Its no where near as good as I remembered from a demo a long time back but I havent played past the first world/level yet so what do you expect? Otherwise still not to bad.

While this review is a little late,I feel that it need to be posted as this game is quite a gem.I bought this game pretty cheap at the used game store,and I have to say that it was the best video game bargain ever!

First of all the story is excellent with it's dark voodoo (something I've always been a fan of!).Akuji,a voodoo warrior having had his heart torn from him,now wanders the diffrent depths of the underworld to be resurrected and seek revenge.If you are a fan of the Shadowman games,then Akuji would definatly be for you.While perhaps not as demonic,still very dark and gothic(after every end boss you kill,you offer up an animal sacrifice!)

While the graphics are a bit dated,they are no less captivating with the game's use of shading,design and florescent colors.Some of the most spectacular colors can be found in the sunset of the Blood Ruins level,and the errie green glow of the Temple of Tears.In fact most of the levels seem like they came right out of a black light poster!

Another strong point for the game goes out to it's music!Right from the title screen,this game is filled with authentic drum-thumping tribal voodoo beats!This is one game whose music is sadly overlooked;in fact it's too bad a soundtrack CD was not made.You really have to hear this music to believe it's strong influence to the nature of this game!Some of the greatest tunes can be heard in Ladhaa:the tribal forest,Limbo:the river louth,
and esp. the final boss level.The voice acting is also very well done and very convincing;my personal favorite being Keisho,your
voodoo mambo bride!

The gameplay is fairly quick to get the hang of,and the controls
are easy to use.Also the collecting of your ancestors souls makes for a reason to go back and play the game even after you've already beat it.While you only need to find 40 to beat the game,there is a total of 52.While this game can be tough at times,it is one that can be beaten without the use of cheat codes
or a strategy guide.Something I rather liked for a change!The only minor flaw with the controls,is that sometimes the camera can get "stuck".Most of the times however you have the option to swivel the camera left or right by pressing the L1/R1 buttons.

If you are a fan of the voodoo occult,and manage to find a copy of this game,I highly recommend you pick this one up!You will be very satisifed!

I RECENTLY GOT BACK INTO THIS GAME , AFTER SHELVING IT. I DID NOT GET ENOUGH SOULS TO ADVANCE- BUT AFTER PLAYING IT AGAIN I WONDER WHY I EVEN STOPPED PLAYING IT.. YOU CAN USE INFINITE LIFE , OR INFINITE SPELLS CODES TO GET REALLY FAR IN THE GAME. BUT THERE IS NO NEED - BUT A LOT OF NASTY BEASTS TO FIGHT , AND BOSSES AS WELL CAN GET YOU WRECKED!BUT IF YOU TAKE YOUR TIME , THE HEALTH UPS ARE SCATTERED AROUND , NOT TO MENTION TOTALLY REPLENISHING YOUR HEALTH AFTER DEFEATING ENEMIES AND COLLECTING THEIR SPIRITS... ALL THE LEVELS ARE GREAT AND NOT VERY HARD TO FIGURE OUT. BUT THEY CAN BE LONG , IF YOU ARE UP TO THE TASK !! BUT THERE ARE CHECKPOINTS IN MOST LEVELS , IN CASE YOU DIE - YOU START AT THE LAST CHECKPOINT ;SO AS NOT TO HAVE TO START AT THE BEGINNING OF THE LEVEL AGAIN. LOTS OF COOL CONTRAPTIONS TO CLIMB AND JUMP ON. BUT BEWARE !! ONE MISJUDGED STEP CAN HAVE YOU LEAPING INTO THE DARK DEPTHS AND DEATH ... TRY IT IF YOU GOT TIME , PATIENCE , AND SKILL . CHECK OUT MY OTHER COOL GAMES TO PLAY ... NOW ONTO '' SHADOWMAN '' ... ENJOY AND HAPPY GAMING!!!!!