ANKH – PC – Review

I’ve reviewed countless
point-and-click adventure games over the past several years. Most of the games
in the genre seem to focus on a spooky, creepy atmosphere with the purpose of
scaring the player. Not that there is anything wrong with doing this since the
genre has done a fine job of shocking gamers for years. But when you finally
play a game within the genre that isn’t the paint-by-numbers hair-raising type
of experience it’s usually a pleasure. This is certainly the case with Ankh, a
point-and-click adventure game that isn’t afraid to make fun of itself and the
genre it’s based upon.

The story of Ankh revolves around
the main character Assil and the mysterious Ankh. During a late-night rendezvous
inside a pyramid a deadly curse is placed upon Assil. The game revolves around
Assil trying to remove the curse by seeking to speak to the Pharaoh. But soon
Assil discovers that the curse has affected not only him but everyone around
him.

What makes Ankh stand out from
other, modern, point-and-click adventure games is the comedy. The game should
have fans of the adventure genre laughing during several parts of the game. The
game is not afraid to poke fun at key gameplay elements of the point-and-click
genre. Assil and all of the characters in the game will point out tried and true
elements found in other games and make fun of them. For example, how many “sound
puzzles” and “color puzzles” have you solved in other point-and-click games?
Well, Assil brings this up during a few times in the game. But the game doesn’t
just make fun of adventure games; it also presents a humorous story during the
entire game. All of the characters in the game are cracking jokes and making fun
of each other even in the most intense and heated moments during the game. The
comedy does a great job is distracting you from the gameplay shortcomings.

Since this is a third-person
point-and-click adventure game you probably already know how the game plays. You
just simply point and click on items to use them. If you can use an item your
cursor will change which is common in almost every game in the genre. You still
need to determine which items can be combined together and when to use them, but
its still done by just pointing and clicking away. If you need more action in
your gaming diet then look elsewhere because it’s not going to happen in Ankh.
The other drawback for Ankh is the amount of backtracking you have to perform to
solve all of the puzzles in the game. One item is located in one part of the
city while the next item you need to solve a puzzle is found in a different area
of the game. This was a common issue during most of the game and it definitely
slows down the pace of the game. The humor is fun and entertaining but walking
back and forth between different areas that you’ve already explored does get
boring after a while. The game is very linear in making sure the game flows from
one point to another point with no deviation.

The graphics and presentation of the
game is another shining star when compared to other adventure games. The
graphics in the game are top notch and are presented in a cartoon-style look for
the entire game. All of the characters have their own facial expressions that
come to view during the game. The dialog in the game is selectable from several
different sentences that can be chosen from during conversations. This
tree-branch style of conversation can always offer a different insight and humor
from the variety of characters in the game. However, regardless of the dialog
selected the end of the conversations are usually the same.

If you’re a die-hard fan of the
point-and-click adventure game genre then you shouldn’t pass up Ankh. Or if you
were a fan of older titles like King’s Quest, Space Quest or Monkey Island this
is a game that should bring back pleasant memories. I would even point out that
Ankh is more of an old-style adventure game from the classic Sierra Online or
early LucasArts mold. The impressive graphics, great humor and quality storyline
makes Ankh an adventure game that shouldn’t be overlooked. But the backtracking
and old school style gameplay might be too much for some gamers.

Gameplay: 8.0
If it wasn’t for the constant backtracking Ankh could have scored higher in the
gameplay department. No one should have any problems being able to play the
game. Being able to tolerate it could be challenge for gamers not previously
frustrated with the genre.

Graphics: 8.0
The graphics reminded me of a cartoon with the look and style of the characters.
All of the characters in the game have plenty of animations when you talk to
them to show their expressions. The rest of the graphics in the game are just as
top notch with great, cartoon style, detail in all of the areas in the game.

Sound: 7.5
The game includes some great music in the game and even starts off with a mini
music video featuring characters in the game! The voice acting could have been
better but still did an admirable job. Now why all of the characters in Egypt
had British accents is something I just can’t explain.

Difficulty Easy/Medium
The majority of the puzzles in the game should be easy enough for anyone to
solve. There are a few puzzles that might present more of challenge but you can
still try to solve the puzzles until you finish them.

Concept: 7.5
Even with the humor, witty storyline and cartoon appearance this is still a
point-and-click game similar to others that has been on the market for years.
It’s still great to see someone finally make fun of the genre with in another
adventure game.

Overall: 7.8
If you’ve been wishing for a fun-filled, light-hearted and comedic adventure
game to come along then look no farther then Ankh. A game with this much humor
should put a smile on anyone’s face. But the smile could fade away with some of
the gameplay limitations.