Welcome, all. We are about to delve into the chaotic world of Sudeki. You wanna play a game that works almost exactly like the Fable games, but with the ability to play as multiple different characters and under a different name? Well, look no further than the world of Sudeki.
Sudeki is an XBOX exclusive game that was released in mid-2004, that was developed by Climax Group and published by Microsoft Game Studios. Later on, it was ported to Microsoft Windows, released by Zoo Digital Publishing. You can also buy it on Steam, if you like.
Sudeki is a world that gets torn into two sides, one of light and one of darkness, and it’s up to you and your party to save the splintered world. Yes, I know, it sounds entirely unoriginal, and some of the really shoddy voice acting doesn’t make it any better. But remember, this game originally came out in 2004, and the overall gameplay it provides makes the experience so much more worth it.
In combat, the Sudeki acts as a sort of “real-time” action RPG, that gives you the ability to play as multiple different characters, switch between them mid-battle, and use their unique abilities skillfully to win many of your fights. Unlike most other open-world RPG’s in that time, where you can only play as the character that you created, Sudeki allows you to take control of the four main characters; the young orphaned badass Tal, stereotypical sexy magical princess Ailish (who has a really odd-sounding English accent, by the way), feral cat girl Buki, and sassy overpowered scientist Elco. Tal and Buki fight in the style of a third-person hack-and-slash, where using well-timed button presses can create deadly infinite combos. Ailish and Elco fight in the style of a first-person shooter. No, really. Ailish can unleash her powerful abilities, from shooting magic from her staff to throwing fireballs and even to healing the party; meanwhile, Elco fires beams and lasers at his enemies, and his Skills allow him to buff the party. Buki, in her animalistic style, fights with claw hands, while Tal fights with a longsword. Ailish uses staves, and Elco fires from his arsenal of futuristic rayguns.
Outside of combat, the world of Sudeki is a very interactive experience. You can come across a variety of different people, from merchants who buy your collectibles for a pretty penny, to blacksmiths who enchant your weapons for a decent price, to a platypus named Kamo. He's a total dick to you, and he has his own shops everywhere, so he'll act like that one guy who just casually bullies you... but he's the guy you buy all your healing items from, so you have to put up with him. Great.
Out in the field, there are many puzzles across Sudeki that only certain characters can solve; Tal pushes and pulls heavy objects, Ailish dispels invisible barriers, Buki climbs walls with a lot of hip-swinging, and Elco flies to unreachable platforms with his crystal-powered jetpack. And if you can solve these puzzles, you can get new weapons, stronger armor, or other rare items. One thing I don’t like about this game is that you can’t buy or create weapons and armor in the game. The only way that you can acquire weapons or armor is by either finding them in the field or progressing in the story.
The story is very interesting (at least, for its time) as well, although it seems a bit rushed near the end by the developers; you start in the Light Realm of Sudeki, and as the story progresses, you learn more and more about the main characters and get more immersed in their backstories, but once you get to the Shadow Realm (no Yugioh references or jokes intended) and meet the group’s Shadow counterparts (who all have a redneck tint to their voices, which is hilarious), the story sorta rushes to its final chapters. Even the final boss fight feels a bit rushed. Don’t get me wrong, the story is captivating and the adventure itself is rather fun, but that is one downside of this game I cannot overlook. The rest of the adventure, however, will be worth the feeling of being rushed to the end, however weird that may sound.
All in all, however, the game is not bad at all, and I feel like it could be a hidden gem on the XBOX. I do encourage you to play the game, because despite the rushed story element, the complex and unique combat system, as well as the enjoyable challenge the game provides, makes Sudeki a worthwhile play.
My Rating:
7.5/10 (Pretty Good)