Evil Twin Cyprien's Chronicles Preview

Cyprien is unhappy with his current situation.

After a 3D platformer as brash as Conker's Bad Fur Day has been released, it's hard to imagine that another developer could take the genre into new territory. But that's exactly what In Utero has done with Evil Twin: Cyprien's Chronicles. Set in a dark and foreboding world locked inside the imagination of an orphaned child, Evil Twin is a bleak game. If visions of pastel-hued happy faces flit through your mind when you think of 3D platforming games, Evil Twin will wipe away these preconceptions with its opening cinema.

While stories generally take the backseat to gameplay in platforming games, Evil Twin has a decidedly twisted plot that perpetuates its grim tone. As the game begins, it's Cyprien's birthday, and all the kids at the orphanage he resides in decide to throw him a special party. Lost in his own self-pity, Cyprien decides that he would rather be an adult and clear his mind of childish things. Unbeknownst to Cyprien, his cries are overheard by a mysterious figure called the master, who warps the young lad to a world constructed by Cyprien's own imagination. Here, Cyprien must make some sense out of the parallel universe, find his friends from the orphanage, and destroy the master. Almost immediately after entering the parallel universe, Cyprien is greeted by a mutated elephant named Wilbur. Wilbur guides Cyprien through his adventure, offering insight into how to complete levels and acting as a save point once a certain number camera power-ups have been collected. In spite of Evil Twin's dark settings and situations, it also attempts to be humorous on several occasions. While the jokes aren't particularly funny, the lightheartedness of the dialogue in the game serves as a nice contrast to the rest of its subject matter.

SuperCyp, Cyprien's alter ego, has a few special abilities.

As you might expect from a 3D platformer, Evil Twin's primary gameplay mechanic is jumping. The game is split up into almost 70 short sections, and each one requires a healthy amount of leaping from one platform to the next. While playing as Cyprien, you may jump, perform a modified version of the butt-stomp, and shoot a slingshot from a first- or third-person perspective. Using the slingshot from a third-person perspective comes in handy when attacking enemies thanks to its auto-lock function. The first-person view is essential when shooting switches that open new parts of the game's levels. Cyprien eventually upgrades his slingshot ammunition to include odd projectiles such as paper airplanes and bubble gum. Using the slingshot is essential to solving many of the game's puzzles. Tokens, which resemble a mask of sorts, are scattered throughout the game. These tokens can be used to turn Cyprien into his evil twin, SuperCyp, at any time. SuperCyp has a wealth of moves that are not available to Cyprien. He can shoot enormous fireballs, perform an electrifying lightning bolt attack, and reach high places with a super jump. As you collect the tokens, a meter located at the top of the screen will gradually build. If the meter is empty, Cyprien will not be able to transform. Each of SuperCyp's special moves requires a certain amount of token power, but even if you don't use these special moves, the meter still drains slowly. It's essential to constantly switch between characters in order to advance in the game--there are certain sections of each level that can only be negotiated by one or the other.