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The Daily Click ::. Downloads ::. Review Review: Clouds Kingdom 2
As I started up the game, I certainly had high hopes- the title screen was presented very well. But I soon realized that I was playing little more than another generic run-n-jump game. *GAMEPLAY* The gameplay in CK2 is just the same old platforming stuff we've all seen already. You move, jump, and collect crystals to gain extra lives. The level design is way too linear; on only one occasion did I actually find a practical use for moving backwards. Not to mention that the game is way too easy- the only threats are spikes and falling off platforms. Some enemies would have added a little variety. You'd think such an evil antagonist would have a few henchman. I was also surprised that not only did the game end way too quickly, but there was no boss, and instead a cliffhanger implying that we'll have to wait until CK3 before we get to fight him. Which I suppose is a fitting ending, since I didn't really have to work too hard to attain it. To the game's credit, though, the platform movement engine was very stable and worked quite well. *GRAPHICS* The graphics in CK2 are decent, at best (Judging from the screenshots of CK1, they are much improved). The main character's sprite was fine, but it certainly could've been animated more- a jumping animation would have been nice. The background graphics were alright, though they felt a little barren (I would suggest adding in large scale backdrop images, such as mountains, instead of a plain blue sky). Some of the platform graphics looked odd, as they seemed to just cut off. However, some of the levels had some nice graphical touches, like the pyramid level's hieroglyphics and torches. Also, the cutscenes were nicely presented. *SOUND AND MUSIC* Of what little music there was, it sounded just fine- although for some reason the first few levels had no music whatsoever. The sounds were just standard stuff, and fit nicely with the rest of the game. *PRESENTATION* Though the majority of the game looks rather dull and uninspired, the title screen looked very impressive. The cutscenes were nicely presented as well. *LASTABILITY* As I had mentioned earlier, this game is short. On top of that, it is ridiculously easy to finish. I found only one area of the game that I had to go out of my way for, and the rest the game is way too linear. There is almost no reason whatsoever to play through a second time (unless there was a secret I missed..?). *B O T T O M L I N E* CK2, though an improvement over the original, is a short, dull, and overly easy, generic platformer. It lacks any real visual flair, and the few levels included are much too straightforward and simple. CK2 adds little, if anything at all, to an old, worn-out genre filled with much higher quality games than this. While it has a few high points of its own, its problems are much too numerous to look past. Hopefully CK3 will improve on these problems, and maybe even add something fresh and new to the genre.
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  Mediocre   AdvertisementWorth A Click   |
