Silicon Fusion >> Previews >> Tak and The Power of JuJu (ECTS 2003)

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Preview:

29th August 2003:
Tak and The Power of JuJu (ECTS 2003)
We were able to meet up with THQ at ECTS and find out what original features their latest platformer will contain that will help it to stand out from the crowd.
Posted by Marc Hull - PlayStation 2 - UK and Europe

You may not have heard of Tak before, but if Nickelodeon have their way you shouldn't be able to avoid him soon. Whereas other characters move from having their own TV series to appearing in their own games, this one is doing it the other way around. Nick Games have commissioned THQ to develop a game starring Tak, from which potentially a TV series and other media avenues can be explored, and to back it up they have been promoting the game extensively in America. Over here in Europe, though, we'll miss out on the big advertising campaign, and will instead have only the game itself to go on. Is it good enough on its own to stand out from the crowd without the media blitz it's receiving across the Atlantic?

From what we've seen of the game so far, we have to admit that it's looking pretty good. Although the title is essentially a platformer, it is much more about puzzle solving than jumping between platforms, and the way that all the puzzles are themed around interaction with the game's various animals makes it more innovative and fun than most titles in the genre. For instance, in the first level you get to explore near Tak's village, where all the villagers have been turned into sheep. Being far more than just bog-standard non-playable characters, Tak can pick up a sheep and throw it on a treadmill, then by beating it with his stick he can make it start running on the treadmill which will open a door for him to go through. You also have to test out how animals interact with other animals, such as discovering the fact that the game's orangutangs hate sheep, and if they come across one they will actually throw it across the level, where later on you can use it to solve another puzzle.

The game's animals can also be used like vehicles, such as the rhinoceros which Tak can sit on and ride around a level, then use to charge through gates that he previously couldn't open. You can also acquire certain animal abilities in the game, such as the ability to glide when you put on a chicken suit! These bits are made all the more entertaining by the game's excellent animation, which gives every creature a cute and humorous look, and ties in very well with the title's cartoon-like theme. Although the intro-sequence is in FMV, all the other cut-scenes seem to be done in realtime, and thanks to the superb animation, look pretty fantastic.

Aside from the abilities Tak can gain from the animals roaming the environment, he can also pick up amulets scattered throughout the levels which give him new, magical abilities. Unlike in other titles where all the enemies can be killed by a simple jump on the head, in Tak you have to beat them up with your stick, and often you'll be ganged up on by several creatures at once. To help you out, certain amulets will allow you to stun enemies, give them an electric shock or even turn them into chickens, which can then be used to solve other puzzles. However, there is a limit to how often you can use these spells - each one consumes a different number of red feathers, which can be collected throughout each of the levels, so you can't simply go around using spells to kill every enemy in the game.

Another aspect of the game is the ability to summon 'Jujus' to help you progress in a level. These can only be summoned at specific points in each of the levels, but are often vital for getting past a certain puzzle. However, sometimes they can be more of a hindrance, setting their own challenges for you to complete before they'll help you on your way.

Overall, we're glad to see the game shaping up well and containing a bit of originality instead of going down the easy road of producing just another platformer. Although the screenshots may not look as good as the graphics seen in other titles like Jak and Daxter or Ratchet and Clank, static shots really don't do it justice. This game's beauty lies in its animation, so you'll only really appreciate it by seeing it in action. Our only worries about the game at this time are about the boss battles and how linear it will be. The boss battle we saw during the show featured you and another character running around an arena on phoenixes, picking up powerups and firing them at one another. Although this looked fun, we hope that the game will have its fair share of large boss encounters too. Also, since we only saw a few sections of the game, it's currently unclear whether you're given a variety of puzzles that can be tackled in any order, or if you have to complete levels in a certain way in order to progress. However, we hope to find out more about these things when we bring you our full review before the game's release this November, so stay tuned!

Marc Hull

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