Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy is a great game that tells the story of an ancient hero. Sphinx is an Egyptian hero out to save the world from Set. He meets quite the cast of characters and soon finds a new ally. This ally is unlike any he’s met before, an actual mummy.
This game tells quite the tale of two heroes forced to help the other. They might not seem like they would work well together but only with their combined power will Set be defeated. Set, of course, is an Egyptian god and one that isn’t out for the betterment of the world.
Sphinx plays out in two different ways. Sphinx is the agile one of the pair. He can use all sorts of weapons and jump high. The player will often play as Sphinx because he is the main character. He is able to pick up items and throw them, while also using different skills he learns through the adventure.
Early on the player must get eaten by a creature that shoots him out of his mouth like a cannon. This moment is reminiscent of Donkey Kong 64 as the player must set the vertical and horizontal axis. There are other neat things that happen like coating Sphinx in Ra’s power to walk through the lava. Sphinx also must stealthily avoid an eye which will lock gates when spotted.
Sphinx also gains the ability to capture enemies. This is a cool feature as he can unleash these abilities at will. Capture beetles definitely become a necessary component to the game and it is interesting seeing where enemies come in to help out the hero. I definitely found this part of the game to be one of the better ideas.
The mummy, on the other hand, isn’t necessarily up for an adventure. He doesn’t have what it takes to lead the game but his stealth ability is unmatched. As a mummy, players will be able to get through puzzles without being bothered by enemies. This character is also rather odd in his tactics, making him far different from Sphinx. Enemies clearly aren’t going to put much stock in a mummy so it is easy for him to solve puzzles and sabotage their goings-on.
This game is filled with a variety of weird characters. Many are based on Egyptian art and the world itself is a nice recreation of what Ancient Egypt could have been like. It is certainly interesting playing a game set in this world. The characters definitely shine in this Egyptian setting as they really use what was given to them in ancient art. They all have their own unique Egyptian flair to them, and it was always fun seeing what kind of characters were going to pop up next.
The music might not be stellar but it does reflect the vibe of the region. It fits the energy of the game and definitely works in the game’s favor. I enjoyed hearing the different tunes as I traveled through the areas of the game. While not perfect it definitely is decent.
Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy is a pretty cool older platformer. It banks on the ideas of older collectathons and has its own cool mechanics. It is fun to play a game like this to see some earlier stealth mechanic in action. Sphinx and his Mummy are out to right the wrongs of a villain, will the player help them out?
Review Copy provided for purposes of Review