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Voodoo Vince for Xbox Videos >>
Rating Reviewed By jose_papas(25) Review Date 09/29/2003 Overall Rating  4 of 5 Value Rating  0 of 5 Visitors rate this review 5.00 of 5, 1 votes Rate this review? Summary I never in my wildest dreams imagined a voodoo doll would make a hero. It’s just a doll, right? A tattered, beat up maze of thread which has been stuck with more needles than a drug addict. An instrument capable of inflicting pain with no boundaries. Wait a second. Inflicts pain with no boundaries? Maybe there is something to this crazy idea. Meet Voodoo Vince, a reluctant hero who would like nothing more than to torture himself. He brings new meaning to the term “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. When all hell breaks loose and there is no other option, he would rather drop an anvil on his head than stand up and fight. He just might be the signature 3D platformer personality Microsoft has been waiting for. Live: Vince lives only in his own warped world, not Xbox Live. Suggestions: First and foremost I’d like the imminent sequel (note my confidence) to cut back on the jumping and include a save option. The ability to store and save multiple games would be nice as well. Let’s push the tone of this game more towards adults. At times it leans this direction and then suddenly falls back to a Spyro level. With greater difficulty and a longer completion time, Voodoo Vince will be at the top of the 3D platformer charts. Lastly, Xbox Live downloads of new Voodoo powers would be something to look forward to for game owners. Add to your Collection? Conker is still many months from hitting the Xbox but that doesn’t mean you have to wait that long to play a solid 3D platformer. The short completion time and puzzle solving nix much of the replay value leaving Voodoo Vince as an ideal weekend rental and not much more. Vince’s future is still bright and I personally can’t wait to see what pain he manages to inflict upon himself next.Sound Not only does Voodoo Vince support Dolby Digital 5.1, it really takes advantage of it. The somewhat monotonous yet fresh jazzy score is spread evenly across the sound field and loops seamlessly. You’ll be humming these tunes in your sleep. In game effects come from the correct direction and perfectly compliment the great design of the surroundings. Also filling the room are great voiceover jobs for each speaking character. There’s no text only dialogue or jibberish chatter here.Gameplay Voodo Vince wasn’t always battling the bad guys. His story begins while he was still an inanimate doll in the French Quarter shop of Madame Charmaine. It’s here a rival magician Cosmo the Inscrutable sends his thugs to steal coveted Zombie Dust who in turn accidentally unleash its power on the world. Brought to life by the dust, it’s up to Vince to battle the dust-infected creatures and save his kidnapped shop owner. Voodo Vince plays and feels remarkably similar to several classic 3D platformers of recent memory. The beads Vince collects for defeating enemies are eerily reminiscent of the gems Spyro the Dragon must collect. The puzzles and actions Vince must complete at times feel plucked right out of Donkey Kong 64. And Vince’s pot-mouth rhetoric has a toned down touch of Conker in it. It’s a fresh new angle on a successful genre which desperately needed a kick-start on the Xbox. While much of the gameplay is familiar and easy to grasp and conquer, it is not without a couple key frustrating flaws. One level layout has always irked me more than any other and Voodoo Vince is chock full of them. I guarantee I am not the only one who will hoist the controller into a launching position after climbing through seemingly endless levels of jumping. You know what it’s like. Enter a new area and see a maze of small platforms reaching into the sky. Spend several minutes jumping to the top only to make one small mistake and fall all the way to the bottom and sometimes death. VooWould you like to Comment? Join VideoGameReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
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