VooDoo Vince

Xbox owners love those Xbox exclusives but, of course, there is a flipside to this coin.  Yes, I’m talking about those games we probably won’t be able to play in the foreseeable future (Ah, Zelda: The Wind Waker, how we long to play thee) on our Xbox.  Among the long list of games I wish to see on the Black Box are the PS2’s Jax and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, a platformer that changed the way we look at the platform genre.  Now Microsoft brings us some platformer goodness in the form of Voodoo Vince, a Xbox exclusive with a lot of heart and soul and just the right touch of New Orleans mojo.

Voodoo Vince’s premise revolves around Voodoo Vince, a voodoo doll that comes to life when his maker, Madam Charmaine, is kidnapped in her very own store in New Orleans’ French Quarter.  It seems that the local bad guy in town, Kosmo the Inscrutable, is looking to steal the secrets of Madam Charmaine’s zombie dust to use to his own benefit and so he has his men break into the store and take the voodoo priestess.  The problem is that in their bumbling way, the thugs unleash the power of the zombie dust and thus transforming New Orleans into a twisted nightmare version of itself.  It’s up to Vince to rescue his maker and thwart Kosmo from using his maker’s power for world domination.

Part of the game’s charm is the fact that you play a voodoo doll and Voodoo Vince uses this fact creatively.  Vince’s Voodoo Power allows him to inflict whatever damage he does to himself on to his enemies.  For example, Vince can call his powers to slice himself in half but instead of harming himself its the enemies that get cut in half.  There are just so many inventive ways Vince can damage his enemies and this is what separates this game from other platform games. 

As for the rest of the game, it follows the same formula seen recently in the genre.  Vince collects plenty of collectables such as beads (to fuel your voodoo powers) and even a voodoo power icon that gives you new voodoo powers.  Moving Vince around is also quite easy since his abilities don’t really go beyond the usual punch, double jump, spin punch and even head stomp.  He can, however, pick up items and carry them to specific places.  Vince can also float, which is useful when he needs that extra push to get to that hard to reach platform.

Much of the game takes you through much of New Orleans, from the streets of Jackson Square to the murky bayou.  Vince takes on a spiritually recharged and mutated insects, frogs and other things that were once inanimate (at one point, Vince goes up against a living piggy bank and a very surly living gas pump).  The game has plenty of puzzles, but they’re hardly ever challenging enough to stump a seasoned (or amateur) platform gamer.  Usually they require Vince to pick up a particular item to drop in a designated place marked by a flashing circle.  One puzzle has the little voodoo doll setting himself on fire to destroy the angry gas pump that is holding a gas can Vince needs to operate a steamroller.

And to break from the platform jumping and stomping of enemies are a few mini-games where Vince operates vehicles such as a fanboat, a submarine and even ride a saddled rat like a cowboy.  They’re not entirely original, I’ll admit, but they do give the game some excellent variety and it certainly makes up for the simplicity of the boss battles that offer no real challenge whatsoever.

Voodoo Vince’s graphics might not be extremely gorgeous but what is seen here is actually very pleasing to the eye.  One of the most impressive sights the game does offer, though, is the location itself.  While it’s animated and distorted, New Orleans’ French Quarter looks surprisingly close to the actual thing.  Speaking as a reviewer born and raised not far from Jackson Square, it’s a complete joy to see this alternate version complete with the same Big Easy atmosphere.  Add some nicely rendered odd characters (you’re a voodoo doll, for Pete’s sakes) and great particle effects and you have a pretty good looking game.

As far as the sound is concerned, the smoky New Orleans-styled jazz score is a worth attempt of immersing the character into the atmosphere quite accurately.  There are also some quirky tunes tossed into the soundtrack that’ll bring to mind Tim Burton’s film A Nightmare Before Christmas. You all find a large number of sound effects all throughout the game, making for a really rich auditory experience.  There also some very excellent voice acting here that does a good job of feeding the backwater bayou accent stereotypes but its nice to hear that its all done tongue-in-cheek.

Occasionally witty and surprisingly engaging, Voodoo Vince is actually a fun platform game with a lot going for it.  While it doesn’t come close in terms of boss battle challenges or will sweep you off your feet with a good story such as the PS2’s Jax and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy does, this is still one worthwhile romp that runs circles around Blinx: The Time Sweeper.  If you’re looking for an original platformer that’s actually pretty good, make sure to give this game a try. 

Gameplay: 8.0
Voodoo Vince’s controls are easy to get into and thus make it an addictive joy, but the boss battles don’t offer a worthy challenge.  They basically use the same pattern, which is pick up item X and take it to area X and press the action button.  Still, there are plenty of fun mini-games that have you sipping through the murky waters of the bayou on a fanboat and there’s plenty inventive ways Vince can harm his foes.

Graphics: 8.5
Vince’s visuals might not revolutionize the platform genre graphics-wise but it is still once very sharp looking game.  With that amazing Grim Fandango (remember that PC game?) vibe going for it, the game looks pretty darn neat--especially when it comes to characters and the New Orleans backdrop.  The transition between cut scene and the actual game is also seamless and there is hardly ever any clipping.   This is not bad at all.

Sound: 8.5
The game’s sound has even more going for it, especially when it comes to the sound effects.  The details are amazing and if you leave the game alone, you can hear the mutated frogs in the distance and the buzzing of insects that linger close to the lamps.  The voice acting is also pretty great, but it’s the Squirrel Nut Zipper-type instrumentals and the Danny Elfman inspired score that makes this a more than decent audio experience.

Difficulty: Easy
Unfortunately Voodoo Vince’s weakness happens to be its difficulty levels.  The game’s puzzles (that hardly seem like puzzles at all, mind you) are really too easy to figure out and enemies that don’t really pose much of a threat to the little guy.   Just about the only thing that will give you some trouble is when Vince is trying to jump from platform to platform without falling into a body of water or a mysterious bubbling green brew.  Boss fights just require you to find ways of hurting yourself in a particular way that will hurt the level boss.  This isn’t hard to do since the solution is always hinted from the very start of the battle.

Concept: 8.0
It’s a platform game with a voodoo doll as the game’s hero.  This isn’t necessarily a bad thing since the game uses this creatively enough.  Really, how many games out there have the hero inflict all sorts of damage to him only to have his enemies feel the pain instead?   It’s also surprising to see how close the game captures the atmosphere of the real New Orleans . . . trust me on this.

Overall: 8.0
Stick a pin in me and call me Vince, this type of voodoo certainly has all the right elements that make for a good time at the old bayou.  The game is both easy on the eyes and addictive enough to immerse gamers knee deep in its wildly imaginative universe, but there are things that could have been handled just a bit more differently in places.  The game’s stages range from downright clever to downright simplistic but, overall, Voodoo Vince is a highly original and involving platformer for the Xbox.