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Loki


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ESRB rating: Rating Pending ESRB:
Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
Genre(s): Action, Role Playing Game
Home Page: http://www.loki-game.com/en/
 






Preview





 
 
By: Aaron Barnes Aug 31, 2007

Something old, something borrowed...

'Some assistance from other members of my party, please!'

Before wrapping up the review, I spent some time in a multiplayer co-op game. Loki supports up to six players in co-op via GameCenter (note that this requires creating a character in GameCenter outside the game itself). The direct connection co-op (available without GameCenter) works quite well technically, with the caveat that the person hosting the game controls the movement from screen to screen. If a player wishes, joining a co-op game with a character created in solo mode will allow completion of quests on the solo game save, so that quests don't have to be repeated when playing the single-player game. A few other multiplayer modes area available, including one-on-one duels and team-based battles, and a Challenge mode which pits one to six players against one of the game's bosses. These token modes are overshadowed by the co-op play, which is fun if a bit too easy.

If my criticisms of the game seem pointed, it's because Loki has big shoes to fill as a hack 'n' slash RPG. Cyanide Studios don't introduce anything new to the genre, but copying a solid blueprint can still product a decent finished product. Unfortunately, some technical issues detract from the gameplay. The multiple story lines for the different playable characters are a big plus, adding to the replay value, but the omission of a SDK to facilitate third-party mods and levels will hurt the game's longevity. Save for some niggling control issues and a camera which can be difficult, combat is exciting and fun. But with a tacked-on story and gameplay which can't be differentiated from other hack 'n' slash titles, it certainly feels like I've played this game before. With some new elements and greater attention to detail, a follow-up to Loki certainly has the potential to move up the hierarchy in this simple yet intensely fun genre.

Summary of YouGamers Hardware Testing

The publisher of this game state the following specifications for their minimum and recommended requirements:

Component Publisher's Minimum Publisher's Recommended
Processor Intel Pentium 4 2GHz / AMD AthlonXP 2000+ Intel Pentium 4 3GHz / AMD AthlonXP 3000+
Memory 512 MB 1 GB
Graphics Card 64 MB DirectX 9 compatible 256 MB DirectX 9 compatible
Graphics Card Example 64MB ATI Radeon 9000 / NVIDIA GeForce 4 Ti ATI Radeon x850 / NVIDIA GeForce 6800GT
Free Disk Space 7 GB 7 GB
Net Link Not specified Not specified
 

To learn more about how YouGamers performs its hardware testing, click here. Through our extensive gameplay and hardware testing across the full spectrum of PC configurations, YouGamers suggests that one should use the following guidelines for an appropriate minimum and recommended setup:

Component YouGamers Minimum YouGamers Recommended
Processor Get it! AMD Athlon 64 3000+ / Get it! Intel Pentium 4 630 Get it! AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ / Get it! Intel Core 2 Duo E6400
Memory 512 MB 1024 MB
Graphics Card Get it! ATI Radeon X800 Pro 128MB / Get it! NVIDIA GeForce 6600 128MB Get it! ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT 256MB / Get it! NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT 256MB
Free Disk Space 7 GB 7 GB
Net Link Broadband Broadband
 

Scores

To learn more about our scoring methodology, please click here.

Gameplay 67 Almost a direct cribbing from other titles in the genre, it feels as though we've played this game before. The story is nice, but needs to be tied to the gameplay more effectively.
Graphics 68 Spell effects are nice, but the rest of the game – from environments to character models to textures – are mediocre. Loki is outclassed visually by other hack 'n' slash games.
Audio 58 Passable audio. The few ambient sounds do little to enhance the atmosphere, and sound effects could use some work. The amateur voice-overs should probably have been omitted.
Technology 60 A modern PC is capable of far more than Loki delivers. Positional audio is supposedly supported, but undetectable. The game's engine badly needs and improved camera, and tweaks to the controls would improve gameplay.
OVERALL
68
Neither horrible nor great, Loki is a solidly average hack 'n' slash RPG. Like reading a dimestore novel, the game is enjoyable but not worthy of the praise that other games in the genre garner . The multiple story lines deliver replayability, and the online co-op mode is fun. There's plenty of potential for improvement in a sequel.


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