“The time I feared has arrived; the darkness prophesied will soon descend upon us…” – Imhotep, Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy
Images and gameplay for Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy are courtesy of Eurocom.
Let’s go jump in the Way Back machine for a few minutes, and talk about a game developed by Eurocom and distributed by the now defunct THQ, and these days THQ Nordic. Eurocom, formerly known as Eurocom Entertainment Software, which was active from 1988 until 2012. They were responsible for some real gems such as: Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Duke Nukem 64 and Golden Eye 007 : Reloaded. Initially developed in 2003, the title was ported to PC in 2017, which is where I come in.
The Story of Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy
The story follows two protagonists, one named Sphinx and the other is Prince Tutankhamen (commonly referred to as Mummy or The Mummy in the game). The plot of the game revolves around action and puzzles as Sphinx and The Mummy try to save The Mummy from the land of darkness. Along the way you encounter other characters based off of Egyptian Mythology, such as Horus, Anubis, and Imhotep who are there to help you along your quest, which grows from a simple rescue mission, into a contest between gods, involving the fate of all Egypt.
I promise I’m not supposed to be dead…guys? Are we still friends?
Gameplay
Imagine if you will a game where the protagonist needs to save royalty from a dark and evil king, enjoys smashing open pots, has a divine sword that glows, and a musical chime plays whenever they open a chest or solve a puzzle. If you thought of Sphinx and The Cursed Mummy, then you are correct! However I completely understand if you thought of The Legend of Zelda.
Mechanics are an important part of any game, and the mechanics in Sphinx and The Cursed Mummy leave you with a sense of frustration. First things first, except for basic movement, the controls are not mapped to the key board. Although the game can be completed with nothing but a keyboard and mouse, the game does not provide any instruction on which keys perform what functions, instead only offering the button prompts for a gamepad. In addition, the game camera will be your worst enemy. The games default setting includes an inverted camera control scheme. I tried to change the controls for the camera through the menu, but changing the options did not alter anything in game.
The game also introduces new mechanics almost every chapter, including capturing monsters, double jump, sneaking, and the ability to use a blow gun. I found that including new mechanics throughout the game helped keep the pacing of the game going and kept my attention as I tried out the new toys that I was given.
The type of puzzles present in the game changes, depending on which character you are controlling. When you are playing as Sphinx the puzzles are more simplistic and typically revolve around hitting targets with your sword or blow gun or blowing up columns and other objects with the monsters found in the world. When playing as The Mummy you are challenged with environmental and elemental puzzles, such as using electricity to power a switch, or falling into a trap in order to gain access to the chest you need. Solving these puzzles, is integral to progressing the story. There are other game play differences between the two characters as well, such as Sphinx’s sword play versus The Mummy’s sneaking, keeping you from getting bored.
Storing valuables in baskets? Who knew it was such a good idea?
Graphics/Audio
I would say that the graphics in the game are fair. Overall, the graphics are stylized and remind me of the 3D animated cartoons that you would see on TV and are pleasant to look at. Background textures were not as well done as the character models. Unfortunately, the animations didn’t age well. Character motion is very stiff, and when two avatars interact, instead of touching, their models literally pass through each other. The new coat of paint was good though, I especially like the fire textures, they are very mesmerizing! The music in the game was pleasant, but not memorable. In all honesty, if it wasn’t there I wouldn’t have even noticed. Sadly, the most prominent aspect of the audio is Sphinx’s footsteps…there’s no way in hell he is sneaking up on anyone. It’s like a four year old eating Cap’n Crunch with their mouth open!
Do you know how I know that I’m the star? Look at how I shine compared to the rest of you!
Value
I am going to be honest, at first I did not like this game purely because of the issues with the mechanics mentioned above, but as I played the game I adjusted to the mechanics allowing the characters and story to grow on me. The $15 price tag seems ever so slightly high. There is plenty of content, tons of collection achievements will keep you going for a good amount of time. It’s just that as a retro title, even remastered, it feels 10-20% high.
Wise Old Gamer says: Slow your roll. Buy it…but use a coupon or wait for a sale to get the best value.
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