Posted on: November 28, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

There is something to say about the levels of customization in video games. Where earlier titles (those that I grew up with, released in the late eighties and early nineties), there was little to do to customize – colors may be swapped out, but there was little else players could do to express themselves. Of course, as next-generation consoles fell into obsolescence, newer titles were able to really allow player’s minds to run wild. I feel that the customization options here in THQ’s latest title, Drawn To Life: The Next Chapter, represent a similar evolution over the last generation of titles. The previous Drawn To Life title hit DS shelves in September of 2007, and successfully allowed players to sketch out weapons, armor, and even the character eirself in order to provide prosperity to one’s village.

Drawn To Life: The Next Chapter builds on the framework put into place by the original title, and THQ has allowed more to pick up the title through simultaneous release on the Nintendo Wii and DS. The title itself starts off in a strange manner, forcing players to draw what happened to their character in a day that did not exist. The awareness of Drawn To Life continues throughout the follow-ups to this scene, requiring that players gradually introduce color into the world. Hero – the character that the player (known as Creator) creates – is put up against Wilfe, who has escaped certain death in the first title and has linked eir fortunes to Heather, an innocent.

Players are required to use their heads to avoid the dangers, jumps, and other problems thrown at them. To do so, further drawings have to be committed to the screen. The interface allowing players to craft what is needed is no more complicated than an Adobe Photoshop screen, creating a momentum to the title that makes it seem as if Hero (and the rest of Drawn To Life: The Next Chapter) have a mind of their own. The logic required to finish certain levels is thrilling, ensuring that players have some sort of game plan for their own Hero. While there will be a number of deaths before players get their heads around the nuances of this title, I feel that Drawn To Life: The Next Chapter is a title that is a must-buy for anyone that likes games that attempt to shake up the status quo.

Rating: 8.0/10

Drawn To Life: The Next Chapter (Nintendo Wii) / 2009 THQ / http://www.drawntolife.com / http://www.thq.com

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