Not for the kiddies
Make no mistake about it, Conan isn’t for kids and it can be barbaric at times, but there’s something perversely satisfying about mastering his vast array of pitiless moves and delivering divine punishment on the legions of enemies that await your sword.Conan has a stylised look with a cartoon feel, capturing the artwork style of the novels. Some may consider the graphics to be under par for an Xbox 360 game, which they are, but quite frankly there’s no way they would have got past the censors if the game looked any more realistic. There’s fantasy blood everywhere, bodies piled up, limbs scattered on the ground and enemies hanging on wooden spikes, after you’ve nonchalantly put them over your shoulder and impaled them.
Click for larger image
Click for larger imageControlling Conan is extremely smooth, with the right thumbstick being used for rolls, which are handy for when you’re surrounded by enemies and needing to evade attack. The various buttons are used for the massive combination of combos and finishing moves and the d-pad used to execute magic spells. The controls gel together perfectly and before long you’ll be cracking skulls and chaining together visually impressive combos with little thought.
The range of moves and combos available are superb and Conan animates extremely well considering his considerable bulk. This means that the fighting never becomes a chore, but remains gratifying as you seek to see just how much carnage you can cause. As you progress through the game you earn EXP points from picking up the red runes that trail from the bodies of slain enemies or that you pick up from numerous hidden treasure chests along the way. EXP can then be spent at the end of each level on unlocking further, more complicated moves, such as the Warrior suplex or the throat-slitting Skull Crusher.
You can pick enemies up and throw them, use two swords to simultaneously cut off both of their arms off, and if you time it right, you can pull off special moves to counter an enemy’s attack. There’s also a range of magic attacks, activated by the d-pad, and anyone familiar with God of War will recognise the likes of the rage attack in which your blades are set of fire allowing you to cause even more damage.