Xena: Warrior Princess

When I picked up a copy of Xena: Warrior Princess for the Sony Playstation, I wasn't expecting a top-line game. Licensed games are typically second-string offerings, churned out to make a fast buck off fans of the subject. After the initial hype has passed, they typically languish in bargain bins and sit on the shelf collecting dust.

That said, the game is fun. It manages to capture some of the essence of the show -- from the pulse-pounding action to the off-beat pop-culture humor. Still, the game isn't perfect. I found several things to be lacking.

My general recommendation? I suggest you rent the game first, if possible, to see if it's something you're interested in permanently adding to your collection. Otherwise, look for used copies, or track it down (like I did) at Wal-Mart, which had a copy for about thirty-five bucks. The suggested retail price is a bit steep for what you get out of the game.

Gameplay

The plot of the game revolves around the efforts of Kalabrax (one of the titans, or a servant of theirs -- the story does say exactly) to escape a prison the Olympian gods put her in and rule the world. To do so, she needs the sacrifice of a queen and (not surprisingly) Gabrielle fits the bill.

In the chronology of the series, this adventure probably takes place late season two, after Gabrielle has become Queen of the Amazons (otherwise, why would Kalabrax want her). Gab sports the short skirt and green tank top that is most commonly identified with the character, so this is also in line wih the placement of this adventure in the chronology.

As the player, you are Xena, who jumps, kicks, and slashes her way through twenty-one levels of varying terrain to rescue Gabrielle and foil Kalabrax's plot. Putting in cameo appearances along the way are Ares, who pops in now and again to taunt you, and Hades, who sends you back to Earth after Kalabrax dumps you into the underworld.

The game is an action title presented in a third-person view reminiscent of the Tomb Raider games. The camera is placed above and behind Xena, allowing you to watch the Warrior Princess in action. At times the camera's AI can be a bit wonky, placing itself in less than favorable positions. Also, I find that it is typically placed a little bit high, limiting your view of the surrounding terrain. This is especially troublesome when an enemy ambushes you and you don't see them coming until they're thrusting a sword into your gut.

There are two places where the camera works, though. When a stationary object is between Xena and the camera, the object goes transparent. You know it's there (from a faded outline) but you can still see what's going on.

The other is when throwing the chakram. You get a "chase cam" view that allows you to steer the weapon for greater accuracy. Throws as impressive as those on the show aren't possible, but you can hit targets around corners, and every so often (if the enemies are placed just right) you can get a double strike.

Not surprisingly, the main focus of the game is combat. There are a large number of different kicks, slashes, and combinations of the two that enable you to take down enemies. The action is fast-paced and intense. Indeed, I feel it may be a bit too fast-paced. Some of the more complex (and powerful) combinations are just too bothersome to pull off in the heat of the moment. Still, the kinetic energy of the show is clearly evident, and the wide variety of different-looking basic moves keeps things from getting dull.

The game isn't just combat, though. There are some minor puzzle aspects to the game as well. Most of them involve taking out opponents that clearly can't be defeated in a stand-up fight (most notably a giant cyclops and a fire-breathing dragon). But there are other thinking aspects of the game as well. None of them are tremendously difficult, especially as there are scrolls placed throughout the game that provide hints to most of the problems you'll face.

In fact, the presence of the scrolls makes the game a bit too easy if you ask me. I would suggest avoiding them altogether at first, only resorting to them if you find yourself particularly stuck. Not having gathered them all, I don't know if they open up any special features.

Another problem is how short the levels are. Most of them can be completed in about three to five minutes, although several of them will be played multiple times as you figure out the nuances of the various areas through trial and error -- usually by dying and starting over. Even with this, the total amount of play time is looking to end up in the neighborhood of four or five hours total. That just seems to be far too little gameplay for the money -- about eight or nine dollars an hour at suggested retail.

So much for the important aspects of gameplay. What about the reason fans will plunk down hard earned cash for this thing, the Xena logo?

Other Stuff

The humor from the show is certainly present. Every so often the various characters will utter one-liners. I'm especially fond of when Xena tells an enemy "Don't quit your day job." Also, various signs that point the way to go will offer some humorous comment or other (like the sign in front of Hades's castle that reads "Now serving customer #93487263"). Also, a dead shark hanging on one of the levels spits out various things when hit -- half a surfboard, an anchor, and so forth. The tongue-in-cheek humor is certainly present.

However, there is very little presence from established characters in the show. You see Xena all the time (as is to be expected), but Gabrielle only shows up in a couple of places (usually calling out "Where are you Xena?" and "Help me!"), Ares does little more than taunt you a couple of times, and Hades has a brief scene.

Granted, the story seems to have little place for fan favoirites like Callisto, Joxer, and Autolycus. But there is a renegade band of Amazons you have to fight. Couldn't Ephiny have been written in to provide some background for this renegade tribe? Only including the barest bone characters from the show is disappointing.

And the voice actors they got, while good, clearly aren't Lucy, Renee, or any of the other actors we've come to recognize over the years. It is cheaper to do it that way, but given the money involved, and how little the characters actually speak, you think they could have gotten the cast to spend a week or so in a recording studio. Little touches like that would really make a difference.

The background music is pseudo-Xena. Only the score for the opening cinematic has a true Xena feel. The rest of it is okay, but certainly not up to the level of composer like LoDuca. With a licensed game, how difficult would it be to digitize some of the classic scores from the TV show as background? Not even the famous opening theme is included (at least that I've encountered). Once again, the little things make a difference.

Fortunately, the sound effects of steel on steel, the whoosh of the chakram, and the cries of the wounded are well done. Since the effects and background music are controlled separately in the options menu, I've taken to turning the volume of the music down and playing my Xena soundtrack CDs. It enhances the experience.

In summary, this game is pretty fun, does what it does reasonably well, and captures some of the elements of the show I've come to love. Some little touches are missing that would have made a big difference. Given the amount of gameplay you'll actually get (maybe a week before completing it), the forty-five dollar price tag seems a bit steep. You'd be better served renting it first, and then tracking it down on sale if you enjoy it. I'm not saying the game sucks, it's just that I personally want more for my gaming dollar.

Final Grade: "C" -- worth looking at, but certainly not necessary for your Xena collection.

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