Genre: Platformer

Platform: Playstation 2

Publisher: Atari

Developer: Eden Studios

ESRB: Teen (T)

Released: Q4 2004

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Pros:

- Great looking environments

- Mini-Games

- Good fighting system

- Good amount of variation between levels

Cons:

- Uninspiring storyline

- Some camera issues

- Some may find the game too easy, while others may find it too hard

- Navigating levels can be troublesome at times

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"Kya: Dark Lineage is overall, a solid entry into a crowded platformer market."

It has now become a cliché to bring up great titles such as Ratchet and Clank, Jak and Daxter, and Sly Cooper every time the genre of platform games is mentioned but they have set the standard of excellence in terms of platformer games on the Playstation 2. Kya: Dark Lineage (KDL) hopes to add its name to a great list of adventure games.

KDL puts you in the role of a teenage girl named Kya, who lives with her brother, Frank – seemingly orphans. One night Kya and Frank stumble across a hidden room in their house, which leads to a secret portal. Immediately, Kya and Frank are teleported into a world populated with non-human species. There are two species: the Nativs (the good guys) and Wolfens (the bad guys). The two are at war and the Nativs are in desperate need of help. Wolfens often capture the Nativs and use a special machine to turn the Nativs into Wolfens. We soon learn that Kya’s father is the Wolfen leader named Brazul. Meanwhile, Kya’s brother is taken prisoner by the Wolfens and it’s your job to rescue him and find your way home by working alongside the Nativs.

KDL borrows a lot of game play mechanics from other games in this genre. There are lots of puzzles, inventory upgrades, jumping elements, weapons and collecting of various objects. At the beginning of the game you start off in the Nativs’ world to become more familiar with the basic actions, moves and characters you will be facing off against.

Your primary weapon is a boomerang, which is isn’t entirely effective against Wolfens, but does a decent job against smaller enemies. The boomerang does have one major advantage against Wolfens. There are times when Kya needs to get from one place to another, but with multiple Wolfens watching the area. You can hide behind an object and throw your boomerang at the Wolfens to get them worked up enough to kill each other.

Along with your basic weapons, there is a lot of hand-to-hand combat in the game. As you gain more experience and get more 

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upgrades, the more moves your character will be able to perform. The way the hand-to-hand combat works is that when you get close enough to a Wolfen the camera will zoom in to mimic the style of game like Soul Calibur 2. The fighting system is well done and a lot of fun. The game is forgiving, as you won’t be engaging against multiple Wolfens during hand-to-hand combat. There will usually be one Wolfen fighting you and the other Wolfens cheering him on.

There are a lot of collectable items in KDL including gold coins, called Nooties, which can be used to buy weapons and special gear. Another important item are Mana Balls, which can be used to exorcize Wolfens. Once you defeat a Wolfen you can banish them by holding the triangle button and the Wolfen will turn back into a Nativ. This increases the Nativ population and the newly formed Nativs will build new shops in which you can buy items. Many of the different goals you are given involve freeing a number of Wolfens in an area. There are also tiny artifacts called Runes, which must be all collected in order for Kya and Frank to return safely back home.

The environments themselves are large and expansive. Depending on the environment, there will be certain breeds Wolfens that are indigenous to that area. Almost all of the environments contain wind tunnels. The wind tunnels can either give you a lift to another part of the level or transport you to another level or back to the Nativ City. Also scattered throughout the Nativ City are mini-games, which can be wagered on.

Besides the on-foot action there are some segments in the game in which you can ride a speedy animal called a Jamgut. A Jamgut becomes useful when you need to jump over various obstacles or run away from different hazards. You’ll also get a kind of surfboard, which can be used to move down narrow tubes.

The game has a number of drawbacks that prevent it from achieving its full potential.

The most obvious problem is the camera issues. In open areas the camera is fine, but in more confined areas the camera tends to zoom out and sometimes takes the focus off your character. You’re usually left wandering around without seeing your character. In order to return the camera to its default position you need to move your character around a bit. It’s even worse when you’re engaged in combat in these areas.

Another problem is the navigation in the game. You’ll often come to a dead end in a level because you don’t have a certain gadget and you’re required to go back to the Nativ City in order to buy the gadget. The developers should have adopted a Ratchet and Clank style system in which each level has a weapons and inventory station. It’s a real inconvenience to switch back between levels.

The visuals are nicely done with lots of rich and vibrant colors. The viewing distance is extremely long and the character models look excellent.

The sound has its ups and downs. The voices of the Nativ and Wolfen characters are very corny and something you’d expect from a Saturday morning cartoon. On the other hand Kya and Frank’s voices are nicely done.

Kya: Dark Lineage is an overall solid entry into a crowded platformer market.  I would have scored KDL a lot higher if it wasn’t hindered by annoyances such as the camera and having to trek across the land to get to shops. If you’re extremely ambitious about platformer games then give KDL a try. At the very least it’s an excellent weekend rental.

- Siddharth Masand

(February 4, 2004)

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