Based on a promising concept, Microforum's SoulTrap attempts to incorporate three-dimensional movement into a traditional 2-D platform game. Unfortunately, a few fundamental flaws leave this promise largely unfulfilled.
As was the case in Sega's Bug!, much of SoulTrap's gameplay revolves around giant floating "mazes" in the sky. These polygonal platforms are home to all manner of strange traps, creatures and puzzles - each of which represents the fears and anxieties harbored by your character, Malcolm, in the real world. It is your job to guide Malcolm across these lofty bridges, outwitting and outshooting any obstacles that try to block your path.
Unlike the platforms in Bug!, there are no guardrails or mystic forces to prevent you from taking a plunge off the side. While this convention allows great freedom of movement, it also highlights a conceptual flaw within the game itself: Namely, the act of guiding Malcolm along the narrow platforms is too difficult - and too unforgiving - to be fun.
Contributing to this problem is SoulTrap's sensitive control scheme which makes maneuvering much more difficult than it is entertaining. While standard joystick support is included, a mouse/keyboard combination gives players the greatest control over both the camera angle and the onscreen character. Even with this set-up, however, a simple tap on the directional key can send your character on a suicidal path. Fortunately, SoulTrapallows you to save and restore from any point within a level. As a result, an untimely demise can be remedied with a "restore game" cheat. (Of course, had Microforum simply placed guardrails on the walkways, cheating would not be necessary.)
Although the polygonal graphics in SoulTrapfall short of the standards set by Id's Quake, they are more than adequate for the task at hand. Each of the 11 levels has its own set of objects and textures that comprise a central theme (such as the Gothic World, Water World, etc.). This seemingly endless variety prevents the game from ever becoming visually stale - despite the rather primitive nature of the polygons themselves.
In conclusion, Microforum's SoulTrap is the best title to come from the Canadian publisher in a long time. Its innovative gameplay, large levels, and seemingly endless variety show great potential. Unfortunately, the sheer difficulty of simply staying atop the hovering platforms condemns this platformer to mediocrity.
