The first thing you’ll notice in Akuji the Heartless will be the graphics. They are outstanding, and very reminiscent of Tomb Raider. Despite the fact that you are battling your way through the Underworld, everything is lush, with the exception of a few pools of bloody goo here and there. There’s a mysterious FMV in the beginning which tells Akuji’s sad tale, and also cinematic to guide you from level to level. A steady stream of jungle-inspired background music beats continuously, but it’s not overpowering, just ambient.

You play Akuji, an unlucky guy whose heart was cut out by his brother during his marriage ceremony. And you thought you had it bad. Needless to say, he is bitter. To make matters worse, his bride has been kidnapped by his brother and is going to be sacrificed. Akuji has to act fast to save her and exact his revenge. You’ll travel (3rd person) throughout a 3D Underworld, battling hideous monsters of all types, collecting various spells and also the souls of your ancestors. Gameplay is similar to Tomb Raider and is pretty good. Akuji’s control is a tad awkward at first. He just seems to be in a hurry constantly (wouldn’t you be?). But it doesn’t take much getting used to. There are Hint Tables scattered about to help you learn his moves and what is required of you. Also, in the first Level, whenever you pick up an item for the first time, a “spirit guide,” I assume, instructs you on what it’s for and how to use it. Pretty cool. From time to time, your girl will pop in to encourage you. Ah - the cheerleaders of the spirit world.

Not too bad. Don’t get me wrong, though. It’s not an easy game, just not ridiculously hard. Some enemies are a breeze, while others are quite a bit tougher. One particularly irritating guy is actually just a skeletal trunk who crawls around on hands and knees, chasing you. If he gets close enough - BAM! He’ll smack you with his spinal cord. All at once, cool, hilarious and really demeaning.

Akuji’s moves include the basics like jumping, climbing, hanging (monkeybar style), and he’s pretty good with the blades. Oh – he also has a ton of cool spells he can use to whack his foes. He’s very fast, as I mentioned earlier. When he’s climbing a wall, it’s like watching Spider-Man. All in all, Akuji the Heartless is a cool game with tons of solid gameplay and awesome graphics. It may not be for everyone, but I see it as another winner from Crystal Dynamics, and it only makes me pant for Soul Reaver all the more.