Official Website

Platform: PlayStation 2, GameCube, GameBoy Advance

Genre: Action

Number of Players: 1

Tak is one of those games that I really wasn't quite sure what to make of it when I first saw it. I had been aware that the game was being developed, and I knew a little about the premise behind the title, but one of the first problems was simply a matter of timing. The holidays brought us far too many things to take a look at and review, so Tak was placed on the back burner for a while as we tried to get all of the holiday releases done, and those kept coming in droves. Luckily, THQ tends to allow us to request titles after the release, within reason of course, and that's worked out rather well.

Tak looked interesting though, and that's part of the attraction to it. There was the thought however that there are far too many 3D platform games that have been getting released these days, and often times they seem to be haphazardly thrown together just to turn a quick profit. There are a few however that do manage to rise about the crop and show a great deal of thought and effort put into them, and I was hoping that this would be one of them.

Tak isn't just the name of the game, but that main character as well. According to an ancient prophecy, a legendary hero will save Tak's village, and the time for that hero to surface has come. Unfortunately, because of a spell cast on the villagers, the hero of legend has been turned into a sheep, leaving the shaman no choice but to send Tak out in search of the items that will change him back. However, prophecies can be changed, and unbeknownst to him, Tak is in the process of undergoing a strange series of events that may not only change the fact of the village, but also whom the real hero actually is as well.

The very first thing that was obvious with this game is that it looks great. The cut scenes have a bit of a cartoon look to it, thus making them non-threatening and not offensive in the least, but that's really the case with most platform games. There's even a subtle bit of humor that can definitely be enjoyed by both adults and children, but it's the overall look that makes the game appealing. The jungles breathe quite a bit of life and there is a heavy amount of detail included through most of the game. As a matter of fact, Tak's world is quite vast, and at times you might be prone to doing more exploring and taking in the sights than actually trying to accomplish your mission.

Unfortunately though, good looks don't always make the game, and that ends up being the situation here. Tak is more or less just your average platform title with a pretty look to it. The story itself is engaging enough, but much of that gets lost with typical game play. Upon starting, you will go through the usual tutorial course that will teach you the basics of game play, all thanks to an annoying forest spirit that doesn't seem to want to keep quite for too long. You have the usual run and jump routine, using weapons to defeat enemies (you'll start with a club and improve from there), a bit of puzzle solving, collecting items, and just about every other platform idea you can think of. There isn't too much that comes across as being too original or innovative, and instead Tak seems to simply rely on its sense of humor and entertaining story in order to become addictive.

Now, most would think that placing puzzles in the game would give it some more interesting game play elements, but unfortunately the puzzles are very simplistic, and the game is set up to where it practically holds your hand while you are trying to solve them. This is a game however that is geared more for children, so that makes sense, but there's no way to go and turn these options off either, at least not that I found. They become almost too repetitive as well, creating a feeling of boredom very early on.

The control in the game are fine when it comes to moving Tak around and such, but this game also has a very bad level of camera control that tends to place you viewing things in a very bad position most of the game and spending time trying to get the camera adjusted in a fashion where you can actually see what you're doing. There are times that the game seems to be a bit unresponsive with some of the actions, but not too terribly often, and it's not something that can cause frustration to a high degree, just a minor bit of irritation. The one area of actions that really did annoy me however is Tak being able to throw, and it takes a bit to get used to aiming.

I was hoping that I would enjoy Tak, but instead I found it to be just your typical platform game with very little in the way of originality, but very high when it comes to it's overall look and appearance, but that's not quite enough to keep my enthusiasm going. However, I will admit that for younger gamers, it might be something that will keep their interest, although parents may find themselves having to play from time to time in order to get them through some areas. The older crowd though won't find too many that are partial to the game, and the good looks will quickly wear thin under the lackluster control and repetitive nature of Tak.

-mike-