With the third Tak game THQ really seems to have the series hitting on all cylinders. While not the most original game ever, Tak: The Great Juju Challenge offers solid gameplay that is well executed, family friendly and enjoyable played both alone or cooperatively with a friend.

Tak: The Great Juju Challenge follows the further adventures of Tak, a young tribal shaman of the Pupanunu tribe with some powerful juju magic. This time out he is teamed up with another Pupanunu named Lok as they take on The Great Juju Challenge. Every tribe in the region has also sent a team to participate in the challenge. And why not? The winner of the challenge will curry the favor of the Moon Juju goddess for the next 60 years, bringing great honor to their tribe.

Tak: The Great Juju Challenge really is a team effort. Neither character can hope to complete the challenge alone. Tak is without a doubt the brains of the outfit. He runs fast, swims well and has powerful magic. Lok is the brawn to Tak’s brains. Lok is stronger, more damage resistant, carries a wicked heavy hammer for a weapon, and jumps and climbs better than Tak. Unfortunately fish seem to have it in for him, so he has to stay clear of the water when he is unprotected, and gorillas like him a little too much.

The game is played as a series of timed levels. In each Tak and Lok must make their way through the level in the shortest time possible or complete a task in the allotted time. It sounds a bit like a race, but only seldom are any challenges such that another team is seen. This is mostly about Tak and Lok each using his abilities to solve the series of simple puzzles that will allow them to progress and complete the level quickly. Points are then awarded based on performance and posted on the tote board. It is possible to run out of time during a challenge. At those times the player may choose to restart the level or continue without a timer and earn a much-reduced reward. As the challenges increase in difficulty, it is not uncommon to have to repeat a challenge once you’ve done an initial play-through to learn all the puzzles. It is easier the second time through to concentrate on execution and earning a good score. There are also side quests that may be undertaken for additional rewards. Since these take time to accomplish, it is best to tackle them only once the main challenge they occur in becomes more familiar.

The teamwork involved in solving puzzles is generally pretty simple fare like standing on a switch while the other character goes through a door or using Lok’s strength to pick Tak up and launch him to higher platforms. This means the player will be constantly switching between the two characters as he directs their activities. In addition to direct control of a character, the player can also order his non-controlled character to either follow or hold position.

Of course the game need not only be played solo with the player alternating controlling both characters. It is also possible for the game to be played with two players each controlling one character. Playing the game like this requires a lot of communication between the players as they solve problems. In the single-player mode the non-player-controlled character will usually do what needs to be done and appear when you need him to perform a joint move. The same cannot be said for a character under the control of another person. It makes for some good lessons in working together.

Since the controls of Tak’s previous outings were pretty solid, there was not a lot to be done to them. The camera, bane of all 3D games, has a few small problems, but the truth is they are never enough to get in the way of the enjoyment of the game. Actual control of Tak and Lok is generally tight, responsive and quickly intuitive. I have often complained that using a “run” button is a cop-out in the age of analog controls, but Tak: The Great Juju Challenge has one and justifies its existence with the faster speed expending some of the player’s juju power. Since no one would want to expend magic accidentally and be caught short when it is needed, having a button to initiate the run makes sense.

Graphically the game is a treat for the eyes. The environments are predominately bright and colorful jungle scenery with excellent detail. The characters are also detailed and move fluidly. There are a few small graphics anomalies like characters moving through solid objects, but they are rare and, like the camera problems, not a hindrance to the enjoyment of the game.

The game’s sound deserves special mention. The sound effects are good and nicely immerse the player in the game, but it is the voice acting that shines. Very professionally done and witty, if only in a groaner fashion, the voice acting is top notch. Patrick Warburton, the voice of Lok, nicely reprises his Tick attitude of bravado and utter cluelessness well.

If there is a real complaint that can be lodged against Tak: The Great Juju Challenge it is that the game really isn’t anything new and it is more linear than some of the newer action/adventure games are. It all works, it just isn’t fresh.