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I think at some stage most people have heard of Dinotopia, the mythical land
where humans and dinosaurs co-exist. Even if you don't know the story, you
would have at some stage seen the incredibly detailed pictures from the
books and posters that adorn most book shops.
This game is an odd one as it's a nice
looking game that just isn't a ton of fun to play. You can see that enough
work has been put into the title to make it visually appealing but there are
a number of factors that make it a game that maybe little kids who like
dinosaurs will enjoy. The story is basic enough and those familiar with the
movies etc will know it. There are two brothers, Drake and Jacob Gemini who
lose their father who is killed by a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Jacob takes the side
of humans who wish to rid the world of dinosaurs and Drake is all for the
peaceful coexistance between the two species.
What ensues is a basic go get it kind of
game where you'll be sent on various tasks to get an item to get something
done. There is a basic combat involved with the game that is pretty neat,
however the range of moves are not comprehensive enough to redeem the title
as a fighter. You get to play the game as good guy Drake who gets to whack
things with a mallet that has upgradeable heads.
There are two main attacks that are
standard to the game and then there is a magic attack that can be undertaken
if your magic level is high enough to get jiggy with it. Even though these
upgrades do exist, you just know what you are in for from the very
beginning, and for anyone who is more than a casual gamer or small child,
it's just not going to be enough to hold your interest for very long.
Graphically Dinotopia is moderately
pleasant to look at, however doesn't offer anything new in terms of realism.
Animations are solid and in as far as movement goes, everything moves nice
and smoothly and for the most part at a very solid framerate so in terms of
general experience through gameplay there isn't much to complain about. It's
simply a case that some of the texture work appears to be a little flat and
"samey".
Audio is the brightest point to the game
from my point of view with a great soundtrack running through the background
that reacts to the player's environment and circumstances. The music plays
well and does immerse you a little bit into the game however it's not enough
to keep anyone older than 13 interested the whole way through.
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