It is obvious that popular games get the most coverage – for good reason. Sure I could have covered, say, Diablo III or maybe Dragon Age II but honestly, those games get covered to death and I would rather look at something promising that few are aware of. So I present – Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom.
For those of us who are waiting with baited breath for Team Ico’s The Last Guardian, Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom might just provide a fix. At the time of writing, the demo should be available on PSN as well as Xbox LIVE. The full game is scheduled for a local release on November 26th on Xbox 360 and PS3.
Developed by Game Republic, Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom is to be an Adventure-Action-Puzzler. Personally, I am happy to see anything besides the barrage of action titles which have come to define this generation.
The back-story goes that there was a kingdom which was engulfed by darkness long, long ago, and now remains largely silent and lifeless. As the player you will control the young thief named Tepeu who stumbles across a lumbering and dimwitted creature known as Majin – Majin roughly translated means “magical being” in Japanese. Both Tepeu and Majin will venture into the depths of this forsaken kingdom to uncover its past as well as the secrets behind Majin.
The defining character certainly is Majin, a large rock-hewn creature sporting plant growth about its body. Majin is an innocent, child-like being, in contrast to Tepeu who is a thief. Both will need to work together if they are to survive.
To survive, they can attack individually or they can work together unleashing devastating co-op attacks. But be wary, friendly fire is enabled, so do not go swinging around recklessly with Majin, or Tepeu may find himself in an early grave and you staring at a game-over screen.
They also need each other to traverse and navigate the puzzle-like environments. Majin has the strength to open up large doors or deal massive blows to equally large enemies. He is, however, vulnerable in his slow movement. For example, if an enemy manages to get behind him he may be in trouble. This is where Tepeu comes in. Tepeu is fast and can dispatch those enemies that Majin cannot. Being a thief, Tepeu can use stealth for sneaking up on enemies for silent and deadly take-downs. Overall, the theme here is teamwork and impressions so far suggest it works well.
The world itself is vivid and full of bright colours. This is refreshing considering how many of this generation’s games are dulled with their seemingly ever growing shades of brown and grey, all in search of “realism”. Visually, many have lauded Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom for its artistic style.
It is said that the game will span roughly 30 hours. Early opinions based on the demo, suggest it is a flawed gem, but the reception has been good overall. Some have found Majin’s voice-acting to be grating, whilst others mention dodgy textures.
Many have noticed the similarities between Majin and the Forsaken and Team Ico’s previous works, specifically the forthcoming The Last Guardian. It certainly bears a resemblance which likely arises from members of the team having worked on Shadow of the Colossus. Namco have stated, however, that Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom was in development long before The Last Guardian.
So, anyone looking for some ‘The Last Guardian – esque’ action to tide them over till its release, should consider Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom out on 26thrd November. It looks to be shaping up to be a sleeper hit.
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