You will be playing as Vince, an ordinary voodoo doll that is owned by Madame Charmaine. In the game's introduction, Charmaine is abducted by hoodlums, instructed by the evil Kosmo. Kosmo only wants the special zombie dust from Charmaine. The dust has the power to alter reality, which brings Vince to life as well as other nasty beings! Grabbing the dust took a bit of work and some of it was spilled along the way, opening the gateway to the underworld realm.

Vince must find a way to reverse the damage caused by the spilled dust and return everything to its original state of reality. Fortunately, he is able to communicate telepathically with his puppet master for guidance as he conquers different levels and hunts down the abductors. You will get a better picture of what's going on with the game's short cutscenes as it uncovers the real story.

Your character is equipped with plethora of moves. He can double-jump, punch, dive into a butt-stomp, and execute spin attack. He is able to slow his decent mid-air by pressing the left trigger button. As you progress through the game, new moves are unlocked. Eventually, you will able to pull off a more complicated technique such as a grappling hook swing. As for special moves, Vince unleashes a powerful voodoo blast that engulfs enemies within the vicinity.

One of the interesting aspects about Vince's special move is that he simply hurts himself. It sounds comical but it is true! In all sincerity, what is a voodoo doll for anyway? You stick all sorts of pins and needles on it to curse your target, right? In similar way, this is how Vince works his magic against evil monsters to get himself into the next level. Even though this little trick does provide a kind of comic relief, it is not what makes Voodoo Vince a fascinating game.

The highlight of Voodoo Vince comes from puzzle-solving. Some levels are easy to figure out and other levels get far more intricate! One area requires you play jazz with a skeleton doorman in order to let you pass. There are numerous steps involved before you can even begin to play your first tune. First, you will need a trumpet, which you don't have money for it. You will have to enter the costume contest to earn some cash. Prior to entering the contest, you will need a costume. It is a long process but you get the picture. Although some levels could take a long time to finish, the puzzles included are never frustrating. In case you get stuck, the game has pointers on how to proceed.

Fighting the boss is not based on laying the smackdown but on Voodoo tricks. Therefore, you have to figure out a way to hurt yourself big time! The more pain you inflict upon yourself the more damage there is to the boss. Making rocks fall on your head or diving headfirst into a ditch filled with spikes are some of the great examples for racking up serious damage! Obviously, the constant attack by monsters will have an adverse effect on your life force. Bags of zombie dusts are scattered throughout the levels. Picking up one will replenish some of your health. Collect 100 of these bags and you will extend your health meter.

As for other aspects of the game's mechanics, the platforming portion of Voodoo Vince could have used more polishing. It's difficult to determine whether a tilt plane is too steep to walk on or not. Graphicswise, the game is stunning and did a fine job of depicting the areas that surrounds New Orleans--the bayous, city streets, and more. Vince himself is full of life considering he is only a Voodoo doll. The visual sequences used for his special attacks are quite amusing. The monsters project a convincing image of hell let lose; but you get tired of fighting the same ones because there is not enough variety in character design.

Voodoo Vince's music department is impressive. It consists of jazzy tunes that fit the locations and the overall theme well. The game did an excellent job with voice acting that includes mixture of humor and sarcasm. The sound effects are surprisingly realistic. Even the loading screen has its own creepy gimmick to it! The rest of the audio is nicely done with some funny comments that take place here and there.

Voodoo Vince is no doubt a great game with a unique twist to the 3D platform genre. The downside is that it's too short of a story. Fortunately, the game's intuitive puzzle-solving scenes compensate for that. There are optional items to collect if you want to expand your gameplay experience. From grotesque environments to ghastly characters, Voodoo Vince is full of visual elements that are true to life. The music is some of the best you will hear in a 3D platform game. Those who are into puzzle-solving, platform-jumping gameplay will certainly find this one worth purchasing.