Jewel Case Release
| Genre: Adventure |
CDs: 1 |
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| Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment |
Released: June 12, 2001 |
| Developer: Eurocom Developments Limited |
UPC: 7 11719 46362 7 |
| Sony ID: SCUS-94636 |
PSRM: 022540 |
| Players: 1 Player |
Memory: 1 Block |
| Accessories: Analog, Vibration |
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| ESRB: Everyone – Violence |
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| Box Copy:
Deep…below the Earth’s surface dwells mystery beyond your wildest dreams. Deeper…lies an ancient, undiscovered land. Deeper still…the keys to unlock its secret wait deep below the Earth’s surface. Driven by the legend of Atlantis, join Milo Thatch as he leads a team of experts to unlock the secrets of The Lost Empire. Journey to uncharted depths, far below the ocean surface where hidden dangers swim, lurk and spy from every nook and cranny. What you encounter next will change things forever…The Adventure Awaits You. 4 completely unique vehicles • Disney-style gameplay • 6 playable characters • Dive into 12 huge worlds
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Variants
- There are no listed variants.
Misprints
- There are no known misprints.
Review
Licensed games have a reputation in the gaming industry. They’re either quick cash grabs with horrible outcomes, or their quick cash grabs that turn out pretty darn well. Disney, Sony, and several of their publishing partners seemed to have found magic most of the time in the PlayStation era, with Disney’s Atlantis proving the point.
Based on the 2001 animated film, Disney’s Atlantis: The Lost Empire was released the same week as the film hit theaters, being an easy tie-in purchase for folks whose theater happened to be near a video game store. Players take control of the lead character and linguist Milo Thatch, who can read the Atlantean language. He convinces a millionaire to fund an expedition to find the lost city but must join the crew in return. This leads to a ragtag group of characters in-game, which uses their in-film expertise as puzzle elements in the levels.
Milo is the main character, whose athletic abilities allow him to climb, throw a boomerang, and handle most of the heavy workload. Kida, the Atlantean of the group, follows suit but with a staff and better jumping abilities, but trades out moving heavy items for being able to walk among guards freely. Vinny, Audrey, and Molien have their skills, but they are too often only used in one-off situations.
Developers Eurocom went with the appropriate adventure angle route, with a small twist. Rather than have players run through the stages in order, the level selection screen acts as a world hub. One stage will take players to two separate elemental trials, requiring them to return to the previous stage with the gems they uncover. A second stage ends in different branches, requiring several returns to acquire all the collectibles in the game. We’ll get to those in a bit.
Getting back to the game, there is an amazing amount of variety to be had. The training mission sees Milo talking to Mr. Whitmore, filling in as your instructor. After learning the ropes of controls and acquiring your boomerang and compass, it’s off to find Atlantis.
After a brief movie clip, the game starts with the Leviathan attack on the Ulysses ship. Players will bounce between Milo reaching locations and Audrey repairing them. It’s a genius first level as it introduces most game play mechanics, including swimming, in one easy process. Once everyone is safely off the ship, it’s the game’s only real boss fight until the end of the game. Fending off the Leviathan is easy, but from there, it’s a mad dash to reach the next area. Here’s where the first of several racing stages appear.
Players will dodge, weave, and fend off attackers in an auto-scrolling stage before finally arriving at the Cove. This is where the game’s first split happens. The Cove is a hub that branches off into the Fire and Ice Trials. Each of these trials requires obtaining an elemental gem at the end of each trial and bringing both of them back to the cove. Once in place, the final run through the cove can be accomplished. Reaching the end will bring you to the next racing sequence, escaping in the truck.
If I’m being honest, this is where the game falls apart for a moment or two. The truck stage is a trial unto itself because players must keep track of 4 dangers at once. First, collect gas cans so they don’t run out of fuel. Second, the truck’s health as it takes damage from debris and other hazards. Three, not falling off the edge or worse being pushed off it by various hazards, and finally, the controls. The controls seem to freak out with some clipping elements. Especially if the truck hits the path edge and the game can’t decide if you’re on or off. Be prepared to play this sequence a few times.
