steve kwan user experience designer

Sphinx and The Cursed Mummy

(December 14th, 2003)

I just picked up Sphinx and The Cursed Mummy for my PlayStation 2, and I must say that I'm impressed.

This game doesn't break any new ground. It's a typical Zelda-type adventure game. In fact, the gameplay is almost in the exact same vein as the Zelda series; the only major difference being that it takes place in Egypt.

What makes this game different from other games of its type is that it actually succeeds at imitating the Zelda genre!

The general premise is this: you are Sphinx, an Egyptian demigod, who is on a mission to stop an evil force from rising. Initially the plot seems kind of vague, but things are made more clear as the game progresses.

Additionally, on a few missions you control the Mummy, who cannot fight and cannot be killed. The missions where you play as the Mummy act as a sort of intermission from the main game. The Mummy's levels are entirely puzzle-based, whereas Sphinx's levels involve puzzles as well as combat...more like a Zelda game.

Overall, the game is quite well balanced, with plenty of brain work with a solid helping of hack n' slash.

As in Zelda, you follow your objectives (completing lots of puzzles along the way), obtaining upgrades to your player such as more health, more weapons and new abilities. These upgrades permit you to find more secrets and progress further in the game.

An interesting feature of the game is your ability to capture monsters in battle and release them later to aid you (Pokémon's influence?). While this is a really fun feature, only a handful of the enemies you capture can be used in battle; most are just things that you can collect. A pity, because I think it would be really cool if you could summon any captured enemy.

Sphinx and The Cursed Mummy is the closest thing to Zelda that I have seen so far for the PS2, and that alone makes it worth buying. However, the game has lots of other selling points as well.

The graphics and visuals are stunning and the sound is terriffic. I thought at first that I'd quickly grow bored of the Egyptian theme, but quite the opposite.

The controls are very good, with a straightforward interface for moving around and making use of your abilities.

The game is certainly a load of fun to play. The first few bits of the game are a little slow, but this is acceptable because they are basically an interactive introduction to the game.

I do, however, have criticisms.

Sphinx's character is barely developed at all. You're never really told who he is; he's known only as an apprentice to Imhotep (your guide in the game). While this doesn't really detract from the game, it would be kind of nice to know a little more about your character.

The puzzles in this game, while very abundant, seem to follow very obvious patterns. Whenever you see an electric receptor statue, you know you have to zap it with electricity. Whenever you see a box, you know you have to burn it. There are lots of obvious patterns in this game that, once recognized, will help you solve the game's puzzles easily. As you progress further in the game, it seemed to me that the puzzles didn't necessarily get that much more complicated. There were just more boxes to burn and electric statues to electrify.

But again, my complaints about this game are relatively insignificant. Overall, Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy is an excellent game and I'd recommend it to anyone.

Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 9/10
Gameplay ("Fun Factor"): 9.5/10
Replay Value: 8.5/10
Interface: 9/10
Overall:9/10