It is hard to believe that gamers
have been playing in the third dimension for more than 10 years. Before the leap
to the 3D, gamers everywhere were wondering how the action/adventure genre would
make the leap, and would the games be as fun to play. The answer was given when
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was released for the Nintendo 64. This game
brought about many innovations to the genre such as lock-on targeting, a hub
overworld, puzzle-filled dungeons, and more. Developers have been copying this
formula for many years, and few have had great success, but many of the games
are lacking in key areas. A newly released game entitled SPRay attempts to
tackle the action genre but ends up with mixed results.
The story for SPRay is decent, but
nothing that is extraordinary. Players take on the role of Prince Ray who must
save his kingdom from the banished Queen Mordack. She has captured all of the
villages and enslaved them. Prince Ray then puts on a magical crown that endows
him with two liquid spraying spirits based on his personality. Now he must use
these two spirits and the various liquids they can product to solve various
puzzles to help free his enslaved subjects and banish the taint of Queen Mordack
on the land.
In SPRay, players will have access
to several different liquids. They must coat the environment with those liquids
and save the world as they know it. This is very similar to how Super Mario
Sunshine worked. The first liquid is water, which is used to extinguish fires
and wash away anti-matter. Vomit covers over anti-matter and gets all over the
place and creates a real mess. When players get access to slime they can use it
to stick to walls and get to hard-to-reach places. Ice allows players to freeze
the floor, which allows them to run faster and jump further. Using the
anti-matter allows players to open hidden portals through walls. Each of these
liquids has a unique function and helps solve various puzzles that the game puts
players in.
Its bark is bigger then its bite.
As with all action games, there will
be numerous puzzles that Prince Ray will have to solve in order to save the
world. The problem with most of these puzzles is that it has a very "been-there,
done-that" feel towards it. The reason for this is like other action based
games, it contains the same cliches. For instance, there is always ice- and
fire-based environments to beat. To help get around these very tried-and-true
action cliches, the way to solve the puzzles is by using the various liquids
from the evil and good spirits Prince Ray summoned. This portion of the game is
actually appreciated since gamers haven’t seen it since Super Mario Sunshine.
The only problem is that it was not implemented as tightly as the former game.
Players will be able to recognize
this once they enter combat for the first time. The combat engine is not that
refined and it is really noticeable when players have to take on multiple
enemies. Players will have to worry about spraying the enemies with the right
type of liquid and then swing the controller to hit them with the sword.
Needless to say players cannot do both with great accuracy since the spraying is
motion sensitive. It is just not a good system to endure with for the several
hours it takes to attempt to beat this game.
The controls for this game are
really easy to get the hang of, and players will need both the Wii-mote and the
Nunchuk to play this game. The control stick allows players to move Prince Ray
around. The C button is used to pick up and drop items. If players want to
lock-on to enemies they can press the Z button. The control pad allows players
to scroll through the list of liquids they have at their disposal. Pressing the
B button will spray the liquids, and to aim the players need to point the Wii-mote
at the location. The A button is used to jump. This game also supports motion
controls. Players have a sword and they can use it by shaking the Wii-mote from
side to side. If players get stuck in antimatter, they can shake the Wii-mote to
free themselves. The last thing they can do is while in the midst of a jump,
shake the Wii-mote to do a dive attack.
‘Sliming it up’
SPRay also includes a decent
multiplayer mode where up to four players can battle it out through various
mini-games made specific for each liquid. The ice mini-game is entitled Slip
Speeds, and in it players must slip their way through windy paths and race to
the finish line. The next one is a vomit game entitled Vomit It. In this game
players must spray vomit all over the walls, and the player that sprays the most
wins. The anti-matter game is called Abyss Area, and players must spray
anti-matter all over the ground and try to sink their friends. The last one
standing wins. The last game has to do with the slime liquid. The titled of this
mini game is called Slime Climber, and players must race to the top. Players
must use the slime to stick and jump over various obstructions in the way.
Overall these multiplayer modes are pretty fun and add nicely to the replay
value.
The graphics for SPRay are decent,
but there had been other games released that look much better. The character
models are nicely detailed, but nothing out of the ordinary. The animation is
very nice, especially with the spraying of the various liquids and how they
react in the various environments. The framerate stays at a consistent pace and
the only problem occurs when there are multiple enemies on the screen. In this
case, the framerate drops slightly. It will not be noticeable towards the
younger gaming crowd, but older gamers will find it annoying. The sound effects
for this game are decent, but easily forgettable. Players will like hearing the
soundtrack to the game as it does have a catchy theme, but after a while it will
start to grate on player’s nerves.
SPRay is rated Everyone 10+
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Gameplay: 5.9
This game plays like a decent mix of Super Mario Sunshine and the
Legend of Zelda games. The control scheme for this game is easy to get the hang
of, but it is not implemented in a good way, especially during combat.
Graphics: 6.5
The graphics are decent, but other games in the same vein look better.
Sound: 6.5
The music for this game is pretty catchy, but does get annoying after a
while.
Difficulty: Easy
This game is obviously made for younger gamers, as it is very easy and
does not contain much challenges to older gamers.
Concept: 5.1
There is really little innovation here. It almost feels like Super
Mario Sunshine meets The Legend of Zelda in its implementation.
Multiplayer 5.6
The multiplayer portion of this game is a nice addition, and it adds to
the replay value of this game. There is also a co-op feature in the game where
one person controls Prince Ray and the other person sprays the various liquids.
Overall: 5.8
SPRay is a decent game that will certainly appeal to its target
audience: younger gamers. Other than that if players are looking for a decent
action game then they will want to check out this game.
