Lupin the 3rd: Treasure of the Sorcerer King

"Lupin game fumbles, but entertains all the same."

For those not experienced in such matters, Lupin the III is a 70's anime series about the greatest thief in the world, Lupin the III. In the company of his friends, Daisuke Jigen and Goemon Ishikawa, and his sometimes squeeze Fujiko Mine, Lupin travels the world stealing treasures and riches, all the while being pursued by his nemesis, the affable, yet straight laced Inspector Zenigata of Interpol. The series of which this particular game was based upon dealt mostly in comedy, but it did have it's moments of action and drama mixed in as well.

Lupin the 3rd: Treasure of the Sorcerer King is the tale of Lupin looking to steal a pair of vases. In doing so, he infiltrates a train in which the vases are being transported on. After a treacherous journey through the train, he finally reaches his target, only to be foiled by Zenigata and the snaky Theodore, the owner of the vases. Unfazed, Lupin escapes and meets up with his gang back at his hideout. After some quick planning, he heads out to the castle where the vases are being held. Using several disguises he is able to determine the whereabouts of the vases. However, before Lupin can obtain the vases he is once again confronted by Zenigata and Theodore. Before escaping, Lupin uses the opportunity to announce his intentions. He will steal both vases by midnight, and there is nothing that Zenigata or Theodore will be able to do to stop him!

For fans of the series, Lupin the 3rd: Treasure of the Sorcerer King is a treat, both visually and audibly. The character designs in the game all match those of the anime series perfectly, Lupin's too large hands and all. The voice acting is all top notch as well. All the original voice actors from the Geneon cast reprise their roles in the game, most important of all being Tony Oliver and his perfect representation of Lupin. Much of the music in the game is lifted from the series as well, most notably being the series opening theme, used to great effect.

However, the graphics and sound are not without their problems. The background music throughout the slower moments in the game drags on and serves to add very little atmosphere to the game. Likewise, in many situations the level design is simple and bland. The level map layout on the other hand on occasions being needlessly complicated. In one of the levels in the middle of the game the generic look to the each of the various rooms and halls added together with the perplexing layout makes it difficult to find your way around. If you somehow get sidetracked from your goal, finding your way back on track becomes a hassle, as it is difficult to remember which rooms you have completed, and which rooms still need to be gone over.

Fighting in the game is far to haphazard as well. Lupin will auto aim on whomever he is fighting against, but this is hardly helpful in the earlier portions of the game when stealth is key. In these instances, you only have a moment to use Lupin's short range knock-out gas gun or his melee frying pan to put policeman and guards to sleep, moments in which they use to run around and shoot you. In later portions of the game, when Lupin is fighting things with the intent to kill with his trusty thirty eight, new problems arise. When Lupin fights in 3rd person view, the camera follows erratically and too often aims in the wrong direction in the middle of a big fight. Also worth noting, while in the third person view, Lupin will stop what he is doing altogether to reload for a moment. His enemies usually take this moment to take a good chunk out of Lupin. Fighting in first person view is a little easier, allowing Lupin to fire his gun quicker and to automatically reload whenever he runs out of bullets. However, Lupin cannot move while in first person view, and becomes a sitting target for enemies to tee off on.

One of the interesting features in Lupin the 3rd is the costumes ability. Lupin can change into any number of costumes, depending on what you have found throughout the course of the game, and use the costumes to sneak past unwitting guards. When suspected, Lupin can ease the minds of the guards by a simple gesture, in most cases a salute (depending on costume). When suitably appeased, the guard will relax, and in most cases take the chance to yawn. Now for just a moment, Lupin can steal something out of the pocket of the guard, if you time it right. Fun to play around with at first, but by the time you're in the second chapter, you will grow tired of it. Guards can see Lupin well across large rooms and long corridors, forcing Lupin to give them a response. If Lupin doesn't respond in time, the guard will then see through Lupin's disguise, and Lupin will have to run for cover or knock the guards unconscious. As in some rooms, there are several guards, and not nearly enough sleeping gas canisters, you'll spend much too much time saluting in fear of being caught.

Graphics ~ 7/10 The character designs matched their anime alternatives nicely. The background and set design was below average however.

Sound ~ 8/10 The background music was inane at times, but the voice cast and the Lupin theme really made the game special.

Gameplay ~ 7/10 Too many problems marked the gameplay, but it could have been worse.

Story ~ 8/10 Nothing spectacular, but the story served it's purpose as a vehicle for some great Lupin dialogue.

Replay Value ~ Not much, sadly. Once you have beaten the game once, you're basically through. All that remains to be done is to pick up whatever items you forgot to pickpocket the first time around.

Overall ~ 7/10 Neither bad nor especially good, the game is recommendable to any fan of Lupin or for someone looking for a Metal Gear Solid clone with some great comedy.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 09/16/05