Following on from the huge smash hit Drawn to Life, Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter on DS, players can draw their own heroes to embark on a new adventure aboard a Turtle Ship to defeat the evil Wilfre and restore colour to the Raposa civilization.
You have three modes to operate to acquire colour drops with which to restore the villages. Draw mode allows you to draw your hero by using the various tools and an extensive colour pallet, village mode lets you explore the villages and converse with other characters , and in challenge mode you use the control pad to attack, change your hero form or weapon or activate an action sketch.
Once you have drawn your hero,you have the ability to morph it into a blob or a spider which will allow players to play each level a variety of different ways. The object is to draw items into the game to help solve puzzles and progress through the game. Along the way, you will collect coins and colour drops to unlock more content, including challenges and quests, customization options and hero abilities. Also, the game’s multi-player aspect allows players to trade heroes, weapons, items and accessories with friends.
DtL is one of those franchises that you find yourself struggling to categorise. It could be described as a mixture of metroid with a child’s colouring-in book,which strikes as an odd combination but there is something about DtL that is special or,for a better word, unique. This is one of a rare breed of games that is specific or ideal to the DS platform
and I doubt this game could possibly work as well on any other console.Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter will capture the imagination of not only the young DS gamers but all DS fans will see this as a re-invention of the platforming genre on the DS. So pick up your stylus and lets draw up a hero!
The Gameplay
The main concept of DtL is for the gamer or “creator”, as you are referred to within the game, to draw the world you would like to play in and Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter has benefited from a new action drawing feature and enhanced drawing tools from its predecessor.You are trusted with the creation of your hero and many times throughout your adventuring experience the opportunity to create your own piece of living scenery is thrust upon you. Anything from platforms to balls to surfboards you draw it all and it gives a real sense of personalisation to the game and it’s this creativity which seemingly eludes other games on the market and makes the game so appealing.
Dtl can be split into three sections : Drawing, Adventuring and Platforming. Drawing is of course the main focus of the game (thus the title) and although this concept may provide the game with its biggest pulling factor, it does detract from the other two sections. If the artistry was taken out of the game then this really would be a very average platformer. If there is to be another game in the series I would like to see the developers improve the platforming element of the game. The adventuring is actually very well done. I thought the story was compelling and a bit different. It suited the game perfectly and makes great use of the DS’s unique controls and stylus.
The game itself is very user friendly. I picked it up and started playing with ease and found no trouble what-so-ever . I actually found myself enjoying the game which I didn’t expect, as it is predominantly designed for a younger gaming generation. I guess this shows that despite its obvious age range target the game can be enjoyed by any member of the family, old or young.
The Look and Sound
The first thing you will see about this game is the beautiful cartoon graphics. Of course some of the things you see are created by you but apart from that the world looks vibrant and alive. The other character models involved in the game are reminiscent of the small bears from star wars and they just seem to fit into the game perfectly.
The game is humorous from the way the characters move to the many different heroes you can draw, giving you full control of just how serious you want to take the game. The sound suit’s the game down to the ground and really emphasises its aim at a younger audience with very pleasant background music and tone.
Overall
This game is very good, no doubt about it, however there really needs to be more of a focus on the platforming aspect and this is the only real let down in the game. The drawing is unique and exciting and can only lead to more games of this breed. I really enjoyed playing through Dtl and found the story compelling and engaging. The personalisation that
the game offers is its main selling point and the ability to create your own world through use of the stylus is a lot of fun.
Overall I give Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter 8/10
