Once upon a time...

In the typical fashion of all trademark action themes in which good must prevail over evil, Brigitte Blue, the sensual villaness of the story, is on the verge of acheiving her goal of global conquest. Under her new era of 'order', Brigitte aspires to have a co-ruler by her side, and thus, takes it upon herself that Sarge (the Army Men leader and Vicki's personal Charmin) is the prime candidate. Naturally, in order for her diabolical scheme to be acheived, Vicki needs to be taken out of the picture - permanently. As the story unfolds, Brigitte entraps Vicki, which thrusts her into a series of fantastical toy worlds full of intrigue and danger. Composed of medeival soldiers, gingerbread men and other obstacles, players will become immersed in the exotic and innovative worlds that would make Wonderland seem like a theme park in comparison. Bow and arrow gameplay. Addictive and visually spectacular bow and arrow gameplay. Vikki's arsenal of arrows will be incredible, visually, with trails of fire or glowing waves of magic. a The Portal Runner game will feature a surrealistic look with exotic visuals; gamers will be truly immersed in the astonishing graphics. Giving great depth and variety to Portal Runner is the addictive bow and arrow gameplay. The realistic and spectacular precision technique of the bow and arrow will help Vikki vanquish foes and remove obstacles in her travels.

I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Leo (Gameplay)

As the story progresses, Vicki will eventually encounter Leo the Lion, who will become her loyal guardian and valued friend. Through this special bond that is formed, players will discover a diverse degree of gameplay elements that revolve upon the relationship of the two main characters. Some levels will consist of players taking control of Vicki, as Leo the Lion, while others require cooperative play by directing Leo actions or by riding atop of his back. In all honesty, I can't recall any other action game which featured such a distinct number of gameplay elements aside the trademark actions of 'run, shoot, climb', etc. and it's refreshing to engage a title that aims to be differentiate itself from competitors.

The rich, innovative factors doesn't end there, as Portal Runner goes the extra mile by integrating a conventional element which enhances the overall gameplay experience. Being the fact that lions have a savage instinct, Portal Runner features an innovative concept that has been dubbed as a Fury Meter, requiring players to be keep a close eye on Leo's anger level and calm him now as needed by petting him. Needless to say, I found this quite amusing and admired this subtle aspect which further defines the close emotional bond that is formed between the two characters. Additional gameplay features include:

• "Hot Shots" trick, bow and arrow, shooting system lets Vikki solve puzzles and remove obstacles along her way.

• Leo's advanced AI allows him to protect Vikki in combat.

• Exciting multi-player target shooting. Two players can configure several different target shooting game types with a variety of game parameters to tweak.

• Moving platform puzzles add to the adventure. Levels are deeply interactive. Some hidden platforms even take the player to secret locations.

The level design is simply fantastic, full of enticing visuals, and plenty of interactive enviroments in which Vicki will encounter alone or team up with Leo in order to advance through Brigette's deadly forces. Among the 19 levels which will be featured, such as the medevial world consisting of accurate reflections and precision rendering and the lush flora and distinct behaviors featured with the prehistoric level (each which are immense in size by the way), are just some of the examples which testify to 3DO's aim of providing uniqueness and depth. I only wish within the limited time in which I had time to examine the game that I could've seen them all, but based on what was showcased, the game is showing plenty of promise.

Other impression which I picked up on, in similar fashion to Space Channel 5, Vicki will sport a new outfit in each new adventure that she encounters. For example, in the opening segment of the game, Vicki begins with her trademark navy outfit but will later don a lepoard loincloth that easily scores her eligibility of being the hottest female in the cavegirl category (Captain Caveman would be pleased).

Final thoughts

At its current state, Portal Runner certainly presents a solid premise that would appeal to most age groups, though it appears to be primarily skewed towards younger gamers (and not just females). With all of the attention centered upon this year's highly anticipated (and excessively hyped) titles, namely Metal Gear Solid 2, Portal Runner certainly looks like it will acehive its goal to appeal to a broad audience and be recognized as one of the PS2 sleeper hits of the year.

· · · Bahn