Possession is a topic that doesn't appear very often in video games. Ninja Bee Studios has used it to interesting effect in their new Xbox Live Arcade title Ancients of the Ooga. Ancients of the Ooga is a curious puzzle platform title that draws its influences from Crash Bandicoot, LittleBigPlanet and 16-bit classic The Lost Vikings.

The game begins weaving a story where the Crash Bandicoot-esque race known as the Oogani are tricked by their mean neighbours the Booli into imprisoning their only line of protection against the Booli, their powerful chiefs. The Booli take advantage of the situation, kill the Oogani chiefs and enslave the entire Oogani race.

He should not have had chilli for lunch

Your job is simple – revive the last Oogani chief, reunite the tribes and lead a revolt against the Booli in order to save them from an eternity as slaves. Then the rest of the chiefs can be resurrected and the Oogani can be protected from the Booli once more.

In order to achieve this you have one major power at your disposal. You can possess Ooganis and control them in order to carry out the tasks necessary to save them from their mean masters.

This is where the game gets fairly interesting. The main action follows a platform mechanic similar to the way the platforming action works in LittleBigPlanet. When controlling an Oogani you can run about and jump on the platforms as well as move in and out of the depth of the screen in order to traverse the many obstacles that will be in your path and pick up and interact with items. The other major part of the gameplay is the possession element. As levels progress you will have access to an increasing number of different Ooganis which you can control. You do this by cycling through them with the left and right bumper buttons and then selecting the one you want to control.

The game's puzzles are almost entirely based on this concept but things aren't quite that simple. There are seven different tribes of Oogani and each tribe has access to different powers. For example, the Harvest Tribe have built up an immunity to thorns and so can move through barbed bushes unscathed where other Oogani's would die. This introduces the Lost Vikings style of puzzle solving where you will need to use several different characters in order to solve some of the puzzles.

Another interesting tool at you disposal is the ability to hold almost anything in your mouth. This can range from rocks and logs to other Oogani and it will help you solve some of the more confusing puzzles.

“DAAAAYO. DAAAAYYYYYO. Daylight come and me want to go home.”

There is an array of switches, levers and buttons which need to be pushed to help you achieve your goal and there is also a number of shrines which need to be worshipped or even brought sacrifices in order to activate their power. Sacrifices can range from bringing the right item to offering up a given number of Oogani tribesmen. Again these shrines act like switches but add another dimension to the puzzles.

All of the puzzles are neatly woven through the narrative of the game so none of the trials feel unnecessary. The game progresses as you move from village to village enlisting the help of each Oogani tribe in turn as you go.

If you get stuck along the way there is always another Oogani or even a shaman healer to give you hints and advice. There are also various enemies that need to be vanquished along the way either by battering them with your fists, employing a particular magic power or even using a dirty trick. Most Oogani, for instance, cannot defeat a Booli in a fight so they must rely on beating them in more subtle ways. Booli are usually located close to a trough which they regularly drink from. You can use your Oogani to put posion or sleep fruit in the trough to incapacitate the Booli allowing you to get by and carry out your mission.

This all works fairly well and the game is quite fun to play through. The puzzles are fairly challenging, although the game feels a little on the light side meaning it might appeal more to younger or more casual gamers. Still, it is an entertaining and humorous distraction.

There is plenty of individuality in the game's visual style. It may seem to borrow from Crash Bandicoot and Banjo Kazooie, but it does so respectfully and with its own little twist. The cutscenes are fairly nice too, telling the story of the Oogani's using quirky cave paintings and narration although they could have benefited from some animation to give them a bit more life.

It is also worth noting that the game can also be played in local two player co-op mode which can add a small measure of fun to the proceedings. Being able to chew up and puke out your comrade can prove particularly entertaining if you like a simple chuckle.

Not brushing you teeth, ever, does have its advantages...

There are no major flaws in Ancients of Ooga. The controls are simple and avoid frustration. The graphics are bold, stylish and well defined and it gives off an air of subtle affability that is strangely intriguing. The puzzling aspects of the game are well-conceived and it presents enough of a challenge to keep more advanced gamers interested without putting less experienced players off by using obscure solutions.

There is one problem though. While it is clearly a nice game, Ancients of Ooga doesn't really do anything interesting enough to get beyond being a nice game into being a must have. It clearly wants to be loved but all the elements, no mater how well put together they are, are all borrowed and never feel like they will do something spectacular or truly different. Ninja Bee has made a very passable game but sadly it doesn't go very much beyond that. If you want a nice pick up then get Ancients of Ooga, but just don't expect to be blown away.

Top Game Moment: Discovering that you can chew out and puke up other Ooganis. This is literally minutes of fun.