I was so glad to see this second opinion for Sphinx yesterday. I was writing my own belated 2nd Op on the game this time last year, but as Brad points out the game seems to be cursed with a forgettable quality that undermines its genuine class.
Brad's review-cum-apology was spot-on. It's such a shame that Sphinx is so easy to dismiss as a generic cartoon romp because it plies its trade far better than most, with some excellent level designs and a rare lack of pretension (the characters are all mute - woohoo!). It's a real hidden gem.
These kinds of games fly below the radar of so many gamers simply because of their generic appearance and play mechanics, and the lukewarm response most critics unthinkingly give them--like
Legend Of Kay, which I reviewed last year. But if you want a lesson in how generic building blocks can be used
properly to create a fun and compelling adventure game then I urge any GC readers to check out Sphinx for themselves.
(Incidentally, I work with a programmer who worked on Sphinx briefly and apparently there was talk of a sequel, but obviously nothing ever came of it. Though for what it's worth, Sphinx actually sold better than Beyond Good And Evil. Um, that's not worth a whole lot really, is it?
)
Linear Mode
