Galleon [Xbox]

It hasn't been an easy journey for Galleon: Islands of Mystery. For a while, it seemed like this swashbuckling tale was stuck in the development doldrums, slated for consoles from the Dreamcast to the GameCube, and now finally docking in as an Xbox exclusive. Though the years have not been kind to it, Galleon proves its seaworthiness, especially for fans of platforming adventure games a la Tomb Raider.

Which brings up the matter of this romp's pedigree: Galleon's creator Toby Gard gave us the lovely Ms. Croft. Though Lady Lara's games have since run that franchise into the ground, hope springs eternal with Gard's new leading man, Rhama Sabrier. Dashing, debonair, and ridiculously acrobatic, this captain jaunts to seven islands in search of valuable herbs, treasure, and the treacherous baddie Jabez. Looking at a preview build of Galleon, we were impressed with the variety of activities available for our ponytailed protagonist, though other areas certainly leave room for improvement.

Rhama's a pretty talented fellow, as he needs to jump, brawl, swim, puzzle-solve, and hunt for valuables repeatedly throughout the game. Unlike Tomb Raider, the control scheme here proves to be pretty forgiving, as our agile hero easily grabs onto ledges and planks when needed. The quirky guiding system, in which the player points the camera in the direction they want Rhama to go in, can be a royal pain, but becomes usable.

Though his floaty jumps do take some getting used to, it won't be long before gamers delight in running Rhama up to full speed and launching him across a large chasm. The captain's also an adept rock-climber, and sending him scurrying up craggy cliffs is crucial to solving many of the game's puzzles.

Of all Rhama's abilities, however, combat seems to need the most work. Though he boasts a significant number of moves and combos, our captain just doesn't seem particularly well-suited for beating up thugs and bosses. Climactic battles usually provide the gravy for action/adventure games, but in Galleon, it's where gameplay becomes sluggish and repetitive.

Perhaps this is due to the lack of a good targeting system, such as those found in the 3D Zelda games, since it's in these frays where Rhama's relative-to-the-camera movement becomes most infuriating. These enemies fight dirty too, as they aren't above knocking our buccaneer from treacherous heights, plummeting Rhama to an early grave.

Rhama also has some company to help him on his quest, with flame-haired healer Faith and speedy martial artist Mihoko providing the assists. Players can lock-on to certain objects and then issue commands to these helpers, which allows for the completion of certain puzzles or tasks.

Galleon's a primarily linear experience, though the large worlds ensure plenty of exploration and hunting for various items and booty. In particular, the second island spirals up inside a large, hollowed-out mountain, and Rhama must climb scaffolding, scale rocky terrain, and search caves in order to reach the pinnacle -- a process that takes about 20 different items and checkpoints to complete. Sometimes this length feels forced and adds to Galleon's frustration factor.

Graphically, this adventure shows its years in development, as most of the character models look like they're from the Dreamcast era. Rhama, Faith, and the rest of the gang have a cartoony appeal to them, but in this era of cel-shading and pristine realism, they don't fit in amongst their peers. Some environments do dazzle -- a greenhouse located on a ship boasts some nice lighting effects -- but in 2004, and especially on the Xbox, Galleon can't stand shoulder to shoulder in the pretty pictures department with the rest of the competition.

Proficient voice acting and an engaging story elevate Galleon above more run-of-the-mill efforts, and if gamers can get past the less-than-rewarding combat system and the trying length of the different levels, a hearty adventure awaits them. Don't send this title to Davy Jones' locker -- it's been a long time coming, but for those willing to stick it out, there's still some treasure on this ship.