Making your way out of each level and on to the next involves solving a puzzle
that will open the gate leading to the next level. These puzzles are
usually divided into a series of subtasks that must be accomplished before the
final piece of the puzzle can be put into place. For example, in one level
you'll need to play some jazz to convince a skeleton musician to let you pass,
but first you'll need to obtain a trumpet and then somehow learn how to play it.
The puzzle focus of the game also applies to its boss battles. These
require you to find the proper way to hurt Vince so that the boss gets hurt in
turn. This is a clever approach to boss battles, but I found that once
Vince put the hurt to himself it was a bit disappointing to see the boss
dispatched so quickly. It just didn't give me the same feeling of
accomplishment as when I have to rely on wits, reflexes, and timing to dispatch
a powerful boss.
 |
| Vince is out to set the night on fire. |
The game also features a number of mini game levels that will have you jumping
between laundry lines while riding a fast moving laundry basket, piloting a
rocket plane, and even riding a bucking bronco of a rat. A race across the
swamp on a fanboat is a particularly enjoyable sequence. I liked playing
the mini games - they added variety to the game and added some speed and reflex
challenge not found in the rest of the game.
The game's levels are set in New Orleans and the Louisiana bayous, after they've
been coated with a healthy dusting of voodoo dust that is. Think of what
New Orleans would look like if it was designed and run by Jack Skellington and
you'll get the idea. The levels all have a very imaginative, slightly
warped look and are filled with Cajun and voodoo atmosphere. The game
takes place in a perpetual twilight that bathes the levels in hues of purple and
crimson, and has some wonderful lighting and shadow effects generated by
streetlamps, house lights, and fires. Further bringing the world of Voodoo
Vince to life is the game's sound and music. The jazz influenced
soundtrack is top-notch, providing some great music (and I'm not even a big jazz
fan) and enhancing the game's mood perfectly. The voice work is also very
well done, and Vince's deadpan and somewhat bored voice is great. It may
seem a bit odd at first, but it will quickly grow on you and you'll see that it
was a great choice for the little voodoo doll who'd rather not be bothered with
the whole mess Kosmo has created.
Overall the game is a better than average platformer with a great look, a lot of
atmosphere, and a few interesting twists on the genre. If you are not into
platform games, then there probably not enough here to change your mind.
If you're on the other end of the spectrum, you may find Voodoo Vince a little
on the short and easy side. Most gamers will find Voodoo Vince to be
an enjoyable diversion and should definitely give the game a look.
In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated:
87%. Bring on the burlap guy.
Oh Vince, do that voodoo that you do so well.
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