First Look: Dreamcast D.Jump

Ubi Soft is currently working on an interesting game for the PC and the Dreamcast in Europe called D.Jump. Because the game features a very quirky storyline, we felt inclined to investigate what the title is all about.

D. Jump starts like this: You assume the role of D., a friendly character who becomes the hero of this adventure. One day he attends a pub to get some food and drink, as well as to flirt with the ladies, when he is suddenly pulled out of the present day and thrust 2000 years into the past - to ancient Egypt. He finds himself in a tomb and discovers he has been transformed into a wooden doll. Bizarre? Certainly.

So the basic goal of the game is for D. to find his way back to present day. Two Egyptian friends accompany our hero on his adventure, and along the way he finds many artifacts that help guide his path.

Ubi Soft stresses that the game is very nonviolent. There will be jungle-style music throughout the game, which should help support its atmosphere. In each level D. needs to find a place to rest and sleep. And then in his dreams he sees strange things and learns new abilities that will help him on his way. For example, at one point in the game, D. learns how to transform into other creatures, such as a snake or a duck. D. also gains the ability to move objects with telekinetic powers.

There are 20 environments throughout the game, ranging from glowing-hot deserts to the shores of the Nile. We've also heard that you'll be able to enter such areas as the palace of the Pharaoh.

Another interesting aspect is that D. can have certain moods. In "stress mode" he can explode into pieces and automatically put himself together again, while "love mode" makes him follow the heartbeat of his girlfriend Nefer. Also, when he hears music somewhere, he then switches into "groove mode," which makes him dance all over the place.

The game looks very promising and could very well be a title to look forward to. The screenshots are taken from the PC version, as Ubi Soft has no Dreamcast material available yet. According to Ubi Soft, the title is currently slated for the European market only. We'll keep you updated.