Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy: Everything you need to know

Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy is perfect for those who miss 3D action-adventure games of old. Here’s a quick guide on what to expect in this version of ancient Egypt.

Deep dives into the lore of ancient Egypt are popular subjects for media, and Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy is no exception. Originally released on GameCube, PS2, and Xbox, Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy has had the longevity to continue to be ported onto a number of systems, now including the Nintendo Switch. It’s a lesser-known 3D action-adventure with callbacks to games like The Legend of Zelda and Rare action platformers that will scratch that nostalgic itch for those who love that type of game but in an entirely new setting.

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Never heard of Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy? Here’s a quick primer on what the game’s about as it heads to the Nintendo Switch:

What is Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy?

Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy is a third-person action-adventure set in ancient Egypt revolving around a demi-god hero named Sphinx. The game centers around ancient Egyptian lore, gods, and legends as you control Sphinx while he tried to save Prince Tutankhamen from being cursed as a mummy forever.

What is the story?

Sphinx, a demi-god, obtains a legendary sword called the Blade of Osiris. However, when he returns to his kingdom, he finds that Prince Tutankhamen has been transformed into a cursed mummy by his elder brother, Akhenaten. It’s up to Sphinx to collect the fragments of Tutenkhamen’s soul, which are stored in Canopic Vases, and restore the Prince to his normal self. He must also defeat the evil that is behind Akhenaten’s strange actions against his brother, and journey into The Castle of Uruk, deep in the land of darkness. However, he has an unlikely ally in Tutankhamen the mummy himself, who can sabotage Uruk from within in order to make Sphinx’s journey to save him easier.

How do you play?

Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy actually allows you to control two characters: Sphinx and Tutankhamen, the mummy. As Sphinx, you’ll adventure outside Uruk, searching for canopic jars to send to Tutankhamen to help him get his soul back. These can give Tutenkhamen life as a mummy for a short while and allow him to sneak around Uruk, collecting items to send to Sphinx that will aid him in his quest. The two work together to stop the evil that has mummified Tutenkhamen and restore him to life once more.

Regardless of which character you’re playing as, Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy works much like a normal action platformer. You’ll move around environments and interact with objects and puzzles to progress. Sphinx’s gameplay is more focused on combat, and Sphinx has a wide range of attacking abilities you can use to fight off foes. The mummy, however, can’t fight, so his gameplay revolves around stealth and avoiding enemies and disarming traps. His sections also include far more in the way of puzzle-solving and will require logic and wit in order to proceed, where Sphinx can generally slash and slice his way out of sticky situations.