GENRE
	Action Adventure
	DEVELOPER
	Neko Entertainment
	PUBLISHER
	Game Factory
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1
	WI-FI ENHANCED
	No
	DS COMPATIBLE
	No
	BUY NOW AT

Code Lyoko is a French animated series that was shown in the United States on Cartoon Network. Coinciding with the end of the fourth (and possibly final) season of the show, distributor Game Factory released a Wii title designed to run parallel to the fourth season’s storyline. The show enjoyed something of a cult following in the states; the eclectic mix of animated teenage drama and CG cyber-adventure proved a fascinating combination. Tasked with bringing this show to Wii was Neko Entertainment, who was responsible for the poorly-received Wii fighter Legend of the Dragon. While this game proves marginally better than Legend, the total package of Quest for Infinity is such a letdown that even the most devoted of fans should approach this one with caution.

visuals

One of the most appealing aspects of the Code Lyoko series is its use of both traditional animation (in scenes that take place in the real world) and CG (in scenes that take place in the digital world). Quest for Infinity seems to come up short on both ends. Instead of animation, the game employs a storyboard style (i.e. Fire Emblem or Trauma Center) that flashes up character cutouts over a static background. It’s adequate, but feels uninspired, especially in contrast to the more dynamic virtual world.

That’s not to say, though, that the game’s virtual world is all peaches. In glaring contrast to the polish and atmosphere of the show’s CG, the game engine seems flat and low-res. Fans of the show are probably going to be more forgiving about this shortcoming, but the disparity between the show and the game is plainly evident in the game’s own beautiful CG cutscenes, which appear themselves to be from the show. The game’s combat engine is, at best, a first-gen GameCube effort that seems like a lost opportunity when compared to what contemporary Wii titles have managed to accomplish. One notable exception to the graphical trend are special combat scenes that actually take place in the real world. These scenes employ a cel-shaded style that actually looks pretty good, although it seems sort of ill-fitting to the style of the show as a whole.

There are plenty of other additional graphical aggravations. The game’s enemies, many of which are taken from the show, look atrociously low-res compared to their TV counterparts. The weapon effects look bad, with the game’s explosions deserving dubious props for being one of the worst game effects this side of SNES. Framerate is also an issue, especially in the Volcano Replica stage where it dips so noticeably that it initially impairs gameplay.

audio

Insofar as can be told, the show’s voice cast appears to be alive and well for the game, and for the most part, they do well. Almost every line of dialogue in the game is voiced, even when coming from minor characters. Lines are usually delivered with panache, especially where Odd is concerned, making voice one of the stronger elements of the game.

There are some quirky voice issues, though. For one thing, there is an unacceptable number of discrepancies between what is stated by the characters and what is shown on the dialogue box. A few differences here and there would be acceptable, but the dialog box uses the show’s term "supercomputer", while Jeremy instead says "super-calculator" -- one has to wonder what the localization team was thinking. This happens repeatedly, with entire phrases rewritten or phrases left out entirely. A parallel problem lies in the fact that the voice work and text boxes are occasionally out of sync, with text appearing 3-5 seconds before the voice kicks in or the text skipping ahead before a person is done speaking. To be fair, none of it is debilitating, per se, but it highlights the lack of polish and QA that went into the game.

The music is passable, if forgettable. Much of it is taken from the series, although it does not always seem that the best tracks were selected for combat. The themes for the Ice and Desert locations, for example, feel plodding and dull, hardly the sort of ambiance one would want. (Boss music is somewhat better.) The music also suffers from jarring transitions, especially when encountering enemies.

gameplay

Code Lyoko: Quest for Infinity is good for, at most, about 8 hours of gameplay from start to finish. Most of the gameplay is pretty repetitive; story elements are swapped in and out, but mostly it’s about running, jumping, solving basic puzzles and reaching an endpoint that may or may not involve a boss. The game does allow for continued play in the world of Lyoko after beating the final boss, although at that point the motivation to play -- collecting a few scattered pieces of concept art or animated stills -- is pretty low, and most players will probably put this one on the shelf once the credits roll.

The game has been touted as an RPG, although that’s a bit misleading. There isn’t really any stat-building to the game. Instead, the points are collected which can be used to purchase increases in the effectiveness and efficiency of existing abilities -- a typical convention in today’s action-adventure fare (i.e. Spider-Man 3 or Spider Man: Friend or Foe). Code Lyoko, then, is best described as an action-adventure game with platforming and light role-playing elements.

