Vitalstatistix rose his arm and shouted... (Asterix & Obelix (PS))

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Product:	Asterix & Obelix (PS)
Date:	26/08/01 (42 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: look below

Disadvantages: look below

Asterix - PSX

Surrounded on all sides by hook-nosed imperials, a small village stands alone in a desperate fight for freedom... almost...

France can boast a few things. The invention of the corrugated car, a cheap imitation of Blackpool tower, a World Cup trophy and, of course, a bushy faced Gaul going by the name of Asterix, or '*' to his friends.

Asterix and long-suffering rotund mate, Obelix, have continually thwarted attempts of complete domination by the Romans thanks to a magical potion concocted by their bearded druid and mentor, Getafix.

Now, he calls upon the super-powered boys to travel into Imperial-infested France, search the length and breadth of the country and bring back eight vital ingredients for a new potion he has brewing on the stove. If I had known from the beginning what he was brewing I would have never played this game because the ending is as anti-climactic as having sex with Margaret Thatcher... on a cold day.

Setting out on their quest, the most startling discovery upon Asterix's Playstation debut is finding the majority of the game is map-oriented. Beginning in the Northwest corner of France (or Gaul) with a measly clump of turf you must tactfully strive out to regain Gaulish territories from the Romans. If you manage to reach certain landmark territories, a sub-game will spring open allowing you to earn a piece of Getafix's ingredient. Getting to them is chronically simple. Attacks are turn-based and once your moves are exhausted, you automatically have reinforcements and extra servings of potions lashed upon you... for no reason! This makes any real thought redundant and anyone with a gnat's grasp of maths knows that five troops easy whip a lone Roman infantryman cowering behind his shield.

Another completely dumbfounding question that all this 'strategy' poses is 'why?' Since when did Asterix become a great warlord commanding legions of ha
iry beer swilling soldiers? Wasn't it once a case of guzzling a few pints of magic potion then taking on a garrison bare handed? Don't get me wrong, Asterix does indeed encounter the odd brawl but I wanted thousands of them!

Each time either one of our heroes conquer a landmark they enter a platform game and end up trudging around a Roman town or port collecting coins, thumping a few guards, doing it all in the most lethargic, abrupt fashion. Drag yourself to the end, pick up an ingredient. Hey-presto, back to the map. Interspersed between these high class whirlwinds of platforming fun are sub-games laced with a genuine wry humour that much of the game is lacking. Obelix tossing Romans like Olympic hammers is certainly the highlight. Says a lot for the rest.

If you happen to die during an attempt of gaining control over a city or port you are then transported back to the map courtesy of an excruciatingly long loading screen where you are given another chance. This means you continually switch between map and platform area waiting for each section to load. It's like waiting for Geri Halliwell to be nominated for an Oscar. The shoddy depth of field and disturbing camera angles will also see you travelling back and forth between map and platform more times than is fun.

Aiming at a wider market by incorporating two genres could have been stunning if Asterix held more of a challenge. All it has done though is to dilute down the gameplay on both levels making each part vacant on thrills.

Advantages:

Great sub-game (yes, singular)
Contains two genres
Bashing Romans has got to be fun.

Disadvantages:

No Dogmatix!
Platform element not polished
Long loading screen makes it a bore

My Rating:

Graphics: 4
Sound: 4
Lifespan: 8
Overall: 5 - not exactly a Boxoftrix...


IJC

Summary: