"Scaler - Disappointing Gex Ripoff?"

Gameplay –

The biggest drawback here is that this game is more linear than a yardstick. You move from land to land, and once you've collected all the Crystal Gems and Eggs you have no reason to return to that land. That in itself is a huge shame if you think of all the detail put into the different areas. More about that will be discussed in the “Graphics” section.

Additionally, this game could've gone much farther with the transformation abilities. Some of the creatures you can become are amazing, but you don't use them nearly enough and can only use them on certain levels. For example, the swimming Swoom and the flying Doozum are only seen on one level each, and the Krock, while being depicted as a creature with arms and legs in pictures only appears in the games as a ball... almost a waste of effort on the part of the game creators and definitely a disappointment for the player (I loved controlling the Doozum).

Aside from that, this game does have good gameplay... at least on the first go-round. The controls are simple to learn, the character is easy to handle, and the camera is smooth and rarely, if ever, becomes problematic. Only the Doozum and Swoom can be difficult to master, but anyone who's played a racing game that requires the A button to accelerate will be able to easily control these two.

The baddies can get annoying, but the uniqueness of them is one of the other pluses to this game. Some can be killed with conventional means, but others require special methods, and some can't be killed at all (such as the Trapper) and must be snuck past using the Camouflage technique. Some creatures are just there for looks as well, such as the giant flying viper-creature that soars the skies of Koradus... they're cool, intimidating, but don't serve any real purpose other than eye candy.

Score: 3/10

Graphics –

In my opinion, one of the most important parts of a game. The CG style is beautiful, with the exception of Leon, who looks too pixilated for my taste. It's not top-of-the-line graphic design, but it's still decent. The characters, as well as the levels, are all beautifully rendered with lots of color, which is always a plus. Colorful and bright worlds like Chimerum are balanced out by dark worlds like Komoldo.

That is the best part of this game: the levels. When you enter a level, look around you using the first-person view. Unfortunately you don't get to explore half of these beautiful lands, but they're still remarkably stunning and unique. Not only that, but the area around you isn't static like in a lot of games. You'll see the water moving, the rain falling, and in some levels giant and dangerous-looking creatures will pass by. In Medoozum and Voidrem, you'll get a chance to interact with these massive beasts, but in other worlds you can just watch them pass by. Nevertheless, it's quite the experience and the levels give the actual appearance of you being within a vast world rather than the small, confined levels you'll find in other games like this.

To add some fun to the game, you have Scaler himself. Do nothing for a while, and he'll start doing things such as tapping himself on the shoulder with his tail or looking around him and talking. Best of all is the special “egg animations”, where he will do something with the egg when he finds it. Examples include Scaler dancing around the egg, playing cowboy and “shooting” the egg, or riding it like a bull in a rodeo (accompanied by mooing sounds). Between this and his wisecracks, it makes you wonder if Scaler is the reincarnation of Gex the Gecko (whatever happened to that guy, anyway?).

The only downside I can see to this concerns the variation in the levels. Some of them are so drastically different that it makes you wonder if they're still on the same world. Adding more to the overworld to explain this would've helped.

Score: 9/10

Sound –

The music really isn't half bad. The background music fits the levels well, giving an air of mystery and danger to the world. Adding to this are the sounds around you. You'll hear birds (or the world's equivalent to birds), the cries of strange creatures, and the natural sounds of things around you (such as water). This only adds to what I mentioned before of giving you the impression that you're in a vast, alien world.

The voice-acting, while appropriate to the characters, does leave something to be desired when it comes to the script. Some lines are completely stupid (“You talk?” “Only to ugly blue creatures”), while some of Scaler's wisecracks will have you groaning for hours (“I really have to stop eating that chili before I hit the sack”).

Score: 5/10

Story –

This is the most important part of the game, in my opinion. And for this game, I can't express enough the fact that this would've been a much better game if they would've paid more attention to the storyline! When you start a new game, you instantly feel as though you've just walked into the theater halfway through the movie. You learn nothing of Scaler's background with Looger and his henchmen (well, you learn that Scaler is a lizard ‘freedom fighter' and has had several run-ins with them).

Some parts of the storyline, however, are great... such as Leon's explanation of the ‘Multiverse', and the scenes before the big boss fights. However, it doesn't do enough to save the story. The designers give you this beautiful world... and the storyline doesn't mention it at all.

Score: 2/10

Overall, the storyline and the linear gameplay really hurt this game. Had they given this game a bit more depth, played the transformation angle a little better, and given a deeper storyline, this game would've definitely been a must-have. I suggest you at least rent this game, if for no other reason than to see the beautiful worlds. This game goes far too quickly, though. Hopefully someday there will be a remake of this game and they'll fix the problems with gameplay and storyline...

TOTAL SCORE: 19/40

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 03/13/06