Voltaire

User Score
7.0

Presentation - 8.6
Gameplay - 6.8
Value - 5.0

If I had to describe the game to anyone, it would be a mix of Super Mario Galaxy, a 3D fighter, and incredible atmosphere.

The level design is, for the most part, really interesting. It gives you the same sense of scale does Super Mario Galaxy, only it’s limited and not as grand as you would have guessed. The locations are really interesting and unique, and do great jobs of playing the game through an insects (or arachnids, for perfectionist) point of view. The environments are nice, but the texture looks a bit odd. It looks as if a different engine was used, because it has a cartoony look to it, as opposed to the rather gritty look of the rest of the game.

Graphics are good for a Wii game, no where near the level of Super Mario Galaxy or Metroid Prime 3 , nor does it deliver the tech achievements of something like CoDWaW. The character models are pretty good, they look real and (when in motion) creepy. All of the legs move in unisons as you would expect a real insect to move. Using the analog stick to slowly crawl up to an enemy, while watching the hairy legs of the tarantula smoothly move, is truly a sight.

Controls are good, motion kills in the scorpion levels are a bit off, so your stab/swing/etc. will be performed on screen a sec or 2 later. It doesn’t ruin the game, but it does give you the feeling that the motion kills could have been better. Standard attacks are a combination of button presses (for weak) and motion (for strong), and generally it works well. You’ll occasionally have to repeat a motion several times, but thankfully it’s not too common.

The most impressive part of the game however is the atmosphere; it almost achieves a Metroid-like level of creepiness and loneliness. Any Metroid player can tell you that’s a great thing. The sound is great also, bringing absolutely terrific voice acting and a great soundtrack together.

The game isn’t perfect though. While you’ve probably heard this before, the game does have some bugs, or technical issues. Enemies may sometime get stick in areas, or appear underground (unintentionally of course), or your motions may not be registered, but these are rare occurrences.

Worst of all though, the game simply isn’t that fun. The combat is repetitive, locals are interesting at first, but quickly loose their flair as you’re forced to backtrack through the same areas within different levels. The story, while shallow and bare, is easily the most interesting part of the game.

 I would recommend this to anyone with some spare cash (or parents cash, seeing as the game is rated-T), because your probably never going to play anything like it.  The game is short, maybe 8-11 depending on skill and ambition. After that there’s nothing, and I mean nothing to do. The only reason I would recommend this at full price is simply because its one of a kind. Chances are you’ve never played anything like it, and if the game doesn’t sell well, you may never play anything like it again. It’s a bit rough around the edges, but it’s definitely a memorable and unique experience.