Tork: Prehistoric Punk
Score: 75% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Ubisoft Entertainment Developer: Tiwak Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Action/ Platformer (3D)
Graphics & Sound: Sometime in the not so distant past, games were a child’s toy. As these children grew up, so did the games. Look on any store shelf today and you’ll be hard pressed to find many kid-friendly games. Sure, you’ll see the usual games based on whatever the popular cartoon at the time is, but finding an original game that appeals to kids is like finding a steak on a vegetarian menu. Tork: Prehistoric Punk is that steak; a fun platformer that may feel silly to more “mature” gamers, but will sure delight kids. Tork is big, bright, and colorful -- everything you’d expect from a platformer. I’m usually one to notice style above most other graphical feats, and was pleased with how Tork holds together. The main character is slightly exaggerated and fits the rest of the world nicely. There’s also a nice amount of variety between worlds, keeping things from getting stale, which is especially good since the action can get a little repetitive midway through the game. Sound is decent, yet nothing memorable. Everything, from sound effects on down to music is just kind of there. They certainly help to push some of action along, however it’s nothing that will really stick with you once the Xbox is turned off.
Gameplay: One of the more striking elements of Tork is its “old-school” feel. Most of the game’s action takes place through the traditional third-person camera, but level designs are more side-scrolling in nature. Levels are very linear and don’t give themselves to free exploration. However, there are a few parts where you can wander off the beaten path, unlocking special power-ups or other treasures. The action is generally fun and fast-paced, but it usually only appeals to gamers who would rather keep track of jumping and fighting instead of having to find every secret or keep tons of level goals in mind. A large part of the game, besides going from Point A to Point B, revolves around collecting stuff and bashing dinosaurs. There are literally tons of items to collect and dinosaurs to kill. It’s enough to keep younger gamers occupied for awhile, although it can get dull. The old-school feel does, however, bring with it some very old-school problems -- namely “leaps of faith” found in games from the NES and Genesis days. For newcomers, or those who simply choose to forget, these are jumps that end in uncertainty, requiring you to jump and pray you hit something before falling into the bottomless pit below.
Difficulty: Tork rests comfortably on the easy side of the tracks, at least for the veteran player. Younger gamers, however, might have a little trouble; how much depends on their patience level. Most of the difficulty comes from the blind jumps that infest each level. Overall, the problem isn’t too bad and is something that can eventually be overcome. As with things to bash and collect, check points and extra lives are plentiful. There is still some backtracking involved when you die, but the distance between restart points is pretty generous. Placement of these points is usually good as well. Still, get ready to play a few parts over numerous times.
Game Mechanics: The straightforward gameplay brings with it straightforward controls, making Tork: Prehistoric Punk an easy game to jump right in and play. Tork’s primary attacks involve his bolas, which he can either throw or whip around (like nunchuks). Caveman cannot kill dinos by bola alone, which requires Tork to pull out his special transformation abilities. These abilities not only help Tork to tackle tougher enemies, but also help him to uncover some of the game’s few unbeaten paths. Transformations are gained through progress and can be used at any point in the game, provided he has enough power in his Fury meter which is built up by smacking around dinosaurs. Controls are streamlined, and they work. I did, however, run into some problems with the targeting system. Generally, you’ll find yourself in melee combat, so targeting isn’t a big deal as simply flailing the bolas around. During the times when you need to use ranged attacks, the system can be a little unresponsive. Usually the closest enemy is targeted, but there were times where it would target either the closest dino or none at all. All in all, Tork: Prehistoric Punk isn’t one of the deepest or addicting platformers around, but it’s still kid-friendly, which is a rarity on store shelves. The game’s $20 price tag only sweetens the deal. The 8-and-younger crowd will surely find a lot to like about Tork, but older groups will find the action repetitive, making it more of a good weekend rental.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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