Voodoo Vince: Remastered – Review

Platforms: Xbox One, PC (Windows 10 and Steam)
Developer/Publisher: Beep Industries/Microsoft Studios
Release date: April 18^th
Platform reviewed: Xbox One
Price – $14.99 / 14.99€
I didn’t get the chance to try this Original Xbox gem back in 2003, but thankfully its remastered edition is here 13 years later for people like me to experience the game for the first time. I overheard abundant things about this title mostly from Phil Spencer boosting my curiosity to try Voodoo Vince.

Story
When you first boot up the game you’re hailed with a cutscene that explains how you, a conventional doll, came to life. Your maker, Madame Charmaine, has been abducted by Kosmo and his muggers, and it’s up to you to rescue her. In this process, the muggers opened a container filled with Zombie Dust which has triggered the world around you to transform into spiteful foes, trying their hardest to stop you from saving your creator. The same dust awakens Vince, who, through his telepathic bond with Charmaine, must track her down through the newly distorted New Orleans.
This is usually in the form of telling you what you need to accomplish your duty in a specified level, however, it’s up to you to figure out how to complete said level.

Gameplay
Gameplay in Voodoo Vince: Remastered is basically the same as the original according to the developers. You have your standard jump, a double jump a spin kick, and a punch move. Complementing these gameplay features is a non-attack ability called Hover, which is only used when you’re airborne. This comes in handy when you’re trying to land on a moving platform above a bottomless pit, or just generally trying to mess around in this gorgeous environment.
There are other interesting things you can do during your playthrough. One is to collect as many special voodoo powers as you can.  These can be used to destroy all nearby enemies. When you gather enough power from killing monsters, special ability can be used by pressing both triggers (LT+RT). These wacky powers range from getting vaporized by an Alien gun to a graphic shark attack which sees Vince jump into a bathtub filled with pygmy sharks, who they promptly drag Vince under and tear him apart resulting in nearby enemies getting ripped apart themselves.
Running around and smacking enemies isn’t the only thing you’ll do in Voodoo. There are other activities involving flying a plane through a maze to riding a rat like a cowboy during one of the boss battles. Boss battles aren’t your traditional “find a weakness and proceed to kill” affair. Here, in order to get through one, you must first look around the environment to find something to hurt yourself. The more you hurt yourself, the more harm you do to the boss. It’s a nice addition to the game which contrasts itself from similar platform games. One negative aspect I have to mention is the camera work, which sometimes juggles in weird positions when you’re trying to jump certain places. It’s not a game-breaking thing by any means, but it can be annoying to deal with.

Visuals/Sound
Let me start by saying this game is gorgeous in its own way. At 1080p resolution with updated rendering, improved visual effects, and buttery-smooth 60 fps action, this is the definitive edition to (re)play Voodoo Vince. Level designs are unique and pleasant to look at, textures look incredible, and special effects – like setting yourself on fire – is a rather lovely thing you need to experience for yourself.  Draw distance is high. You can see everything in front of you even in the larger levels, which is something you don’t typically see in most platform games. Voodoo Vince features a New Orleans jazz-type of tune which suits the game pretty well. I didn’t mind listening to the same songs as I repeatedly died out of my clumsiness. The rest of the game’s audio is also strong. Voice acting is well done, especially Vince who inserts some delightful dark humor into the mix, notably after he dies.
Final Thoughts:
Voodoo Vince: Remastered is another great addition to the Xbox One catalog. Its immersive world with its unique protagonist comes complete with great execution. A good balance between all of them makes this platform title one of the greatest available on Xbox One.