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Xena on Playstation

© Josh Harrison

Before I get to my review of the new Xena game for the Playstation, there are some late-breaking Xenaverse news stories I want to mention.

First off, as of October 14, the only news on Lucy's pregnancy was "she's doing fine, otherwise no news to report." Ms. Lawless is due anytime now, so keep an eye out here, you'll know about it as soon as I do!

Second, according to an as yet unsubstantiated rumor, Kevin Sorbo will be appearing in an episode of Xena this season. Also, reports place Bruce Campbell (Autolycus) as the star of the upcoming RenPic series Jack of All Trades. More details will be made available as I hear them.

Third, The Century Awards are going strong! If you haven't cast your vote yet, what are you waiting for? Head on over to the Century Awards website, http://www.geocities.com/xenavote for more information on this fantastic project!

Now down to business. Xena: Warrior Princess was released for the Playstation game console last week. I picked the game up, and have spent several hours of free time (what little of it I have) playing the game to see if it is worth the forty-five bucks it retails for at most places.

I wasn't expecting a top-line game because typically licensed games are second-string offerings, churned out to make a fast buck off fans of the subject. After the initial hype has passed, they typically languish in bargain bins and sit on the shelf collecting dust.

That said, the game is fun. It manages to capture some of the essence of the show -- from the pulse-pounding action to the off-beat pop-culture humor. Still, the game isn't perfect. I found several things to be lacking.

My recommendation? I suggest you rent the game first, if possible, to see if it's something you're interested in permanently adding to your collection. Otherwise, either wait until the price drops in three to six months, wait for used copies to become available (which they almost certainly will), or track it down (like I did) at Wal-Mart, which had a copy for about thirty-five bucks. The suggested retail price is a bit steep for what you get out of the game.

Gameplay

The plot of the game revolves around the efforts of Kalabrax (one of the titans, or a servant of theirs -- I'm still not quite sure) to escape a prison the Olympian gods put her in and rule the world. To do so, she needs the sacrifice of a queen and (surprise surprise) Gabrielle fits the bill.