One would
suppose that with a game based off a computer-generated movie that it would look
amazing. In the case of Beowulf The Game, from Ubisoft, one would suppose wrong.
But let’s start
back at the beginning, with the poem itself. Beowulf is the foundation of much
of what fueled the writings of such authors as J.R.R. Tolkien, and was the entry
point into what has evolved into the modern world of fantasy writing. The work
dates back to the eighth century and centers on the Scandanavian countries in
the fifth century. In the epic poem, Beowulf hunts down Grendel, who is
described as a descendant of Cain (the first murderer from the Bible). All fear
Grendel – well, all except Beowulf. Grendel has been attacking the Danish mead
hall, called Heorot, and all that reside therein. After killing Grendel, Beowulf
then has to face Grendel’s mother, whom he also defeats. His final battle, and
the one that was his undoing, came against a dragon. He did manage to win the
fight, but was mortally wounded.
Now, of course,
considering that you have three major antagonists within the framework, one
would think that would be enough to centralize a story around. But not with this
game; instead you get mindless missions that appear totally at odds with the
original poem. Yes, the developers certainly have the right to use the license
and adapt it for the sake of gameplay, but when the original work had much of
what would have made for a great game, it seems odd that the story in this
adaptation is all over the place, and the gameplay mechanics feel completely
borrowed from God of War in terms of the way you grapple and then match buttons
to achieve finishing results.
Even in the
tutorial, you have a bit of a convoluted mess in which the hero, Beowulf, is
running a race against a village rival, and ends up battling giant cycloptic sea
snakes. Granted, this serves as a way to demonstrate the Thane carnal attack
mode, which is akin to triggering ultimate rage, but then you punch the giant
worm creature, go into button mashing mode to eventually run on top of it,
remove its horn and puncture its eye with it.
And then,
repeat … several times. Got it? Ok, good, now let’s move on to something else
that is a bit vague but sort of propels you along the story arc – like the
narrative. The story narrative is obtuse. After even the opening sequence, you
may be scratching your head and wondering what is going on. The narrative should
clarify it, but it really doesn’t. But really, that’s Ok, because you will be
scratching your head a lot once you start trying to manage Thanes that are
accompanying you on what seem to be mindless tasks. The AI is not well done and
whereas this might have been an opportunity to insert some squad management into
the game, it is an opportunity missed.
When it comes
to the combat, you will learn all you will ever need to know at the game’s
onset. There is your light attack, heavy attack and grapple. The game does a
decent job with the animations and flutters in a lot of blood splatters to try
to give players a sense of accomplishment, but once you see through that, and
understand that what you are doing at the start is essentially what you will be
doing the whole game, this becomes tiresome. Beowulf can wield a number of
weapons, and there are legendary weapons scattered throughout the game world. It
is indeed a good thing he can use so many different types because the common
ones you find break after using them a couple of times. The only weapons that
hold up for prolonged usage are the legendary ones.
The game is a
huge departure from the books on so many levels. There are monsters in this game
that never appeared in the story and even Grendel’s mother somehow manages to
conjure up minions to try to whittle you down a bit before that confrontation.
The levels are
predictable, as well, in that they follow a similar pattern time and again.
So what does
the game do right? Well, even though borrowed, the combat is solid. If you have
played God of War, then you will know precisely what you are in for, minus
Kratos’ Blades of Chaos. The game has a few small puzzles in it, but they
quickly get repetitive.
Beowulf The
Game is a linear convoluted mess. The story could have been the basis for a
truly magnificent tale but instead we are treated to tired elements that have
been better done in previous titles. Gamers looking for a solid role-playing
game on the 360 would be much better served to look someplace other than this
game.
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Gameplay: 5.0
This is God of War
mechanics with a few changes to try to suit the tale of Beowulf. The fighting
mechanics are quite all right, it is just that the blatant rip-off is
disappointing.
Graphics: 5.5
A mixed bag. At
times you will see the power of a next-gen machine, but then at others you will
wonder where the original Xbox assets came from. Considering that this is
released in line with a motion picture that is computer generated, the graphics
should have been consistent and first rate. They are not. The camera also has a
few issues.
Sound: 6.0
Adequate but nothing
that will have you hanging on each word. And the combat grunts and groans get
overworked.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 5.0
The Beowulf epic is
a marvelous bit of story telling that set the foundation for much of what is
modern fantasy literature. It’s too bad that this game didn’t reflect that and
skimmed over the story while incorporating major elements from other titles.
Overall: 5.0
This is a game that
could have been so much more. All the developers had to do was pay attention to
the poem and whether or not the film follows it, right there is enough to create
a great game. But this game is lacking and, to put it bluntly, is a rehash of
other games that did the job of melding great storytelling with original combat
elements much better. This was a game which was greeted with high expectations,
only to have those dashed.
