Drawn to Life (DTL) tells the story about the Raposa people; a group of creatures whos very way of life has been disrupted due to the actions of a rebel Raposa named Wilfre. The evil Wilfre has cast the land into shadow and stolen The Book of Life rip...
Drawn to Life (DTL) tells the story about the Raposa people; a group of creatures whos very way of life has been disrupted due to the actions of a rebel Raposa named Wilfre. The evil Wilfre has cast the land into shadow and stolen The Book of Life ripping up its pages and hiding them across the world. The Book of Life contains all the templates needed by the Creator to give life to the world, be it a moon, the stars, or even houses. With The Book of Life all but destroyed, the Raposa people begin to abandon their village. Some Raposa remain, and it is they who call upon you, the Creator, to save the day.
Playing God is certainly not a new idea for video games, with title such as the Sims having been conceptualised many years ago. However, using the stylus and DS touch screen gives you Godly powers that few video games have offered before. It is an interesting and well-executed concept. You play the game as the Creator, giving the Raposa another chance at living a normal life.
DTL basically offers three main components of gameplay. The first component is drawing or colouring objects in the Raposa world. This can range from any number of things, including trees, the moon, ships, and even a mighty sword. Of course, one of the very first objects youll need to design is the hero of the story. Using you trusty stylus, it is up to you to bring to life a hero that will travel various worlds in search of pages from The Book of Life. Creating the hero is the first step in saving the Raposa people, and your next is to retrieve the scattered pages of The Book of Life. The Raposa village acts as an over world and within it you can talk to Raposa people, of which there are only three at the start. The Mayor is the main character to communicate with, and he will give you information on what to do.
Scattered across the village are doors which are gateways into the various worlds you must travel in order to retrieve pages from The Book of Life. Only one door is accessible from the beginning, and the others will open up as you progress through the game. Each world contains four levels and a boss (the exception is the final world) with the levels being played out as a standard platformer. Youll run, jump, and defeat a barrage of enemies as you make your way through the level, colleting coins and four templates for the missing pages of The Book of Life. Youll also have to find and rescue three-trapped Raposa in each level. Each level will also require you to draw or colour objects to help you through the levels, such as platforms and even transport such as ships. Whilst the platform element of DTL is basic, the ability to use your own design as the main hero is a cool feature. Call me childish, but I got a great number of laughs seeing my giant penis run and jump through the levels. Your other creations are also sprayed across the levels, so those with creativity minds and an appreciation for their own work will enjoy what is on offer.
After finishing a level, youll be returned to the village overworld where youll need to run around talking to people and drawing things before being returning to complete the next level. The running around between levels can be very monotonous and its only real purpose is to draw parts of the village (e.g., buildings, the moon, sun) and to allow the games plot to unfold. You can visit the village shop though and exchange the coins you collected in the levels for songs, new moves, new colour schemes for drawing/colouring and a few other things. This process of completing a level and then running around the village is repeated until your final showdown with Wilfre.
DTL boasts bright and colourful visuals with some nice art direction. There is good variety in the levels ranging from snow themed to forest themed worlds. The aspects of the game you are responsible for drawing/colouring look good enough, though they dont compare to the rest of the game. The soundtrack includes a range of chirpy, kid-friendly tunes which can best described as adequate; they certainly arent bad, yet they arent incredibly brilliant on any level either.
Overall, DTL is in the interesting position of being incredibly original in some regards, whilst being incredibly unoriginal in others. Playing as the Creator is a great experience, and having your creations come to life in the game is rewarding within itself. Saving the world with your very own hero is rewards both your skill and artistic ability. With some imagination, a steady hand and plenty of patience, you could even recreate heroes such as Mario. However, whilst the drawing aspects of the game are great, the platforming is a very standard affair and the running around in-between levels quickly becomes a bore. That said, whilst the platforming may be standard, it is still solid and offers a decent challenge, accessible to both inexperienced and experienced gamers. When it all comes down to it, DTL takes a generic platform formula and adds to it with the ability to design and bring to life your very own creations. Without this part of the game, DTL would just be another platformer that fails to stand out in a crowded genre. As is stands though, DTL takes a tried and true formula and allows you to literally inject (well, draw) some life into. DTL is recommended for platformer fans who want to try something different. Heres hoping any sequels or similar titles in the future try to spice up the platforming element to create a more enjoyable experience.
+ Drawing/colouring aspects, looks and sounds nice
– Platform element fails to offer anything new, running around in-between levels can be a bore
Mercs, Vectorman and ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron.
It's Black, Back Again.
Makes sense to us.