Diabolik: The Original Sin can certainly be an entertaining adventure, if a little rough around the edges. The plot doesn't shine for its originality or depth, but it offers solid entertainment, and with two different modes available, Diabolik can offer a nice diversion for those who always wanted to use hi-tech spy devices or play out a Mission: Impossible movie.
The game can be enjoyed without any knowledge of the original comic, but reading the prologue and the in-game biography will greatly help to understand the underlying mythos of the comic series. While the game tries to create some levels of tension with its mini-games, in reality it simply does little more than to make the player aware that there is danger lying ahead. Diabolik: The Original Sin is a competent game with a few notable flaws, but ultimately it fails to stand out as a better exemplar for the genre.
Were you Italian, you'd know that Diabolik was Italy's James Bond; the star of a comic book series created by sisters Angela and Luciana Giussani. The first issue of Diabolik was published in 1962, the same year Sean Connery first played Bond in Dr No. Coincidence?
Perhaps, but whatever his origins, Diabolik the master thief remains a cult favourite in Italy but is still utterly unheard of over here, save for a short-lived cartoon series on Fox a decade ago. Diabolik: The Original Sin no doubts aims to bring Diabolik's suave adventures to new shores and a new audience but, judging by his first game on the Wii and DS, that doesn't seem likely.
411mania talks about this week's game releases. Highlights include BlazBlue, Hatsune Miku: Project Diva, Diabolik, Treasure World, Street Fighter IV PC, and Roogoo.
