Ancients of Ooga (Xbox 360)

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Description

Ancients of Ooga is a puzzle platformer that builds on the game mechanics of Cloning Clyde. The game is set in a fantasy world and is centered around creatures known as Ooganis. They ignored the advice of their chiefs and befriended monsters known as the Boolis. As soon as the Boolis were given trust, the Ooganis ate a bunch of intoxicating slugs and became fat and lazy. They locked their chiefs in cages, the Boolis burned them down and then the Ooganis were made slaves of the Boolis. The player controls the Spirit of Ooga, a ghost with the ability to possess any of the Ooganis, and summoned by the few remaining Ooganis that want their freedom back. The entire game is played with the possessed characters and the player can switch to new ones at any time. The spirit needs to visit seven villages and each village is split up into different levels (about 50 in total) with objectives that need to be completed. Generally to move on to a new village the chief needs to be revived.

Even though most Ooganis have fighting abilities, there is a strong emphasis on puzzle elements, to take out enemies using alternative means or possessing different characters to pull levers, turn wheels or activate pressure plates, or use their unique abilities to spit fire, swim more quickly, call floods, walk on lava or slow down time - having characters work together in the vein of the Lost Viking series even though there is no permanent character that needs to be taken along all the time. Many other abilities are gained by picking up objects and chewing them for temporary storage like an inventory system (but for a single item). This is needed to carry an object (or another character) while climbing a ladder and then puking it out again, but when the object is swallowed it can also restore health or activate abilities. Red peppers make them belch fire, certain fruit puts them to sleep and beans can make them hover. Most items can also be thrown.

Even though the characters are 3D models it is largely played as a 2D platformer (with a fixed side camera view), with the added ability to move to the front and the back of an area rather than a fixed horizontal path. Players can open up a map with general directions and an overview of the quests. In the spirit mode the entire environment can be explored freely. Cooperative play is supported for up to two players.

Screenshots

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The Press Says

Indie Game Magazine	Nov 23, 2010	81 out of 100	81
Eurogamer.net (UK)	Jul 02, 2010	8 out of 10	80
Extreme Gamer	Jul 05, 2010	7.5 out of 10	75
IGN	Jul 06, 2010	7.5 out of 10	75
GameSpot	Jul 13, 2010	7 out of 10	70
GameZone	Jul 11, 2010	5 out of 10	50
TalkXbox	Jul 03, 2010		40

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Trivia

Engine

The game's engine is called the Continuum Engine.

Related Web Sites

• Ancients of Ooga (project page on the developer's website)