Review: Stretch Panic

From...

By Tokyo Drifter

(IDG) -- Imagine being thrown into a dreamlike world where vanity corrupts and the bizarre is at home. Such is the realm of Treasure's latest action/platform game, Stretch Panic, in which Linda must save her 12 sisters with only the aid of a possessed scarf that serves as the player's primary interface with the game world.

Stretch Panic's graphics aren't exactly cutting edge, but their sheer creativity still earns high marks. A nice score and spot sound effects complement the eye candy, although some repetitious tunes break the mood a little too often. The controls require you to master the use of the scarf, which takes time; this limited control scheme fits the context of the character, but many may become too frustrated to care. While it's possible the casual gamer may be enchanted by the presentation, Panic's high difficulty level will delight only hardcore players.

GRAPHICS

Nothing the PlayStation 2 hasn't seen in terms of graphical prowess, but the sheer creativity of the visuals earns high marks.

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SOUND

Nice musical score and spot sound effects but overall not a whole lot going on. What's there gets the job done, although repeated plays to beat the bosses renders some tunes plain annoying.

CONTROLS

The controls are made so that you have to master using the scarf, which takes time. The limited controls fit in the context of the character, but many will be frustrated.

FUN FACTOR

While it's possible the casual gamer may be enchanted by the visuals, Stretch Panic's difficulty will appeal only to hardcore gamers.