Sudeki
- May 03, 2004 11:46 AM PST
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Venture forth into the lands of Sudeki, as we take Microsoft's banner RPG for a test drive.
Sudeki is the 3D action/RPG that Xbox role-playing fans (yes, they do exist) have been waiting for. Microsoft seems rather proud of this latest effort, and judging from the preview build it has every right to be.Long ago, the good but lonely god who ruled over the bright world of Sudeki decided to create a companion for himself, and so created a twin god from his own shadow. Eventually the dark twin grew powerful and greedy and overthrew his good brother.
The world of Sudeki soon fell into a period of chaos and all hope seemed lost until four warriors (three from the tribes of men and the last from the tribe of animals) stood against the dark god and defeated him in battle. Recognizing his defeat, the dark god split the world in two and disappeared for a thousand years. Now, centuries later, evil beings have mysteriously begun invading the bright world of Sudeki and spreading terror throughout the land, as new heroes rise up to once again quell the deadly advances of the dark forces.
Graphically, Sudeki is a sight to behold. Everything from the fantastic architecture of the castles and cities to the lush foliage of the open wilderness has a unique and fairytale-like appearance that helps create a truly immersive and beautiful world for you to explore. The realistic lighting and shadow effects are also outstanding, with swords and armor glistening believably in the sun one moment and then appearing cool and dusky under the leafy shadows of a tree the next. What?s more, the standard over the shoulder perspective may be switched to a convenient first-person view at any time during non-combat play by simply pressing the left trigger, thereby allowing you to better observe your surroundings and generally absorb the gorgeous scenery.
The character design in Sudeki resembles that of a Japanese anime, with cartoony, red and blue haired heroes being the order of the day. The pleasing anime-style visuals in Sudeki may appear somewhat childish at first glance, but one look at the barbarous enemy soldiers and their brutal beasts will quickly remind you of the seriousness of your quest.
Though the realm of Sudeki is full of beautiful sunsets and leaves floating in the breeze, it is also ripe with the corpses of your fallen comrades and the blood of your defeated enemies -- the game proves itself capable of maintaining a lighthearted visual style without sacrificing the ominous tone of impending doom. Whether you?re rambling through the bustling avenues of a lively marketplace or engaged in deadly combat against hordes of light-spawned fiends, the game?s detailed visual style and excellent animation will have your Xbox hard at work pumping out the high powered graphics that make up this fanciful land.
As an action/RPG, Sudeki puts you in control of the battles, while the inventive combat system makes fighting with each character a distinctive experience. Melee fighters like Tal the swordsman and Buki the warrior fight from a third-person perspective, while long-range fighters like magicians and marksmen use a first-person view. However, battling as a close-range fighter can be a bit cumbersome since the key to success lies in unleashing powerful combo attacks that require careful timing and attentiveness. And because Tal and Buki take short pauses between each swing, the fighting can feel a bit stilted at times and nearly turn based in its presentation. Rapid pressing of the combat buttons only leads to harmless flailing and wasted attacks. Needless to say, the action in Sudeki is definitely not of the arcade variety.
Fighting as a ranged character is much more comfortable and offers both a more engaging perspective and an easier targeting system. Also, a basic quick menu is accessible during battles from which you can choose between your special skill attacks and healing items. Opening the menu will slow the onscreen action to a crawl (an effect that looks something like the bullet-time slow motion in many shooting games), which clever gamers will use as a means of anticipating a foes next move by readying a counterattack of their own.
Because Sudeki is a party based RPG, you?ll often find yourself in control of multiple characters at a single time. In non-combat areas, one character acts as the lead while the others become computer-controlled followers. Since each character has a specific set of skills, you will need to regularly alternate your control of the party leader in situations that require the use of specific abilities, for example Ailish?s ?second sight?, which allows you to see through enchantments.
During battles, you control the actions of a single character while the computer assumes control of the unused party members (all of whom attack and defend with surprisingly competent A.I.). Each character?s battle A.I. can be manipulated via a sub menu prior to fighting, but control freaks who leave nothing to chance can rotate between the party members by simply pressing the Black and White buttons in and out of combat.
Like any good RPG worth its salt, leveling up and character improvement is the name of the game. Experience points can be gained both by defeating monsters in battle and by successfully completing mini-games, side-quests and mission objectives. Each level gained yields points with which you can purchase statistical upgrades for your characters in categories like power and vitality, or new skills and abilities. Weapons and armor can also be improved by inscribing powerful, enchanted runes on a given piece of equipment at any blacksmith shop.
Runes not only upgrade the attack power of a weapon or the defense of a piece of armor but also grant new attributes to the selected item, like poison infliction, anti-status ailments or hit-point recovery. Each piece of equipment has a certain number of open slots in which you may engrave a purchased rune, with more powerful items having more slots to allow for greater customization.
In addition to the central quest to reunite the world Sudeki and save it from the powers of darkness are a myriad of side-quests. Though the free roaming aspect of most RPG?s is nearly absent from Sudeki (you cannot freely explore the lands, as travel outside of towns is restricted to set roads and pathways), the number of extra missions and tasks lends a feeling of open-endedness to what would otherwise be a rather straightforward and linear (albeit enjoyable) RPG.
Hours upon hours of gameplay combined with a cool character customization feature and a real-time combat system should make Sudeki one to watch for when it hits store shelves this June. With impressive graphics set in an engaging world, Sudeki is shaping up to be an Xbox owner?s answer to the recent drought of quality RPG?s on the big black box.
