One key difference in this game from its predecessors is an all-new voice cast. Like the ankh (still pronounced “onk” and “ank” depending on who says it), the new actors sound mostly American with some notably European accents sprinkled in. A few grating exceptions aside, these sound fine for the most part, though the lack of anything remotely Egyptian still defies logic. Unfortunately, both the sound editing and voice direction are areas in which yet another Ankh flounders. Background chatter can drown out anything the playable characters are saying (with even the subtitles overlapping), volume can change suddenly, and vocal inflection is periodically wrong for the context required. When exchanging items in the opening, for example, both Assil and Thara exclaim “There you are!” as if discovering each other delightedly, rather than the appropriate casual remark required for handing something over. Problems like this aren’t huge, but they’re like a single nail scraped across the blackboard of an otherwise solid performance. There are no such problems with the music, which is once again excellent and provides a welcome atmospheric backdrop.

Visual design is another wonderful aspect of Ankh 3, once again delivering bright, Saturday morning-style (remember those?) cartoonish 3D graphics, with lots of tweakable options – including widescreen support – to best suit each player. Character models are nicely caricatured with pronounced features, and the game includes a healthy dose of animation, often switching to short letterboxed cinematics to display certain actions. Backgrounds are vivid and bold, and avoiding the different-shades-of-brown dilemma of its natural desert location, the game keeps players in more visually compelling areas like the lovely Luxor town square (complete with fireworks at night); the garishly decadent Lotsaluk Casino; a pastel-shaded, otherworldly dimension of paths and platforms; and surprisingly, the small snow-covered Viking village of Eric the Red. This bizarre mix of locations perhaps signals that ancient Egypt has finally run its course as subject matter, but it also allowed the artists to creatively apply their talents, and Battle of the Gods is nothing if not lovely to look at.

Wherever you go, you’ll mostly be doing traditional adventuring things along the way. The huge majority of puzzles are inventory-based, many of which follow the old-school design book that says not to worry about the solution making sense. Oh, they all make sense from a backwards-logic perspective, but many include such patently ridiculous combinations that trial-and-error is all but guaranteed. If you scan every adventure review looking for the word “MacGuyver”, you’ll find much to satisfy you in this game. Others may find themselves wondering what’s in the hookah the puzzle designers were passing around. Personally, I’m okay with the odd throw-reason-out-the-window adventure on occasion, so long as experimenting is fun and obstacles are sound. In this regard, Ankh 3 is hit-and-miss. Actual clues can be few and far between, and sometimes even misleading. Trying to use a cat toy on a cat, for example, gives this insightful response: ”Only cats like to play with stuff like that.” Elsewhere, a pursuit of something decorative is not to be found in the forever-unreachable treasure box that displays the “pick up” cursor, but in something that doesn’t even have a hotspot of its own. While not generally a difficult game overall, it’s examples like this that can throw you into stuckville, somewhat unfairly.

Adding a bit of variety, the game also offers the occasional dialogue puzzle, plus a lengthy section in a labyrinthine location with stairs, doors, and obstacles on all sides. It’s a clever sequence, even if one of its self-contained puzzles plays a little loose with the rules. Where the game really excels, however, is in its opening and endgame sequences. These are decidedly more linear than the rest of the game, but they’re far better suited to the crazy-item-use requirement, and Deck13 has a real knack for simulating excitement in that “tense without any real danger” sort of way. Only when the game becomes a little too open-ended does it tend to bog down, as it occasionally does when Assil faces such tasks as proving he’s man (without offending anybody), disguising himself to sneak into a treasure room, and convincing someone – anyone – to believe in Horus as worthy of worship.

Of course, we’re rather fortunate to have the opportunity to play the game at all. For a long time, Ankh 3 was one of a growing number of games that seemed uncertain ever to get a localized English release. Even now, it’s available only through digital download at The Adventure Shop, so while the Battle of the Gods may be decided in this game, the war against publisher indifference hasn’t yet been won. As it stands, ultimately this game is an easy recommendation to fans of the series, and a slightly-qualified endorsement for all others. Like with most sequels, knowledge of the first two games is not necessary to play this one, but there are numerous small references to previous events, so series veterans will appreciate the continuity. Whether a returning player or complete newcomer, what you’ll find is a whimsical romp that unashamedly embraces its wackiness, in atmosphere and gameplay alike. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t, but its problems are never deal-breakers. They’re more like small irritants; grains of Saharan sand grinding away at the polish. Even so, the good times are no mirage, and there’s fun in the sun to be had for the 8-10 hours or so it will take to complete.

Note: The Adventure Shop is an Adventure Gamers affiliate.