Voodoo Vince

"A remarkable platformer, sadly hampered by little replay value"

This reviewer generally isn't fond of 3D platformers these days. So often I find myself struggling with camera issues, lack of depth perception trying to make that difficult jump, or just plain running around endlessly trying to figure out what the heck to do because the level designer got a little too happy (or not happy enough). Voodoo Vince is the game that really proved to me that the platform game isn't a lost art on modern consoles.

CONCEPT
You're a freakin' voodoo doll. That should say it all. You've been given life, and have to rescue your stereotypical Cajun voodoo priestess master from a mad scientist bent on conquering the world with ... freaky voodoo power stuff. Decent voice acting, colourful character design, and a script which is corny in an utterly charming and humourous way really set the stage in this twisted New Orleans-gone-LSD setting.

GAMEPLAY
This is where Vince really shines. The control is absolutely the best I've ever seen on any 3D platformer on any console. There's a camera control on the right stick, but you'll rarely have to use it -- and when you do, it feels right, and the whole scheme quickly becomes second-nature. The left stick movement actually goes where you want it to; partly due to the excellent camera, and partly due to the near-perfect walk sensitivity. Actions include the now-standard ''mid-air-double-jump'', the usual mid-air hovering, a ''clear-out'' spin button, and an attack button. General fare for a platformer, but the way they all work together is absolute magic.

The level design is brilliant, a good mix of jumping challenges and small puzzles. The bosses are clever, and although you can generally work out what you need to do it's not always apparent how to go about it. The levels are challenging on the first try, but not outright frustrating. There are several different sub-games that beat the heck out of most ''mine cart'' levels, ranging from jet planes to boats to a fast-paced ride on the biggest clothesline you'll ever see. The control is equally as smooth and intuitive in these levels as in regular gameplay.

The ''voodoo'' concept of hurting yourself in various ways to damage enemies (you are a voodoo doll, after all) is clever. You have a meter that's filled by balls of energy you collect from fallen enemies; when it's full, pull both triggers to activate your voodoo power, killing all enemies within range. But the enemies almost seem like a rare aside (and the ones that are there are generally easily avoided with little encouragement to face them), and the voodoo powers just don't seem significant enough given the few enemies in the game and the ease of refilling voodoo.

Also, once you defeat the game (common estimates seem to be around ten hours), that's pretty much it. You get a fitting ending, but no other rewards. You can go back and collect all of the items for a 100%, but there's no reward other than the minor challenge it serves. There are no selectable difficulty levels, and subsequent plays give little challenge once the game has been completed, mostly due to the lack of challenging enemies. You're basically playing against the levels, and once you figure it out once, you're mostly playing afterward just for the enjoyment of the story and characters.

VISUALS
The visuals are some of the most varied and original you'll ever seen on Xbox. Great texture work abounds, especially the fabrics that make up our pal Vince. Everything in this otherworldly New Orleans seems to have a slightly irregular skew to it, giving rise to both the atmosphere and the obstacles in it. The animation rivals some of the best animation houses, and really shows this title off as a true labour of love. All of this is given to us at what seems to be a rock-solid 30 FPS, which is more than enough for this title. 16:9 support would have really been nice, but the game still visually stands out among the best.

AUDIO
I stand by my affirmation that this is some of the best 5.1 sound design I've ever heard in a game. The sounds are clear and varied, and panning and surround effects are just right, giving plenty of life to the audio without being too overwhelming. Vince spouts out witty sayings during gameplay that don't get repetitive or trite, and always seem to get a chuckle or two.

OVERALL
Beep Industries have given us an outstanding first effort that gives the player quite a ride, but unfortunately leaves us wanting much more. To be honest, a score of 8 seems all at once too high and too low. This is an extremely well designed game that thrills and excites the first time around, then threatens to collect dust on one's shelf. It's not that the game is too short or too easy -- it's neither -- but the experience is so unique that the lack of flexibility spoils all subsequent efforts to enjoy it more than once. I sincerely hope its high points are highlighted enough in the industry to give us another fine effort from Beep, hopefully with a bit more value included this time around.

SCORE: 8

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/07/03