Universal Interactive Studios Scorpion King for PlayStation 2

Description: Even for nonfans of the Rock,The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadian still manages to surprise and charm. Exceeding the expectations of the movie tie-in game is easy, but even with that meager goal,The Scorpion King rides high. The game makers didn't.... Read More

Description: Even for nonfans of the Rock,The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadian still manages to surprise and charm. Exceeding the expectations of the movie tie-in game is easy, but even with that meager goal,The Scorpion King rides high. The game makers didn't cheat on details: voiceover is provided by the actor (Dwayne Johnson), and the storyline is great. After you walk through a basic training in the middle of the desert, your first quest is to fight for a woman's fallen honor. Here's the kind of thing that makes a game good: when Mathayus (your avatar) hits someone and they fall to the ground, his head slowly moves as he watches the enemy get up again. Those touches don't come cheap, and neither does intelligent game design. When you find a health power-up, itcomes to you, saving you the annoyance of having to back out of battle to pick it up. Because of this, you walk through the map much more quickly--even Mathayus himself seems a little loose and speeded-up in his movements, compared with other games. Where they could have had a cheap cop-out game (knowing they'd sell a certain number to fans regardless), the team behindThe Scorpion King made a fun mid-difficulty-level game. It's unlikely you'll stay up till all hours playing this title, but the hours you spend will be fun and engaging, with good visuals and few mechanical annoyances.--Jennifer BuckendorffPros:Strong visuals and good mechanical designElegant, Egyptian-themed displaysVoiceover from the Rock himselfGood atmospheric musicSatisfying fight sequencesCons:No free-roaming explorationCamera angles can get in the wayFighting dominated by wrestling moves Minimize