Highly Underrated Platformer with A Lot of Laughs!
I didn't pick this game up until it dropped to $20, mainly because I had heard mixed reviews about it. After playing it, I'm beginning to think that many reviewers are just jaded from the surplus of platformers available on the market. The game is beautiful and easy to learn. Voodoo Vince is a very cute mascot with just enough personality to crack up even the most serious of players.
Story
The story is pretty entertaining. You are a voodoo doll named Vince. You are the "third best" doll of a woman by the name of Madame Charmaine, who has been kidnapped by Kosmo the Inscrutable. During the crime, Vince has zombie dust sprinkled on him, bringing him to life and allowing him to receive telepathic messages from Mme. Charmaine.
Characters
Vince is a very likable character, with his tongue in cheek disdain for all things platforming (e.g. "Another musical gate puzzle...hooray"). I can't decide if he has very low or very high self-esteem, because his character seems to waffle between the two. In any case, he is very entertaining. Mme. Charmaine's visual role is small after her abduction, but her voice haunts you throughout the game (think Cleo from the Psychic Friends network). The main "baddy", Kosmo, reminds me of Bert from Sesame Street. He is supposed to be quite comical, but I find it hard to believe that a Muppet could pull off such a heist!
Gameplay
The gameplay is standard 3D platforming at its best -- jump around and float/hover to drop more slowly and find secret areas. Your special attacks are one of the more novel I have seen. To harm a large number of enemies around you, you invoke a random special attack which involves...hurting yourself! You collect icons throughout the game that add to your portfolio of attacks, including my favorite: the shark attack.
WOW! Animation and Great Tunes
A few other reviewers have dissed the animation, saying it isn't XBox calibre, but I couldn't disagree more. The first time Vince looks in an old, worn out mirror in the first level, I was amazed at the attention to detail that the designers put into this game. The burlap on Vince looks so real that I expect to get a rash from touching its rough surface! Everything else is cartoony, but the lighting effects are excellent, as is the feeling of age in certain areas (e.g. inside an old drainpipe).
Jazz and blues tunes permeate this title, giving it a real Cajun feel. The Main Street level of The Quarter really feels like New Orleans, especially how the music speeds up when Vince catches on fire. (Don't ask...it's an important part of the story).
Will This Gather Dust?
It certainly won't in my collection. Vince is cool, and his antics are classic. I am still revisiting levels trying to get all of the pages and skulls that I missed the first time through.
At $20, this game is a steal.
Overall Recommendations:
You'll like this if:
* You grew up on platformers and still love them.
* You like Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga style humor.
* You like New Orleans.