Darkened Skye – GC – Review

Originally released on the
PC about a year ago, Simon & Schuster Interactive’s action-adventure title
Darkened Skye is now making its appearance on the GameCube.  You play as Skye, a
self-proclaimed “warrior-hero-adventurer-goddess” who is enlisted to save the
world from the hands of the evil Lord Necroth.  The script for the game is very
well written and the voice acting is superb.  However, the rest of the game
ranges from average to downright boring.  Darkened Skye proves that while nice,
terrific writing and voice acting does not a great game make. 

The story for Darkened Skye
is fantasy driven.  You are Skye, a warrior who finds a strange orange object
one day and decides to consult an old seer about it.  She tells you that the
strange object is a Skittles, a relic that can allow its holder to cast a
variety of magic spells when placed together.  Yeah, that’s right, I said
Skittles.  And yes, it is the Skittles you’re thinking about.  The game is
somewhat endorsed by the Skittles people and takes place in their “Taste the
Rainbow” ad campaign.  You must go around to five different lands, collecting
skittles and gaining power as a magician, and defeat the evil Lord Necroth, who
wants all the Skittles for himself.  I know it sounds cheesy, but the script is
written so well that you won’t even care about the whole Skittles thing.  The
dialogue is very funny, very self aware (“Anything could be lurking in
there…well, I guess I’ll stick my face in”) and very clever. 

If only the gameplay were as
fun as the story, then this game would be awesome.  However, the gameplay is
pretty stagnant or, at best, average.  The game doesn’t innovate the 3D platform
concept in any degree, and the controls are rather floaty for the most part.
This is very frustrating, considering that too much of the game involves hopping
around on platforms.  Also, the L and R buttons don’t respond unless you click
them, which can get annoying.  The game’s melee combat system is pretty inane;
you have no way to block attacks and simply must run around your enemy holding
down the attack button.  As you perform combos and the like, enemies still
continue to attack you.  The magic system is somewhat better executed, but the
overall feel of the gameplay is very unpolished and dull.

The graphics are also pretty
average.  The characters look very blocky, as though they are out of a Nintendo
64 game.  Also, the animations look pretty rigid and disconnected.  The
environmental textures are murky and lack detail.  One plus though is the
framerate, which moves pretty fluidly throughout the game.

The sound is both bad and
good.  The music sounds like a muted MIDI keyboard, and the tunes are a bit
redundant and can get annoying quick.  The sound effects are pretty average,
featuring stock sounds, like whooshing staffs and footsteps.  However, the voice
acting is marvelous.  The script is great, and the professional acting really
ices the cake.  Skye is superbly voiced by Linda Larkin (the voice of Princess
Jasmine on Aladdin), and the supporting cast is excellent, making for most of
the enjoyment you’ll experience upon playing the game.

Darkened Skye really makes
some innovations in script writing and professional acting in the field of video
games.  However, the rest of the game is fairly dull and worth missing.  If you
want to appreciate good writing and vocal talent in a video game, I suggest you
rent Darkened Skye.  Otherwise, leave this one on the shelf.

Reviewer’s Scoring Details

Gameplay: 5.5
The gameplay is
pretty dull; most of the time will be spent jumping around on platforms and
fighting off inane enemies.  The combat system is very poorly executed and just
not very fun.

Graphics: 6.0
The game has an
overall blocky appearance, and the textures and characters lack much detail.
However, the framerate is pretty fast.

Sound: 8.0
The music and
sound effects are nothing to write home about, but the voice acting is superb.
This degree of professionalism is something more games should try for.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 8.5
The story may
seem bit cheesy on the surface, but the script is great.  The dialogue is
snappy, witty and cleverly written.  Also, the game possesses a self-awareness
and charm that few games have.

Overall: 6.5
Darkened Skye
features some great writing and excellent voice acting.  However, the rest of
the game is pretty dull.  The gameplay is boring, the graphics are plain, and
the controls are loose and floaty.  However, if gameplay and graphics don’t
matter to you, and you want to see a well-written story, then you should give
Darkened Skye a look.