| Herdy Gerdy | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Core Design |
| Publisher(s) | Eidos Interactive |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 |
| Release date(s) |
|
| Genre(s) | Strategy, puzzle |
| Rating(s) | |
| Media/distribution | 1 DVD |
Herdy Gerdy is a video game for the PlayStation 2 console released in 2002. It was developed by Core Design, and published by Eidos Interactive. The game is a 3D, third person, strategy game that involves herding animals, navigating obstacles, and solving puzzles. The player has to collect a variety of herding tools, and there are alternate pathways to reach the end. Critically, the game was a modest success, receiving an aggregate score of 70% on Game Rankings.
Contents |
The game begins with Gerdy attempting to wake his sleeping father, Master Herder Gedryn, who is going to be late for the annual herding competition. It is soon revealed that Gerdy's dad has been placed under a spell by the evil wizard Sadorf.[1] Gerdy is determined to save his dad and the magical island that they live on from Sadorf's evil rule.
The game is best described as a virtual shepherd sim, with some adventure and platform elements. The player must herd enough creatures into their pens to unlock areas and new levels. However, the various creatures have certain reactions and skills; some swim while some drown, for example. The levels themselves are difficult to negotiate, with pirate ships, winding caverns, and ruins blocking Gerdy's path.
Herdy Gerdy's creatures are controlled by a complex but flawed artificial intelligence. They are prone to getting stuck, sometimes irretrievably, on objects in the environment owing to a lack of adequate collision detection.[2]
It has a large environment (around 40 different areas) as well as 12 different fictional creatures to herd into their different pens. The game requires strategic thinking as some animals eat the others, some animals cannot jump, some cannot swim and each animal kind requires a separate herding technique.
The head-up display is relatively simple: there are three colored displays at the top of the screen. To the left, the display shows the number of dead animals. The next, in the centre of the screen, represents those alive and free, and the display on the right shows those that have been captured. Herdy Gerdy is plagued by automatic camera problems. Although the game features manual camera control, when the view between Gerdy and the camera is obstructed control reverts to automatic often to the chagrin of the player.[3]
At the bottom of the screen is a progress bar with dots: each dot confirms that you have captured 5% of the animals in the level.
Finally, the map shows the player's position, animals, pens, rainbow buttons, and the gypsy at the end of the level.