GameCube

Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy

While Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy has some humorous points, the overall game is focused on serious challenges for the gamer, unlike other hack 'n' slash action/adventure titles. This game has some true depth and one level or even a puzzle could literally take you hours to figure out and beat. Sphinx is a welcome title for people who like to bend their mind; it has proven to be a serious challenge.

Since it is the holiday season, developers are rushing to get their games out on the market. To make games successful developers have to make sure their game has a unique premise, non-repetitive gameplay, and stand out from the other games. Eurocom has released their latest action/platform game entitled: Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy, and I have to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed this game. Read on to find out what makes this game unique and fun to play.

From Eurocom Entertainment (James Bond 007: NightFire, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) comes Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy, an epic third-person action-adventure filled with magic and mystery and set to the backdrop of ancient Egypt. This long-in-development title is perhaps the 200-person-strong company's most ambitious undertaking to date and the hard work has for the most part paid off. Sphinx has a few mechanical and technical flaws that can occasionally hinder the experience, but it still succeeds as a very fun, challenging, clever and sometimes-beautiful adventure that reminds us in many ways of the Zelda franchise.

It's a rarity these days to find a truly compelling multiplatform action adventure game in the vein of the Legend of Zelda series, but that's exactly what Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy is. Developed by Eurocom Entertainment and available for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube, Sphinx is based on various aspects of Egyptian history and mythology and features a gameplay experience that can easily be compared to the style of the recent entries in the Zelda series, with lots of intriguing puzzles, challenging dungeons, and solid combat. This is not to say that Sphinx is quite up to the level of the Zelda franchise--not by a long shot. But what Eurocom has created here is a fine starting point for what could become a long, fruitful series.

Mélange d'aventure/action, de plates-formes, le tout étant saupoudré d'une bonne couche d'énigmes, le titre de THQ est un bon divertissement qui lorgne du côté de nombreux hits pour créer une alchimie à la fois étonnante et concluante. Des petits problèmes de caméra et de maniabilité feront un peu d'ombre à l'entreprise qui se veut malgré tout louable et jouable.

Det här är ett oväntat äventyr med många bra idéer. Det som ändå fäller Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy på mållinjen är att det känns lite för simpelt, inte riktigt lika angeläget som man vill att ett bra spel ska kännas. Så många av idéerna kommer från framförallt The Ocarina of Time och The Wind Waker, och ställt bredvid de spelen framgår det ganska tydligt att utvecklarna backom Sphinx trots allt inte är Shigeru Miyamoto. Det blir lite för ofta "samla tio pärlor åt gumman"-upplägget, vilket känns lite trist. Det i kombination med en ganska tam handling gör att Sphinx inte riktigt blir så bra som man vill. Samtidigt växer bra äventyr inte på träd och den som saknar en GameCube och Zelda bör definitivt ta sig en extra titt.

Until about six months ago, Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy was originally entitled Sphinx and the Shadow of Set, which boggles my mind. How could Eurocom not recognize that the Cursed Mummy is the most endearing videogame mascot of the year? Perhaps the designers at Eurocom never thought of the Mummy as more than an amusing distraction, until a captivated focus group made them realize their mistake.

Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy, the latest offering from THQ, seemed like the perfect game for me. An admitted Egyptology buff ever since kindergarten, the idea of a romp through the mysterious world of pyramids, tombs, gods and monsters was like manna from heaven. Unfortunately, once I paid the price and brought my prize home, I was greeted by a nice-looking basket of frustration.