These are not the Gauls you are looking for – review of the game “Asterix & Obelix XXL 3: The Crystal Menhir”

Revolution?

Let’s start with the fact that Asterix & Obelix XXL 3 should be released under a completely different title, because it does not have much in common with the previous versions. Naturally, the development of the game is advisable, because the reheated chop would be criticized in the end. This time it was decided to change the whole genre. The previous two parts of the XXL series were platformers and they were really successful. Meanwhile, XXL 3 is an isometric walking brawl in which you can’t even jump. Instead of a step forward, we have a regression, because the title focuses almost exclusively on the fight against successive Roman legions.

This state of affairs would still be digestible, if at least the solutions offered were refined. Unfortunately, the gameplay in The Crystal Menhir looks average at best. Whether alone or in cooperation, beating up Romans is simply boring. How else to call it mindlessly pressing the attack buttons and watching the board clear of enemies? Sometimes it is worth dodging, some opponents require a specific attack, and the magic potion increases the effectiveness of Asterix in battle. However, there is still no depth to it, and weariness creeps in after the first stages, so the short playing time (around six hours) can be considered an advantage. You can extend the game with side tasks, but why …

Balance is the key

There is, of course, the title menhir, which is easy to forget, because Osome Studio did not manage to come up with the idea of ​​using the magic stone in a sensible way. Over time, he gains crystals associated with the elements, thanks to which Obelix gains access to new skills. It doesn’t add anything to the combat mechanics, because, as I have already established, it all comes down to pressing buttons blindly. Menhir will actually come in handy in environmental puzzles that you might come across from time to time. And I don’t want to believe how much this element could be wasted in the context of the construction of the entire production. As usual in action-oriented titles, exploration sections and puzzles are used to relieve tension and give the player a moment to relax. Creators of Asterix & Obelix XXL 3they decided to act on the contrary and for the lion’s share of the campaign they treat us with puzzles very sporadically. Until then, because in the finale, we are even thrown around with a set of riddles. In a situation where the game is clearly going to the end, but suddenly the pace slows down drastically, it’s easy to get frustrated.

Where am I? What am I doing here?

Of all this, it’s easy to forget the story of The Crystal Menhir , because well, it’s rather rudimentary. The druid Panoramix asks the brave Gauls to save his priestess friend who has been kidnapped by the Romans. The title menhir is to help them in this, so friends first try to find more crystals. It is actually enough that every now and then there will be at most a simple dialogue commenting on the situation or explaining to the player what to do now. The worst thing is that there was no expressive humor, so characteristic of the adventures of Asterix and Obelix. Sometimes scriptwriters will throw a biscuit, but you can’t really smile (although it’s a subjective matter of course). This issue is especially pale compared to Asterix & Obelix XXL 2, where the whole story is presented “with the egg”, often parodying popular games.

Another problem is the lack of any Polish language version. In the case of production intended mainly for younger customers, such an oversight should not take place.

Nice but with problems

Perhaps the greatest advantage of Asterix & Obelix XXL 3 is the graphics. The title looks quite attractive, clearly drawing on the stylistic achievements of the last two animations. The characters have kept their cartoon character, and nice lighting effects complete the whole. One can only complain about the low resolution of the shadows and quite basic animations (sometimes giving way to even the old predecessor).

The unforgivable thing is the PC port on the knee. Playing without a gameplay actually loses any sense, because the default key assignment makes the title virtually unplayable, and even after changing the settings, it is difficult to talk about a comfortable gameplay. The implemented control system simply does not match the classic keyboard and mouse duo. What’s worse, the authors did not even bother to replace the appropriate icons and, for example, when choosing a special attack, regardless of whether we play with a controller or without, the buttons from the xbox pad will be displayed. Techniques The Crystal Menhiralso leave a lot to be desired. Locations take a long time to load and graphic artifacts appear frequently. The game also has a problem with liquidity, which should not be the case at all with such a graphically simple position. Regardless of the selected settings (by the way, even changing the display resolution requires restarting the program), frames could not be kept constant, often dropping in completely random situations. 

Asterix & Obelix XXL 3: The Crystal Menhir is definitely not a successful game. This production is painfully average, not even able to use the brand, which gives an obvious fictional potential. What’s worse, it is an evident step backwards from the previous version, which was created fourteen years ago. You can see that we are dealing with a cheap project, made quickly to be released in the same year as the cinema film.