"Ubi Soft + Playmobil = One great game!"

Hype is a game that I will always remember. It was one of the first games that I ever played on the PC, and I really enjoyed it.

Gameplay & Control - 40/40
Let me start off by saying these are probably some of the most convenient controls that I've seen. You can move, jump, shoot with your crossbow, zero in on a target for better aim with your crossbow, and slash your sword. It's all really easy, and because you can zero in when shooting your crossbow (or even if you just want to get better detail of an area), it makes things a lot easier. The gameplay is great. The story is that you got sent back 200 years in the past by a Black Knight that took over your kingdom. Your quest is to get back to the future by collecting four jewels that will each progress you 50 years in time. In the game you can talk to people, enter several houses and shops, discover a lot of secret passageways, visit several different areas, solve challenging puzzles, carry several different items, and you even get to ride a dragon! It's very fun, and there is a giant world among four eras that is just waiting to be explored!

Graphics - 30/30
To start off, I'm going to tell now that the game is 3-D. Every graphic in this game is a Playmobil graphic. The characters, the animals, the buildings, even the plants are all Playmobil graphics! They all look like what you'd find in a Playmobil set. There is nothing, however, wrong with this at all, in my opinion. The cute characters with their bright smiles add to the cheerfulness of the game. Basically, as far as graphics come in this game, you're in a beautiful Playmobil world!

Music & Sound - 20/20
The music in this game is so amazing, you'll want to stay in a certain area just for the sake of hearing the music play! It's that good. The sound is very real, too. When you slash your sword, shoot your crossbow, get hit by enemies, or even fall from a very high place (in which case Hype makes the ''ugh'' sound), the sound that you'd probably hear in real life is the sound that's on this game. Also, what's really good, is that when you talk to people, not only does the text of what they are saying appear on screen, you also hear what they are saying (through your speakers), in a very clear voice. The sound and music in this game is very good.

Replayability & Extras - 10/10
This game does have some replay value, as it's always fun to play it again and see what secrets you're going to find the next time you play. As for the extras, there are a lot of them. First of all, there are 12 magic spells, most of them unnecessary for winning the game, but they do help. They are fun to try and find, and fun to use against enemies. Second of all, there are four beehive quests in different places. Beehive quests involve finding and destroying all 10 beehives in a certain area, and if you do you get a prize that will help you carry more items in your inventory. Third of all, there are four running boot quests in this game. They involve paying Plastyks (the currency in the game) to run a race with special running boots. If you win, you get a special prize! So as you can see, this game has a lot of extras to keep you entertained.

Overall - 100/100: 10/10
Wow! I gave this game a perfect score, because in my opinion, it's the perfect game.

Buy, Rent, or Not Even Try? - Buy!
You should buy this game. It's a fun thing to have and play. It's really a very good game.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 02/18/03, Updated 02/18/03