Wolf Child

"Nothing spectacular"

Intro
This was one of the first SNES games I ever got. I got it the day after I got my SNES, seeing it in a magazine and hoping it would actually turn out to be pretty good. At first, the game seemed pretty good. Then, I got further into the game and found it to be a lot of the same thing over and over. Outside of the game music, there really isn't much of anything in this game to hold your interest beyond the first couple of levels or so.

Can I Grow to be a Wolf Man?
In Wolfchild, you play Saul. His father is a brilliant scientist who has unlocked much of the secrets to DNA and gene splicing. In fact, he's created a means of changing humans into werecreatures of many sorts. An evil terrorist named Draxx discovers this and takes Saul's father as prisoner, then begins producing an army of deadly demi-humans. In response, Saul finds a device his father created that changes Saul into a werewolf. With his newly gained power, Saul seeks to battle Draxx.

Gameplay
This is a basic side scroller. You jump and run through level after level. As you kill enemies and destroy obstacles, you gain orbs. After you gain a certain orb, you become a werewolf that shoots projectile blasts. You can also pick up projectile upgrades to make your blasts even stronger. Since this game really lack originality and innovation, the gameplay value was really low. I really felt that they could've at least added a bit of something that other games didn't have. Simply turning into a werewolf isn't fully going to do it for me. On the plus side of the gameplay spectrum, they did have nicely put together levels. These didn't seem all rushed or roughly thrown together like Musya. These were actually well planned with loads of secrets and different pathway to go. It makes the game just a bit more fulfilling having well designed levels. That's one thing that saved this from a bad review and kept it in the realms of mediocrity.

Graphics
The graphics actually aren't too bad. The colors have a great tone to them, certainly fitting the game's somewhat dark theme. They have a nice, bold appearance to them with some well used colors. I think they could've done a bit better with some enemy designs, though. This is not including bosses. I thought most of the bosses were well designed, but some enemies just seem so basic. The hero's wolf design was cool. Too bad his human design didn't get justice like that. He sort of looks like a putz, in my opinion. I'm pretty much on the side of S-Dub Mac when he said that he just can't play a game with a character that looks like a putz.

Sounds
Sounds were the strongest point of the game; The music, more specifically. The music held that one powerful factor that all game music should hold. Did it fit with the atmosphere or given situation? Yes! We didn't have a Koudelka on our hands here (where the battle music is much too calm). When playing in the jungle, you'll hear music that might sound fitting of a jungle. The same goes for the temple and even the final few stages. The boss music was probably the best in the game. Well composed and put together and holds the essence of despair that boss music so strongly needs. Sound effects? Good for the most part. There are some sound effects such as that horrid squawking noise the enemies make when you attack them. I don't know why, but for me death sounds are a bit critical. I actually wound up hating the Genesis version of Golden Axe 2 because of the noises the enemies made (and he repetitive gameplay). I simply couldn't stand that monotone ''Bleh...'' for much more.

Final Word- So Much Potential
So much potential, so much wasted. The music shined, the graphics did their part. Good level designs The gameplay just didn't have anything unique to it to really hold me. The werewolf thing is cool, sure, but it's not enough. I didn't expect major innovations, but I would have liked something different for a change. The game ultimately gets too boring after a while. Boring and even repetitive. Both are a bad combination to have in any game. I'm not going to outright downtalk Virgin and Core for this game, or even their efforts. The game had potential, but somewhere, something went wrong. I can't fully place my finger on it, but it just seems that all the elements of gameplay in this just don't hold my interest long enough to really play the game through. Let's not forget the bosses. Once you actually find their pattern, beating them can be almost effortless. Well, nice try, really. You came close to having an above average game, but failed in the process to hold my attention long enough to call this one fully enjoyable.

FINAL JUDGMENT
Graphics: They're not too bad 8/10
Sounds: I thought this was where the game shined. Nice sound effects and good music 9/10
Control: Easy enough to get the hang of 8/10
Plot/Storyline: Yet another rescue that special someone plot. Sigh... The werewolf thing has been done before a few times, too. 4/10
Gameplay: Yaaawwwwn. With every level a steady stream of the same thing, this game wears out quick.. 4/10
All Together: 5/10

Perks
*Good graphics
*Great sounds
*Boss designs

Downers
*Lose interest fast
*Gets repetitive
*Nothing new or different

Hey, at least it's better than Musya!

Recommendations
It's decent enough for a trial run. Honestly, this game isn't really anything new and probably not something to rant and rave over. It isn't, in my opinion, anyway.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 12/29/00, Updated 11/10/01