As if by fate, April 2017 has become a popular time for different companies to release remastered versions of popular titles that were released many years ago. One such title is Voodoo Vince: Remastered that was originally released on Microsoft’s Xbox, which was was the company’s first proper foray into the world of video-games hardware.
There have been many popular titles released exclusively on the Xbox that are worthy of a current generation remaster. What makes Voodoo Vince one of them is its bizarre setting and main character. It all starts when voodoo shop owner Madame Charmaine is captured by power hungry Kosmo, in order to steal her magical zombie dust. The zombie dust is let loose on the world and starts twisting it in a way that makes it seem closer to what the afterlife probably looks like. Luckily it also brings to life one of Madame Charmaine’s favourite voodoo dolls, Vince, who is then coached by her telepathically as he attempts to gather all the zombie dust and defeat Kosmo.
Given Vince’s size, it is nice to see the title take advantage of it to provide levels where everything feels huge in comparison. Perhaps that is why each of the levels really does feel huge in size given that it takes a bit of time to explore it. In fact, Voodoo Vince is one of those rare times where there is so much content to explore that it feels almost overwhelming to attempt to complete the whole game.
Fortunately each of these levels is usually filled with clever puzzles that are solved in a natural manner that allows players to figure out the solution for themselves, without the need of too much hand holding. At times Vince’s mistress will offer hints and it usually occurs during boss battles, but it’s done in a manner that doesn’t feel patronising and like it’s just giving away the solution. This mostly comes down to the fact that most boss battles usually consist of preparing an elaborate trap before proceeding to putting the plan in action.
Given Vince’s humble beginnings as a voodoo doll, it means that he can handle most kinds of pain. This results in some amusing outcomes, like using him as a conduit for electricity, in order to then fry a giant dinosaur skeleton. This impressive pain endurance also comes in handy when making use of Vince’s special voodoo power. He can grab orbs dropped by enemies that he hits to fill a bar. It’s then possible to make use of one of many voodoo torture related special power, which Vince can find on his adventure, to defeat enemies within range. Although it’s a powerful ability, it still feels somewhat basic given that the only control players are given is to choose the area where it’s unleashed. There is also the fact that the special ability is randomly unleashed and the only difference is the animation when it’s activated.
Each of the levels within an area is brought together by a common theme, such as a creepy house that wouldn’t look out of place down in a swamp somewhere in Florida. But what truly brings them together is how they are designed to make it so that going from one level to another feels natural. At several points the character is asked to gather items for other characters and each one is within one of the other levels. This gives players the sense that they have a limited degree of where to go next when presented with more than one choice. Perhaps one of the best design ideas is to allow players to go back to previously visited levels from a travel station found within each level. Given the amount of collectibles in the title, it’s very useful since it means not being pressured into having to find them all whilst progressing through the story.
As a 3D platform title, it’s only natural that it is essential for certain basic controls to work efficiently. Unfortunately, this is not always the case when making use of the double jump ability. There were moments whilst playing where the double jump ability didn’t work as intended with the outcome not being particularly pleasant. Still, it’s not a major concern and it’s one that rarely happened whilst playing the title.
Despite the lure of the puzzles and the unique ways they are solved, it’s nice to take a break when coming across levels that seem more like mini-games. It certainly helps to avoid turning the title into a chore, particularly important given the amount of content to play, with mini-game style levels such as one where Vince is in a mine cart going down multiple line to pick up a certain number of clothing items. Although these mini-games tend to be a tad harsh since it’s necessary to start from the beginning when failing, like being hit by most obstacles in the mine cart level. In the case of the mine cart level, it’s also often difficult to see what obstacles lie ahead because of the large size of the clothing items.
Still, it’s necessary to commend developer Beep Games Industries for coming up with news ideas in an attempt to amuse players to the very end. This ranges from a neat platform section where players must follow a ghost that guides Vince across a path riddled with dangers to a brief shrimp fishing sting. The title also has a knack for getting progressively harder in later areas. Whilst quitting a level results in losing all progress in that level when coming back, at least the progress is stored when the same happens after losing all lives.
One of the better aspects of Voodoo Vince is the witty dialogue and the spunky main character who doesn’t shy away from making sarcastic remarks at various points of the story. The adventure can also get exceptionally creepy at times with the likes of a self-conscious doll with a demonic streak making an appearance. All of these elements are brought together by the twisted sense of humour that makes itself known at different points with some rather grim outcomes for the likes of cute animals. If anything, the story is reminiscent of old school Rare titles such as Banjo-Kazooie.
Given the somewhat gothic theme of the title, it’s not surprising that it relies heavily on a rather dark colour palette. Still, the use of oversized objects to emphasise Vince’s small stature and the warped reality that the zombie dust has created makes for some eccentric sights. Then there’s the lively soundtrack that is reminiscent of Latin music, which makes sense given the Dia de Los Muertos vibe. The remaster has done a decent job of ensuring that assets don’t look stretched in full screen and they definitely seem better than those found in the original. Not only that, but the developer made changes to the user interface that make it looks less cluttered. It’s great to also be able to report that there were no issues performance wise.
It’s interesting to see that this remastered effort still holds up after being released so many years ago on the original Xbox. Voodoo Vince: Remastered is not without its flaws, but it still manages to be a pleasant experience for those new to it or those that may want to see how it looks in remastered form.
