GameSpot editors' review
-
CNET editors' rating:
stars
Good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 11/22/2002
- Released on: 11/19/2002
- Originally published on GameSpot: Dr. Muto (PlayStation 2) Review
Dr. Muto isn't exactly the most inspiring platforming character ever created--this mad scientist of small stature relies on a remote control device to attack enemies and wears a pair of small rocket shoes to jump around in the gameworld. Indeed, the game Dr. Muto is least exciting and shows most of its weaknesses when it focuses on its main character, but as you progress through the game, the doctor will gain the ability to change into different types of animals. It's these animal transformations that instill life into Dr. Muto's otherwise irritating combination of platforming and collection elements, and they do so by simply making the gameplay experience for each creature different. However, the game still has quite a few other problems, namely a horrible camera and a general lack of polish.
You'll play as a diminutive mad scientist in Dr. Muto.
Dr. Muto sets out to rebuild Planet Midway--which he inadvertently destroyed with his energy device--by retrieving pieces of a device named the genitor from a series of planets, each of which has several areas in which a piece of the machine could possibly be hidden. In most cases, tracking down parts of the genitor isn't all that difficult, because their location is often revealed after you hit a special switch or trigger a sequence of special events. In fact, most of Dr. Muto's gameplay focuses on hitting switches, pulling levers, or throwing small blue creatures into electrical fields using the remote control device. This mundane gameplay approach is exacerbated by the fact that you'll need to collect a number of items as you're traveling through the levels if you want to acquire Dr. Muto's special devices and transformation abilities.
Throughout each section of a planet, you'll find blue orbs hanging in the sky or inside crates that you can smash open using Dr. Muto's attack beam. Some of them will also be hidden, and you'll have to find a special switch to find them, though chances are you'll discover them by accident. These blue orbs are especially important, as they can unlock additional animal transformation formulas.
Blue orbs aren't the only thing you need to worry about collecting. When you unlock one of Dr. Muto's transformation formulas later in the game, you'll see that a few requirements must be met before Dr. Muto can change into that creature. For example, Dr. Muto's ape transformation requires DNA from two types of enemies. Not all the requirements are so simple, though. Some will involve finding dozens of enemies, quite a few of which can be difficult to locate, and you'll end up backtracking quite a bi in search of them. The same applies for some of Dr. Muto's special items, which need several well-hidden special parts to function. Unfortunately, all this collecting also slows down the pace of the game to the point that it just becomes tedious. In addition, some of the later levels place an emphasis on platforming and rapid movement, and as such, they aren't really conducive to the heavily emphasized collecting element.
It's certainly worth noting that when you finally gain the ability to transform into a creature, the game becomes much more enjoyable. Each creature that Dr. Muto can transform into plays quite differently, such as the massive ape, which moves slow but has the ability to perform a massive ground stomp. Conversely, the rat is small and maneuverable, but it can be crushed by rotating gears or other such environmental hazards. However, there are quite a few limitations. The game will almost always limit the selection of animals that you can transform into depending on the area you're in, and most of the time, the animals are useful only in specific situations.
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