Tak and the Power of Juju

"Ready for some hot, tribal action!?"

When I first saw this game advertised on a T.V. commercial, I said to myself, now THAT looks like something original. I was excited to get my hands on it and see what it had to offer. Turns out, Tak and the Power of Juju is a great game to pass the time with and also an overall fun and immersive experience.

STORY 7/10
Yeah, the story is a bit basic, and it's nothing revolutionary, BUT, there is much more to it than thought at first glance. This is not your typical save the world from the darkness of evil, generic platformer. The story revolves around a tribe of people called the Pupanunus. In the past, a wise shaman foretold of a legendary hero who would save the Pupanunu people from great peril. Well, as it turns out, the time is now and the future so far doesn't look so bright. The whole of Tak's village has been turned into sheep by the evil shaman Tlaloc including the legendary hero of the Pupanunu people, Lok. Now Tak must travel around his vast world to retrieve Lok's lost spirit and seal the fate of his people.

GAMEPLAY 7/10
The gameplay here consists of your basic stick and rattle weaponry which Tak uses to subdue his foes. Starting out, you have your basic club to whack enemies with, and soon after, you acquire a more stronger pole vaulting stick, and eventually a powerful spirit rattle. The worlds are very open and not at all linear. If you have ever played Jak and Daxter, the worlds will remind you of that game frequently. The remainder of the gameplay consists of your basic jumping and double-jumping skills along with swimming, pole-vaulting, and flying in your own, personal chicken suit. However, there are many items to collect which can become tedious at times, but, overall is bearable. Along with the collecting aspects, a lack of or variety of enemies brings the gameplay score down to a 7.

GRAPHICS 10/10
Well, what can I say about the graphics? They are to put it simply, MAGNIFICENT! I noticed no slowdown at all even when a lot of action was going on on-screen. The environments were vividly colored and alive. There is nothing bad at all to say about this. The developers did an excellent job!

SOUND 8/10
Nothing to memorable. The tunes never interfered with the game and never really bothered me. I know when I really like the music in a game when I find myself humming it while I'm not even playing it. Not to say the music is bad though. The sound effects during play were actually done very nicely. You could always hear the soft rustle of leaves and the occasional whack with the club as you sent an enemy flying. Overall, nice job.

REPLAY 6/10
Not a game I would want to replay only because of the amount of collecting required which is probably only fun the first time through, if that. But that's not really saying anything, as I hardly ever replay through a game. There are a few extras, but they are nothing to replay the game for as you can get them easily the first time through.

OVERALL 8/10
This game is an enjoyable experience that is fun to play on a rainy day or whenever you feel ''tribal''! I would recommend that you rent it first if you are unsure whether it will offer enough to you to constitute a buy. But, whatever you do, this game is sure to make you laugh and keep you wondering!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/09/04