Bonez: Tomb of Fulaos is an interesting take on a genre that has faded over the years. Back in the day, Sierra had revolutionized the point-and-click adventure. Sadly though, over the years adventure games were over-run by the mass abundance of other, more popular, genres. However, Tomb of Fulaos is a satisfactory, if not an over-worthy, attempt at rekindling the point-and-click experience.

The game follows the story of an archaeologist, Mac Bonez, and his investigation into some mummy tombs in Egypt. He's very much like Indiana Jones, or a rough-edged version of James Bond without the gadgets. Nevertheless, much of the gameplay resembles the thought-provoking antics of an Indiana Jones adventure. Bonez is looking to stumble onto something big, and he does once he gets trapped in a mummy-infested tomb.

The majority of the game takes place in maze-like tombs with a lot of bats, rats and walking mummies to fend off. You can use your bare fist, knives, swords, pistols, rifles, and magic attacks to defend your dear archaeologist from becoming a relic himself.

The core fighting mechanic is very similar to Diablo. All of the weapons (besides the rifle) have to be retrieved from within the maze...either from bones, pots, vases, or other archaic obstructions. The magic ranges from healing, to defending, to attacking with specific elements. There's a wide range of melee and projectile/firearm weapons at the player's disposal in this game, as well.

However, not all the weapons are created equal. This game, at its core, is an RPG. While the fighting is in real-time (like many newer RPGs) the damage and accuracy is entirely Role-playing oriented. Like in any other RPG, you gain experience from finding, activating, defeating, or unlocking certain things. Mostly, though, you'll get your level-ups in this game from defeating enemies. And like any other RPG, you have attribute points to distribute among specific skills.

A neat touch though, is that the RPG elements intertwine seamlessly with the adventure, and puzzle elements. For instance, Perception and Recognition come in handy for spotting secrets or detecting traps. Moreover, the importance of detecting traps is insurmountable. Why? Because you'll have to do a lot of platforming in this game as well. That's right, you not only fight, and shoot, and climb, and solve puzzles, but you'll also have to jump platforms, outrun giant boulders, and hop over broken bridges. There's even mini-games scattered throughout the levels that give players a break in the constant running and fighting.

The puzzle elements in this game are also intriguing, to say the least. While I'm not a big fan of the adventure-game-puzzles, I did find these puzzles to be engaging. The main reason the puzzles were so stellar is because they have relevance to everything that you're actually doing in the game itself. I was never fond of gaming puzzles that had you doing things that had nothing to do with anything. Thankfully, that kind of logic was abandoned for this game, as players will use their wits to solve rational puzzles.

The platforming aspect of the game also has puzzle elements about it, as well. Still, they are at least sensible platform puzzles. Most of them involve trap-door floors, or deep pits with spikes protruding out of them and a key sitting in the middle of the spikes. The platforming was a very well-welcomed element in this cross-genre point-and-click adventure game.

Graphics: +
The graphics in this game are superb. The cinematics are excellent, and the model files-whether it's the characters or the weapons-are done nicely. The surrounding environments also reflect a good sense of depth. The atmosphere never seems too contrived, or cheaply built. The tombs are convincing, and the outdoor desert and excavation site looks authentic. This game visually captures everything that makes it work as an adventure game.

A minor drawback, though, would have to be the lack of muzzle fire from the guns. When you squeeze off a round in this game there's a convincing sound, an effective ricochet noise, but no muzzle.

In addition, the torch doesn't appear in Mac's hand when he is holding it. While this is minor, if not petty, it was something I was strangely looking forward to seeing it, perhaps because we see him caring the torch on the web-page, and assume he'll carry it the same way in the game. Still, the visuals for this game are very nice, and extremely immersive. All the details are exactly where they need to be, to make this game as visually competent as anything else out on the market.

Sound: +
Amazingly, this game has some really cool music and sound effects. As you venture throughout the levels, you'll find that the music is actually quite intense. I really liked the soundtrack. The gun sounds, enemy sounds, and other ambient effects match the environments, and the game's overall atmosphere.

Gameplay: +
The puzzle elements work really well in this sort of game. And the platforming actually makes sense, in combination with the puzzle elements. The gameplay is a bit like an action game for puzzle gamers, or a puzzle game for action gamers. Either way, there's something in this game for everyone.

However, one of the major drawbacks to the fighting mechanic, is the inability to walk backwards. This will hurt you more than any of the enemies. Simply, if you're getting your butt kicked and you want to get away from the enemy, you will have to turn the mouse in the opposite direction. It seems easier than it is to execute. The camera, like in many 3D action/adventure titles, was tough to get into an adequate position. This made it very difficult to see certain enemies effectively; jump across certain platforms; or view specific areas.

All-in-all, the camera requires adjustment and tolerance. Once you get the hang of it, though, it becomes much easier to fight and navigate through the tomb mazes. For this game, the tutorial was a priceless addition for getting acquainted with the control scheme and the playing mechanics. After a while, though, players may find that everything works well once you get adjusted to it.

Concept: +
This game's concept is an exception to the rule. So many different elements are working all at once. It makes it hard to dwell on any of the flaws. Even though this game is centered around the dungeon-style exploration, it's done with inspiring innovation.

Value: +
It really seems as if this game is under-valued. There's dozens of over-priced games out there that offer far less content than this game. Though, there are some rough-edges present in this game, every now and then. However, the multiple gaming genres are done so seamlessly...infused with the fluid progress of the game's playability, really make it a worth-while title.

Fun: +
This game is fun, but I didn't think so at first. I didn't understand how to play and I didn't understand how to play effectively. It took me a while to get used to the controls and the game's mechanics. After a couple of tries, I finally became synchronized with the very fluid gameplay. The learning curve may curb your enthusiasm at first. However, once you figure everything out and adjust to the playing style, this is the sort of game you will not want to stop playing.

Recommendation: BUY
If you're not sure about this game because you don't like puzzle games, then that's fine. You still might want to consider trying this game for its RPG style of play. However if you're not into RPG games, that's fine too. You still might want to try this game out for its fun platforming and adventure aspects. Yet if you're not too much of a platform or adventure gamer, that's fine as well. However, you still might want to try this game out for its action, melee, magic using, and firearm features. Now if someone honestly doesn't like the game for any of its multi-versatile features and crossover gaming functions, then I can't imagine such an individual calling themself a gamer.

Hands down, this is one of the most original cross-over games I've played in a very long time. The mini-game features, the shooting, the melee, the puzzle solving...all of it ties in well together. Though the mazes are a bit drawn out, this game is the sort of game that'll make console gamers jealous.