Once that chaos is over, I only have a few minor quibbles in the next two stages, specifically with the re-spawn points. Checkpoints are little radios spread around the areas where you can save your progress, swap available characters, and where you re-spawn if you die. Several radios are set too far from puzzle elements that can kill you or reset your position. One stage has a sequence that requires a precise jump to snag one of the collectibles, and in having to repeat that sequence several times, at least 10 minutes were just running back to the spot. It got extremely frustrating, especially after the truck driving fiasco.
That said, once you finally make it past these two stages, the game recovers yet refines itself into an extremely fun experience. Levels are tighter, puzzles are more baked into the course rather than in the way of the goal. The adjustments make collectibles fun again, where you don’t mind going back to previous stages to clean up any still lying around.
As players close in on the game’s final moments, it’s full speed ahead in the final flying sequence and then to the game’s second and third boss battles. The flying sequence strips out the gas tanks and allows focus on the shooting, health, and collectibles. It’s fast, fun, and when the time comes for the two final confrontations, nails the landing.
During the Helga battle, you need to give her a target and then dash out of the way so that her shots hit the engine blocks. Once done, the final confrontation with Rourke takes place with a little help from Kida and a stroke of genius in level design.
On every level are three sets of collectibles; white crystals that help generate extra lives, letters that spell out Atlantis, which unlock that stage’s movie clip, and the green crystal. Collecting every green crystal unlocks the model viewer and concept art as rewards.
Against the battle with Rourke, the Atlantean letters and green crystals randomly appear while you dodge his attacks and set up your counter-offensive. Where the multitasking in the truck stage was infuriating, in the boss battle it’s invigorating. The simple act turns the entire event into a survival mode and a one-off event. I almost began taunting the game as I kept weaving through the flames grabbing the letters and tripping up my nemesis. It was almost a catharsis, a word I don’t often use in video game reviews.
With the game complete the player can watch the ending sequence and game credits. If players miss any collectibles, they’ll need to replay to the entire level again with everything but the acquired trinkets reset.
From a visual and sound perspective, Atlantis has everything figured out. There are enough voice samples to make each character feel unique, with a wonderful if oddly subdued musical score that keeps pace with the game.
Visually the game is super clean, with cute little touches here and there. Outdoor stages are vibrant, indoor stages are darker and slightly foreboding. One stage used Audrey’s flares as your only light source in the dark, making every step a tactical decision. In the Secret Swim stage, level designers use plant life on one side of the screen, which allows you an easy identifier if you’re accidentally backtracking. Characters are all nicely detailed and there is bountiful life to be found in the enemy selection.
If there’s one place where the game fell short, it’s the power-ups. This may only be because I am an adult playing the game, so perhaps a younger mind may have needed them. Three colored gems can be collected, and combining them with Milo’s boomerang or Kida’s staff grants them extra powers or strength enhancements. If they’re applied to Milo’s compass, the compass will point you to various collectibles. I liked how the letters were always arranged in order, so if you picked one up out of sequence, you knew you had to retreat to a specific spot to look for it.
Eurocom did a wonderful job, and I am shocked at how much I enjoyed the game, even with the small frustrations. The lack of boss fights doesn’t hurt the process either, allowing the gamer to enjoy the exploration. I went back to complete all the collectible quests, which are worth it for the concept art and model viewer. It’s a success story where the sum is greater than the parts.
On the review scale, it’s a “great” 8 out of 10. It’s a game where you feel accomplished completing it and can look past its flaws. Take it for a swim, you won’t be disappointed. Just…watch out for Leviathan…and the clipping.
The Good
- Levels are diverse and colorful.
- Collectibles are fun
- Final boss fight is perfect
The Bad
- Having to replay a whole stage to collect missing items
- That truck driving stage…
- 2nd tier characters aren’t used enough
Final Score: 8/10 – Great
Disney’s Atlantis has a few cracks in the hull when it comes to specific levels. However, the game taken as a whole is an adventure worth diving into, with great locations and a brilliant end boss fight.
Screenshots
Videos
Trivia
- The concept art you unlock includes ideas not used in the final game, including Milo using boomerangs as ice skates.
- The Cutting Room Floor folks found unfinished mini-games buried in the code.
- Kida has a superior jump distance, but it’s never really needed.
- “The Mole” is only really used two times in the game.
- Disney’s Atlantean language was created by Marc Okrand, who also created the Klingon language for Star Trek.
- Despite having power-ups for the weapons, they’re never really needed.