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We spend a few days with an advance copy of Code Lyoko on the DS. Does the game retain all that made the cartoon series a hit?
May 1, 2007 | 6:51 AM PSTby: Jeff Rivera
In the world of licensed titles there have been great successes (Golden Eye) and strong disappointments (we're too kind to name names). There are some studios that will take a license, push it through a short development time, and try to make an easy and quick profit before moving on to repeat the cycle. There are, however, the special cases when a studio truly comes to love their source material and does all that they can to not only remain faithful to the franchise they're working with, but also expand upon its world in imaginative and interesting ways.
With Code Lyoko, the guys at The Game Factory are pushing for a title that not only makes great use of the source material, but also with the DS hardware features. We had the chance to spend a few days with a near-final version of the game. Read on to check out our full impressions.
Right from the get go you can tell that great effort has been put into the game's overall presentation. The Code Lyoko landscape is faithful to its cartoon series counterpart. Gamers will recognize familiar faces, locations and themes as the story unfolds through 15 chapters of play. The opening FMV sets the mood perfectly and provides an impressive moment of art achievement to draw you into the game.
As gameplay progresses, you'll need to make use of each of the four playable characters in the game to progress and accomplish the goals laid out before you in each stage. Ulrich is strong on melee attacks and is your go to guy when it's time to hack and slash through groups of enemies. Odd is your marksman character and uses arrows to attack from afar. Yumi has strong mental abilities that allow her to engage in both melee and ranged attacks. Aelita, the only character without an attack, is a defensive specialist. We found the way that you had to use the right character in the right situation to be particularly enjoyable. Thanks to plenty of planning and foresight, the levels and enemies are laid out in a fashion that will ensure that you use every character often and not just rely on one or two to get the majority of things done.
The game is a bit of a hybrid of genres. There are action, puzzle, platform, racer, and adventure elements throughout the game, so just as you think you've seen all that Code Lyoko has to offer, you'll be introduced to something new. At times it can be a bit disorientating, but it's better than playing through a title that's bogged down in repetition.
Graphically the game is strong in some areas and a little weak in others. The art direction in the game fits right in with the Code Lyoko universe, but some of the character models are a little too small or lacking enough of a solid physical presence. It seems that if some of the models could be beefed up a bit, the visual package could be a bit more impressive. Also, there are moments where the color palette could have been a bit more diverse, but much of that can be attributed to the source material. The game isn't ugly by any means, but it's just not going to be considered the next visual masterpiece on the DS.
The audio package, much like the graphical aspect of the game, has its ups and downs. Fans of the show will feel a sort of familiarity with what Code Lyoko has to offer. Everything sounds as you would expect it would, even if many effects are a bit on the basic side of things.
One of the racing segments in Code Lyoko.
The game is still a little rough around the edges, like an occasional glitch or a loose end here and there, but that's to be expected when you're working with a prerelease build of a game. We've been assured that the game will see significant cleaning up before the final build is unveiled, so we're excited to see what the final package looks like.
Based on what we can expect of the game by the time the final build hits, Code Lyoko is shaping up to be a nice title that should satisfy the fanbase of the television program. While the game does cater heavily to those that are familiar with the show, and possibly to a slightly younger age group, Code Lyoko is possibly going to be worth a look when the final package hits store shelves.
Keep your eye on AMN as the Code Lyoko release date nears. We'll have a full review and more detailed impressions of the final package.
With Code Lyoko, the guys at The Game Factory are pushing for a title that not only makes great use of the source material, but also with the DS hardware features. We had the chance to spend a few days with a near-final version of the game. Read on to check out our full impressions.
Right from the get go you can tell that great effort has been put into the game's overall presentation. The Code Lyoko landscape is faithful to its cartoon series counterpart. Gamers will recognize familiar faces, locations and themes as the story unfolds through 15 chapters of play. The opening FMV sets the mood perfectly and provides an impressive moment of art achievement to draw you into the game.
As gameplay progresses, you'll need to make use of each of the four playable characters in the game to progress and accomplish the goals laid out before you in each stage. Ulrich is strong on melee attacks and is your go to guy when it's time to hack and slash through groups of enemies. Odd is your marksman character and uses arrows to attack from afar. Yumi has strong mental abilities that allow her to engage in both melee and ranged attacks. Aelita, the only character without an attack, is a defensive specialist. We found the way that you had to use the right character in the right situation to be particularly enjoyable. Thanks to plenty of planning and foresight, the levels and enemies are laid out in a fashion that will ensure that you use every character often and not just rely on one or two to get the majority of things done.
The game is a bit of a hybrid of genres. There are action, puzzle, platform, racer, and adventure elements throughout the game, so just as you think you've seen all that Code Lyoko has to offer, you'll be introduced to something new. At times it can be a bit disorientating, but it's better than playing through a title that's bogged down in repetition.
Graphically the game is strong in some areas and a little weak in others. The art direction in the game fits right in with the Code Lyoko universe, but some of the character models are a little too small or lacking enough of a solid physical presence. It seems that if some of the models could be beefed up a bit, the visual package could be a bit more impressive. Also, there are moments where the color palette could have been a bit more diverse, but much of that can be attributed to the source material. The game isn't ugly by any means, but it's just not going to be considered the next visual masterpiece on the DS.
The audio package, much like the graphical aspect of the game, has its ups and downs. Fans of the show will feel a sort of familiarity with what Code Lyoko has to offer. Everything sounds as you would expect it would, even if many effects are a bit on the basic side of things.
One of the racing segments in Code Lyoko.
The game is still a little rough around the edges, like an occasional glitch or a loose end here and there, but that's to be expected when you're working with a prerelease build of a game. We've been assured that the game will see significant cleaning up before the final build is unveiled, so we're excited to see what the final package looks like.
Based on what we can expect of the game by the time the final build hits, Code Lyoko is shaping up to be a nice title that should satisfy the fanbase of the television program. While the game does cater heavily to those that are familiar with the show, and possibly to a slightly younger age group, Code Lyoko is possibly going to be worth a look when the final package hits store shelves.
Keep your eye on AMN as the Code Lyoko release date nears. We'll have a full review and more detailed impressions of the final package.
November 20, 2009
