“Get ready
to virtualize.” That’s the tagline for the game of one of today’s hottest
properties, Code Lyoko. Based on the hit cartoon series of the same name, Code
Lyoko follows the story of Ulrich, Odd, Aelita, and Yumi as they attempt to
stop the evil X.A.N.A. from destroying one world – and stop them from taking
over another. The two worlds, one being our reality and the other being the
virtual land of Lyoko, are in grave danger. The four heroic Lyoko Warriors
must jump in and out of the virtual world to prevent their nemesis from
succeeding.
In this
Nintendo DS iteration of the cartoon, gamers will be able to play as the
aforementioned characters while overcoming obstacles in two different worlds:
real and virtual. The real world is best described as a point-and-click
adventure, similar to those that once flooded PCs. They’re two-dimensional,
contain flat (but interactive) backgrounds, and involve numerous conversations
with key characters from the Code Lyoko universe.
The virtual
world (a 3D land known as Lyoko) is essentially a kid-friendly take on The
Matrix. Jack in, suit up, and you’ll be transformed to a world of power,
excessive attack abilities, insane levitation luster, and wicked climbing
controls. It’s not a game of bullet-stopping, but Neo would be jealous if he
were around to see what these Lyoko kids have cooked up. In fact, he might
even be compelled to release a quiet, “Whoa.”
Virtual
Fighters
Multi-character gameplay has grown in popularity over the past few years. It
has been particularly significant to the development of movie games like Shrek,
Fantastic Four, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Code Lyoko story is
centered on four main warriors, so it makes perfect sense that they should all
be playable.
This is the
part of the review where some gamers are cheering and others are weeping. Rare
exceptions excluded, most multi-character games don’t work very well. Either
one or more of the characters lack significance, or the game finds a lame way
to force the player to use every character, thereby making them appear to be
significant.
Code Lyoko
does force you to use all four characters. However, it does not needlessly
torture the player in an effort to make something appear better. In actuality,
Code Lyoko’s strength comes from its multi-character usage. Ulrich, the
saber-wielding fighter, has a special dash ability that allows him to run
across specific (designated) areas faster than any other character. Odd, the
arrow-shooting ranged warrior, has the ability to climb the tallest
structure…when necessary. Odd can only climb structures marked with a paw
print icon.
Yumi, a big
fan of fans (the metallic, enemy-piercing type), can call upon her
telekinesis powers to lift large objects. These objects are often too large to
walk around, too heavy to move by hand, and too tall to climb over. On the
other hand, there may be times when a boulder isn’t your problem – instead, it
is the lack of one that’s keeping you from progressing. When wide-open spaces
prevent further exploration, look for the adjoined hands icon (two touching
hands that form the shape of a heart). Aelita, the gal with a gobble of
glorious defense moves, has the ability to levitate over those gaps.
Dating back
to the Sega Genesis-exclusive X-Men game, the characters of Code Lyoko cannot
unleash their powers to infinity and beyond. Their actions may be a bit more
forceful than a blinking light that Buzz Lightyear swears is a laser beam (we
know better), but they need Lyoko Power to keep the essence flowing. In other
words, no Emeril-approved bam! if they run out.
Lyoko Power
is replenished by collecting the yellow data bits. Green data bits regenerate
your health meter. Both can be found by defeating certain enemies and by
breaking data walls, which are transparent domes that house data bits.
Point+Click
Both the
D-pad and touch screen may be used to navigate the 2D, story-based locales of
Code Lyoko. Most players will be tempted to stick with one control style
throughout the journey. But doing that will only lead to frustration during
the stages where the navigation points are not clear. There’s a good
explanation for this: rather than make every frame a simplistic,
straightforward backdrop, the developers wanted to provide their players with
a bit of artistic value. The price for that value is navigational clarity.
There are
times when you won’t be able to tell one row of desks from the next, or one
door from another. Instead of using the D-pad to figure this out, touch the
screen and the character will usually walk in the necessary direction.
Likewise, there are times when the touch screen doesn’t work very well. For
example, some backdrops are very short. The character stays toward the front
of the screen and does not have a reason to walk into the background. In that
instance, touching the screen will actually block where you’re supposed to be
headed. That could cause some confusion. Hence, you should switch control
styles.
It’s not a
fool-proof solution, and it’s definitely not frustration free. But those who
use the D-pad and touch screen will experience fewer annoyances than players
who stick with one control style throughout the game.
Code Lyoko
is a fun title, but its divided gameplay (half action, half
point-and-click-based story) is a combo that’s hard to endure. The story
development is presented more creatively than most DS titles. It’s vastly
superior to the array of text cubes found in RPGs. But when you get to the
combat, when you see what kind of engine has been developed, and when this
game makes you realize how little of the DS’s potential is being utilized –
it’ll make you want to skip the story segments and jump right into the
gameplay. But you can’t. Whether you’re a fan of Code Lyoko or not, you will
be forced to sit through the dialogue. You can rush through it by pressing the
B button, but that won’t eliminate the process of navigating the game’s 2D
environments.
|
|
Gameplay: 7.0
The 3D portion
makes for a slower-paced action game that just barely hints at Tomb Raider and
Devil May Cry. The combat and camera work are vastly superior to what other
third-party developers are producing for the DS. Players will enjoy the
fast-attacking enemy destruction and be encouraged by the special abilities,
which reward the player for using each character. The story segments, however,
are a royal pain to navigate and will leave anyone except the most die-hard
Lyoko fans in extreme boredom. Creative story presentation does not
guarantee a stellar script.
Graphics: 7.0
The 2D graphics
aren’t very impressive, but expect to have a few moments of “wow!” the first
time you see the 3D environments. They lose their effect shortly afterwards
(about the time when you realize that, while special for the DS, these visuals
are nothing new to gamers with a PS2, Xbox, or GameCube). The ultra-clear,
quality-defining FMV clips are also worth noting.
Sound: 7.0
Good but
repetitive, Code Lyoko’s music is a mix of orchestral and beat-driven techno
tracks.
Difficulty: Easy
Code Lyoko is a
lot of things. “Challenging” is not one of them.
Concept: 7.0
Multiple playable
characters implemented in a way that’s fun and relevant.
Overall: 7.0
Code Lyoko’s
players are likely to be split in two: those who enjoy both portions of the
game and those who only enjoy the 3D half. Regardless of your expected
preference, this game is worth a look. As its first time on a handheld, Code
Lyoko is pretty impressive – it has done more in one chapter than most other
licensed properties have done in the past 10 years.
