, because you jump differently depending on which weapon you have equipped, and sometimes you have to use one over the other. Tak isn't built to do very much, either, which may appeal to the kids, but sets the path for a lot of redundancy. He also moves somewhat sluggishly, which is only augmented when you don the infamous chicken suit.

Frustration:
Did I mention the enemies re-spawn? These guys are relentlessly annoying. If the developers wanted to create an enemy you could easily dislike, I'd say they succeeded all too well. It's worse than the obnoxious baddies that plagued Bomberman Jetters. You will get frustrated. Tak's inability to jump properly is very aggravating, also. If only it could end there. Some of the requirements, like defeating the plants or stealing eggs from chickens, are so hard and so frustrating, the only sensible way past it is to punch in a cheat code that gives you what you're looking for. It just isn't worth sweating it out. I don't get it. This is a kid's game. Why is it so tough?

Lasting Appeal:
There is no game timer, so I can't give an accurate estimate, but Tak can't possibly last any more than ten hours. Unfortunately, you'll be so sick of playing before you get to the end, ten hours feels like too much. You can go back and find all 200 yorbels, but the game already had you find 100 before you could move on, and the other 100 will bring nothing but pain and suffering. Some snowboarding levels are actually kind of cool, but a few times down the hill is enough.

Overall:
I had been looking forward to playing this game for a very long time. I can honestly say I waited for nothing. How this game ever deserved a sequel is beyond me. Tak and the Power of Juju is a great example of what's become of gaming today: graphics/sound over gameplay. It's a pretty package on the outside, but the actual game is too short-sighted and too full of annoying nuances to be anything but a pain in the neck. Nobody really deserves to play this game because it can't fit into any one niche. Like I said before, it's too hard for the young ones and too stupid for older gamers. If you really want a jungle-themed game, do yourself a favor and get the latest Pitfall.

Points:
+ Quality audio/visuals
+ Animals!
+ Huge worlds
-- Awful control
-- Bland and irritating enemies
-- Frustrating puzzles
-- Just a basic collect-a-thon

Score: 5/10

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 05/16/04, Updated 07/06/05