Once upon a time, a game was made
for Nintendo DS that allowed players to draw their own characters. It wasn’t a
gimmick – using a template system that allowed players to draw within a
predetermined area or a pre-made set of shapes, it was actually possible to make
an original game character. That character would then become animated within the
template – sort of like magic, but it had more to do with clever game design
than something that came from a magician.
Two years later the Drawn to Life
series has returned, ready for another round of mesmerizing children all over
the globe. Amazingly – perhaps even magically – it lives up to the quality of
the original, and supersedes it with superior level and gameplay design.
Capitalizing on the DS’ touch screen
and a simple drawing/coloring tool, Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter isn’t all
that different from its predecessor. The basic gameplay functions haven’t
changed – upon exploring each stage, you’ll discover several objects (platforms,
giant balls, weapons, large spheres that blast you across the screen, etc.) that
must be drawn to life. Until the player arrives, these objects are
nothing more than an outline waiting to be created. Once the object has been
selected – simply touch the paint icon sitting next to it – you can draw
whatever you want within the provided template space. The results are
impressive, to say the least.
Kids could spend hours drawing with
great intricacy, but the game never requires that you do so. You can scribble if
you wish, or scratch out a few colored lines. It really doesn’t matter what you
do, which is exactly what the developers wanted to create – a game that was deep
enough for young artists to immerse themselves in, but not so restrictive that a
five-year-old couldn’t enjoy it as well. And then, of course, there are gamers
like myself who rarely has the patience of intricate drawing, and would rather
scribble and get down to exploring and conquering the levels. But I have to say
– this is the kind of game that makes me want to draw. It makes me want to
produce characters that are worthy of the design tools the developers have given
us.
Glancing at the levels for the first
time, you might not think that Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter’s worlds are much
of anything. But once you start exploring them you’ll see that the layout is
very good. This is particularly true once the blob formation is introduced. As
always, kids must first draw the blob of their dreams (there’s a sentence I
never thought I’d say). Next, they can switch between the blob and any other
form they currently possess. The beauty of the blob is being able to squeeze in
and out of tight crevices, but that’s not the best part. Since the blob is
sticky, it is possible to leap forward and push yourself into tight spots,
gradually climbing up environments that are unreachable to other character
formations. This also lets you avoid a lava trap that appears in one of the
stages.
Speaking of lava, you can draw a
platform that’s specifically designed to rest on top of a lava geyser. Better
still, there are puzzles that give you a limited number of lines to draw (as
platforms) to climb through an area that may be littered with spikes and other
hazards, or merely involve one giant pitfall that could lead to certain doom.
In between stages, Drawn to Life:
The Next Chapter is somewhat of an awkward RPG. The player is tasked with
running around an isometric environment with two primary goals: talk to other
characters and repaint colorless worlds to unlock them. The latter element is
quit simple: locate the exclamation mark on the map, visit the area and tap that
location when it comes onto the screen. This will trigger the unlock window,
which shows how many paint items (which are collected pretty easily in each
stage) are required. If you meet the requirement, you can cash them in and
repaint the level by scratching the screen. While not exactly the most exciting
way to disperse levels, it’s something a 10-year-old might appreciate.
Six-year-olds, however, might be a little annoyed by all of the excess
out-of-level gameplay.
All kids should definitely be aware
of the story, which will only appeal to those who love to read mountains and
mountains of text. Since most gamers don’t come to video-games for this purpose
(that’s what novels are for), and since the story isn’t any good, Drawn to Life:
The Next Chapter offers a handy skip function that lets you bypass nearly every
sentence of dialogue. The format is a little weird though: character
interactions are broken up into chunks, so you may have to pause the game and
access the skip feature four or five (or more) times in between each stage. For
those who want to get back to drawing and exploring portion of the game, this
might be a tad annoying.
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Gameplay: 7.9
Kids who love to draw (and don’t mind reading through or skipping a bunch of
mind-numbing text boxes) will have a great time playing Drawn to Life: The Next
Chapter. Its levels are short and sweet and generally fast. Meanwhile, the
drawing portions can last as long as kids desire.
Graphics: 8.0
The pre-generated visuals are nothing to praise, but the user-generated
capabilities let you to create 2D characters, objects and items that are as
detailed as your talents (and patience) will allow.
Sound: 7.0
Nothing too memorable.
Difficulty: Easy
The hardest part (for me) was trying to quickly draw something that didn’t
look hideous. But that’s only because I’m a terrible artists. The actual levels,
however, are quite easy.
Concept: 6.0
This sequel is big on fun, not on innovation. Every creative element The
Next Chapter has to offer came from the first game.
Overall: 7.9
Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter will draw you into its immersive and
colorful, kid-friendly world.
