Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy

Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy is a third person action-adventure video game inspired by the mythology of Ancient Egypt for the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube consoles.

The game was developed by Eurocom and published by THQ. It was released on November 10, 2003, in North America and on February 20, 2004 in the PAL region. A mobile version was released on August 19, 2004.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) The gameplay is inspired by The Legend of Zelda series.
 * 2) Amazing visuals and effects for its time. There's a lot of colors a game primarily set in a desert.
 * 3) Plot based on Egyptian mythology.
 * 4) Huge open world areas to explore but aren't overwhelming. As the game progresses Sphinx gets new moves that lets him explore newer areas of the open-world and/or activate shortcuts to reduce backtracking.
 * 5) Play as two different characters: Sphinx and Tutankhamen. Sphinx focuses more on action and combat, while Tutankhamen relies on solving puzzles.
 * 6) Tutankhamen's puzzles take advantage of the fact that he's an undead mummy by intentionally damaging him.
 * 7) Both characters can acquire magical items that allow different transformations.
 * 8) Many mini games and side quests.
 * 9) A lengthy experience that can take from 20 to 30 hours to complete.
 * 10) Many boss battles that require different strategies to defeat.
 * 11) Enemies can be captured and sold for easy money or kept as pets.
 * 12) You can equip many magic items and weapons.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) There's a game breaking glitch where if you save at a specific Save point and turn off the game, next time you load your file you might find yourself trapped in that room unable to continue. If this happens you'll have no choice but to restart your save file. The Save Point is found the second time you play as the Mummy (third if you count his human form) and have acquired the invisibility power-up. The save point is located up a set of stairs.
 * 2) Cliffhanger ending with the possibility of a sequel but one was never made due to poor sales.

Reception
Sphinx was well received by much of the gaming community. Critics praised the game by calling it a "fun, challenging action-adventure serving up a semi-non-linear experience complete with huge worlds to explore, difficult and satisfying puzzles, entertaining weapon and item advancements".

It was also praised by critics for its unique characters and compelling storyline. The game's graphics were also highly praised for their quality.

Despite the positive reception however, a sequel was never made because the game sold very poorly.