If you're looking for a typical adventure game, be warned: Voodoo Girl: Queen of the Darned is not it. Although it is an adventure game, VG is far from typical. With quirky characters, colorful locations, an intriguing story, an off-the-wall sense of humor, and technical aspects that push the limits of the AGI engine, this game is one of the best picks out there for any fan of old-school adventure gaming.

You start the game as the downtrodden Voodoo Girl, ordered to find a slew of strange ingredients by Mama Houngan, your spiritual leader. Being that you really have nothing better to do, you begin your quest. Along the way, you will meet many interesting characters central to the Voodoo religion, who will teach you more about your faith, and give you information pertinent to your mission.

VG more than meets the standard of the adventure genre when it comes to solving puzzles. The game uses text input for commands, which always broadens the spectrum when it comes to figuring out what to do next. The puzzles themselves are logically ordered, with appropriate in game hints to help you along your way, if you're paying enough attention. In addition, the game is peppered with some interesting action-based puzzles, and some pretty complex mazes to break up the monotony that text input can create. All in all, it's a nicely balanced game.

The graphics of VG are true to classic Sierra style, not quite what you would call eye-candy by todays standards, but beautifully done, with a unique style. The music, however, can get quite maddening, but that is quickly solved by a swift press of the f2 key.

This game is best played using the NAGI interpreter. It is playable on DOSBox, but you will notice some slowness in some sections of the game if you use DOSBox, such as during potion-making, and it can definitely try your patience.

The bottom line: VG is a must-play for true adventure gaming fans. You will have a whole lot of bad gris-gris headed your way if you pass this one up.