The plot for Quest for Infinity was scripted in cooperation with the TV show’s production company, and for fans of the show there will be a certain continuity between the dialogue and personality of the show and that of the game, notwithstanding some of the peculiar localization changes previously mentioned. Unfortunately, those not familiar with the show will find all the talk of William, Replicas and X.A.N.A. to be unintelligible, especially as neither the game nor the manual makes any attempt to provide context or backstory for players to gather. This is unabashedly a game aimed directly at the Lyoko fanbase or anyone with a rabid enough fascination to go hunting for the backstory on the Net.

One of the best components of the game is its Wii-specific controls, which are varied in the game. Aiming for ranged weapons is accomplished competently with IR functionality, while melee is effected -- less tightly than Zelda but still passably -- with a combination of the B button and a swing of the Wii Remote. Special attacks and moves involve the C button and various motions or IR uses, and these generally work without too much trouble.

Much of the gameplay, though, is a laundry list of problems. Many of those problems relate to the camera, which is a pain as it cannot be controlled and often defaults to a less-than-desirable position. Platforming is an aggravation, thanks to the camera, and falling off to one’s doom is too common. Combat can also be a problem, thanks (again) to the camera, leading to frequent situations where a player is being attacked by off-screen foes.

Other problems abound. Save checkpoints -- the places where one respawns after dying -- are unevenly placed, with some placed so close together as to be useless, while others are so far apart as to be frustrating. The four characters, although different, are unbalanced to the point where a player will gravitate toward sticking with Yumi -- her metal fans are powerful and can hit a single opponent with multiple attacks or multi-target several opponents -- lapsing to the others only when an opponent cannot be targeted or hurt by her weapons. Non-combat situations have their own, unique frustration, as cutscenes cannot be accelerated -- they must either be watched at their default slow pace, or skipped entirely.

Two of the game’s problems deserve special note. One involves the game’s difficulty balance, which is terribly uneven. On one hand, regular combat is a breeze, enough that dying from enemy-inflicted damage is rare. (Much more common is death from missing a jump or slipping off a ledge.) Bosses, however, are insanely difficult, and losing all of one’s life forces a restart against the boss. Because the bosses are multi-stage types and the life bar seems to drop precipitously at the hands of a boss, those clashes can get aggravating quickly. The final boss is extraordinarily hard and most gamers will probably need to use cheat codes to finish the game.

A second problem lies in the game’s glitchiness. Some has been said already about problems with sound and graphics, but during our play-through we encountered at least one glitch that threatened to derail the game entirely. Toward the end of the main campaign one of the character’s special powers -- telekinesis -- suddenly went out of whack, wildly spinning targets that needed to be moved with pinpoint precision. (Research on various message boards revealed that other gamers had experienced the same bug, although there were no solutions posted at that point.) After nearly half an hour of frustrating attempts to get around the problem, including several attempts to compensate for the bug and even changing the Wii Remote batteries, we finally left the level and tried purchasing upgrades and going to other levels in hopes that it would right the problem. That somehow did the trick, although it was a major inconvenience and one that should have, given the nature and location of the bug, been easily caught during testing. It was a microcosm of the frustrations this game seemed to present throughout.

multiplayer

There is no multiplayer in Quest for Infinity, which is an odd omission given the natural fit the four-character show would have with such an arrangement. From a design standpoint, it might have involved stripping out the platforming in favor of more exploration and combat, but given the frustrations of the platforming that would not be a negative. For shame.

overall

Fans of the Code Lyoko were no doubt saddened when season four of the series ended in a way that by all accounts looked permanent. Those same fans must have seen it a treat to get to relive the fourth season through Code Lyoko: Quest for Infinity. Those who are so fervently devoted to the series have probably already bought the game and don’t really care much about such reviews anyway and are just thrilled to have something to play.

That doesn’t get the developer off the hook for a game that underachieves with the license. This is a game that looks mediocre, plays mediocre, and is over so soon and with so little fanfare that it leaves the player to wonder, was that all there is? Code Lyoko: Quest for Infinity is, at best, a rental for the true Lyoko devotee -- the game can easily be beaten in a short span -- and a polite pass for everyone else.

5.0/10