TEMBO THE BADASS ELEPHANTReviewed by Gary Alexander Stott on PS4
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Developed by Game Freak Inc
Published by SEGA Format,PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Published on 21/07/15 |
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Picture Rambo as a fire-fighting elephant and you'll end up with a pretty clear image of Game Freak's latest vision, Tembo the Badass Elephant. Fighting on behalf of Shell City, the titular mammal must face the invading Phantom army, saving whoever he can along the way with tusk and trunk alone. As random as it might sound, Tembo's premise leads to some fun mechanics, and the Sega-published platformer certainly packs a punch, but it's not without its problems.
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The game's narrative is introduced through a comic-book-style cutscene, setting a light and whimsical tone for the adventure to follow. It's a humourous start that readies players for the game's gorgeous Unity-powered art style. Shell City is brought to life through colourful, vibrant environments that feature both 2D and 3D assets across a side-scrolling plain. The eponymous elephant, for example, is 2D, as are the enemy soldiers he faces, where as the mechs they pilot are fully-rendered 3D models. Depth of field is used in interesting ways to bring both styles together, making the world feel tangible and real, albeit highly stylized. As a design choice, it looks great, and gives the game's art direction a distinct feel. It's full of nice little touches, too, such as the way that civilians ride on Tembo's back after being rescued.
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The game's simple yet absurd premise owes a lot to the arcade classics of the nineties the game clearly draws influence from. Game Freak are less concerned with telling a rich and layered narrative here and more focused on providing fun, engaging gameplay. A brief tutorial teaches players the game's primary mechanics, which are somewhat less than traditional. As a large, four-legged mammal, Tembo isn't able to use guns or explosives, and therefore relies on his natural attributes to get the job done. He can charge forward, tusks primed, to destroy pretty much anything in his path. He can curl up and divebomb enemies, or use the same attack to bounce off the ground. He can also slide kick and perform uppercuts using his trunk. He can even glide, however briefly, by flailing his legs around while airborne. Most interesting is the ability to spray water from his trunk, allowing players to put out fires or temporarily stun enemies.
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The character feels appropriately slow and weighty to control, but this is supplemented by a sense of empowerment. Tembo is a highly destructive force, and the game's emphasis on environmental destruction is perfectly suited for him. Stages typically involve charging through a series of walls, enemies and tanks, every now and then slamming through floors or flying out of a cannon before smashing through a Phantom statue to bring things to a close. One of the game's greatest achievements is that its destruction always feels good. 3D walls break apart in satisfying chunks, wooden crates crack underfoot, and enemy soldiers fly off-screen as they are rushed.
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Like Sonic the Hedgehog, Tembo is at its best when its stages allow speed and momentum to flourish, but this is not always the best approach to take. While foot soldiers are little more than ants to Tembo, they're capable of draining his health bar with a few bombs, and some of the bigger vehicles such as tanks, mechs and helicopters require timing and patience to conquer. Pack the screen with all of these elements at once and it can provide a significant challenge to overcome. Nonetheless, the game certainly makes you feel like a badass elephant, especially when clearing an area out in seconds. Particularly chaotic instances can affect the game's performance, however, especially in the later stages, but for the most part everything runs smoothly.
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Tembo's mission is structured around three primary zones. Each is comprised of three regular stages, followed by a more challenging dome stage and a boss battle. Branching level design encourages players to explore, a necessity if one wishes to defeat all of the enemy forces and rescue all of the civilians in each respective area. Indeed, dome stages demand that a certain number of Phantom forces are defeated before they can be played. The purpose here is likely twofold: to provide a challenge, and to ensure that players are skilled enough for the stage in question.
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Every now and then, the game switches things up through the introduction of new secondary mechanics. Simple physics-based puzzles allow for quick and easy solutions to big problems. For example, breaking a particular pillar might cause a roof to fall, forming a slope Tembo can then use to roll a giant bowling ball down. Doing so can mean the difference between attacking three tanks head-on, or watching as they are crushed one-by-one. The game also finds plenty of opportunities to use water, such as introducing plants that grow into platforms when sprayed, or flame-powered versions of regular enemies. This adds variation to the otherwise simple forms of interaction on offer, and keeps the game feeling fresh as players become more skilled at using the primary mechanics.
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Players who fall just short of the kill count, however, will be forced to replay stages before they can continue, killing any momentum leading up to that point. This is particularly problematic with regard to the more well-hidden enemies, potentially making multiple stage replays a necessity before it becomes possible to continue. It's a frustrating and unnecessary progression block that some players will find off-putting, and it could be argued that the requirement only exists to pad out the game's 4-5 hour length.
Should players persist, however, they will be treated to some wonderful boss battles, each of which feels unique and tightly-designed. Stylish camerawork introduces some visually-arresting, well-modelled antagonists, and while these battles are challenging, they never feel cheap, concluding with an immense feeling of satisfaction. The game's orchestral score adds an epic flourish to such on-screen action – at least in the moment. Sadly, it doesn't stand out as much as the rest of the game's charming qualities.
Should players persist, however, they will be treated to some wonderful boss battles, each of which feels unique and tightly-designed. Stylish camerawork introduces some visually-arresting, well-modelled antagonists, and while these battles are challenging, they never feel cheap, concluding with an immense feeling of satisfaction. The game's orchestral score adds an epic flourish to such on-screen action – at least in the moment. Sadly, it doesn't stand out as much as the rest of the game's charming qualities.
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Seeing as the title is so full of traditional arcade elements such as coins and lives (or in Tembo's case, nuts and peanut butter jars), it's curious that its stages don't feature a timer. Tembo's style of gameplay would be ideal for speed-running, and the absence of a countdown timer feels like a missed opportunity with regard to both challenging the player and encouraging the use of momentum. The game does, however, take note of the completion time for each stage, and score-based leaderboards are present for those who are determined to prove their skill. It's a title that will appeal to challenge seekers, completionists, and achievement/trophy hunters alike. The game's difficulty is slightly too high for casual recommendation, but most dedicated gamers will be able to reach the end – so long as they are willing to search almost every nook and cranny along the way.
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For the most part, Tembo the Badass Elephant is a fun, tightly-designed and challenging game that will appeal to arcade purists and challenge seekers, but its progression system, brevity and high difficulty level might be off-putting to some players, who will find little reason to return once the credits have rolled.
Screenshot Gallery
Review copy and Images via Publisher
