Scurge: Hive
© 2006 SouthPeak Interactive
This is a one-player action scavenger hunt game, where you do a lot of shooting, collecting and hunting for things in order to save the world. Reading is required to understand the plot, but not to play the game. In the story, the female lead character, Jenosa Arma, is a bounty hunter who is sent to investigate a distress signal from a research lab studying a virulent organism identified as the “Scurge”. She is armed with bullets and a special suit. You steer Jenosa using the direction keys through 350 maze-like levels in an effort to find decontamination stations to suppress the disease. Features include power-ups, the ability to slow down time, sling shot across gaps; as well as over 50 enemies. The controls are complex, with a lot to keep track of. Our testers liked the game's puzzles, calling some "Zelda-style" puzzles (such as finding keys—or key cards—and moving weights to activate switches). They didn't like the time limits and the fact that you can only shoot in four directions. But the design of the lead character and the monsters "are cool" and fit well with the settings and theme of the story. As you progress through the game, your progress is saved, and you can earn new weapons. All in all, this is a complex action game that can keep you busy for many hours. The GBA version has a similar design, and costs $20. Developed by Orbital media for SouthPeak Interactive.
$29.99, Nintendo DS*, Game Boy Advance
Teaches: strategy, some reading (in French, English and Spanish)
CTR Rating: 82.5%