Scaler

"Scaling new heights in budget games"

Scaler may be slipping by unnoticed by all but a few, but this is the best budget title I have ever encountered. Except for the fact that it is very easy and very short, it is far better than you'd think, better, in fact, than most $50 games.

GRAPHICS: 9/10 This is a budget title? You'd never know it by looking. The game has great visuals, the animations are perfect, and no glitches at all. What more could you want, not much. It may not be as magnificent as some $50 games, but it is as good as most of them, you will be very pleasantly surprised.

MUSIC/SOUND: 9/10 The music is great, but not very memorable. Sound effects are good, but the voice acting is a real surprise. It may not be Shakespeare, but is is far better than a lot of other games costing 2-3 times as much money.

CAMERA/CONTROL: 10/10 You won't believe what you will find here. The camera is so perfect, that maneuvering it manually, throws it off. The other controls are spot on accurate, and easy to remember. How can this possibly be this dang good, maybe we should be asking just the opposite, why are so many other games just so dang bad.

GAME PLAY: 7/10 While it is true that there is nothing new here, and if you have ever played a platform game, then you've played this one; it is also true that this game is such a pleasure and so much fun, it is a platform junkie's dream come true. You can ride vines in this game that are oh so similar to riding the rails in "Ratchet and Clank", but in this game, it is a lot easier, and an unbelievably fun thing to do. Riding the vines builds up static electricity which converts to a bomb used with the R button. While the game only has 10 levels, they are pretty big with multiple paths. The collectibles are pretty slim, 10 eggs per level, and for the most part aren't that well hidden. As you collect money you will be able to upgrade. You will also be changing into other scalers, specific for certain challenges.

VALUE: 6/10 Even at only $20 it is short. You can finish in 5-10 hours, or, if you go for 100%, 10-15 hours at most. If you are like me, though, you will try to make this game last as long as possible. If the game were harder, it would be quite a bit longer, just on that basis alone. It is perfect, however, for someone new to gaming, and will take them much longer without being frustrating in any way.

FINAL COMMENTS: You owe it to yourself to at least rent this game. I am hoping that sales exceed expectations and that there will be a 'Scaler 2", only 4 times longer.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/29/04