I saw Pixar’s
The
Incredibles on its opening weekend. I was thrilled with the film and it
seems I was not alone. It has raked in millions of dollars, and Disney assumed
this, so "commanded" that the onslaught of tie-in merchandise be ready for the
post-release fever. Sometimes, such an action results in sloppy work and shoddy
toys. McDonalds filled the Happy Meal boxes with cool toys, while the video game
shelves were stocked with "get in the action" video games in almost any platform
you can think of (no Atari 2600 versions, though). Sometimes, the same creative
genius that makes such a movie fun is also tapped (if only in spirit) to make
the game offspring. But sometimes, just sometimes, they skip a step and lose
some of the magic that made the film so engrossing– in their effort to
capitalize on the momentum of the movie’s (predicted) success. This, I am
afraid, is one of those times.
THQ’s The Incredibles is not a bad game at all.
In fact, it is fun and a pleasure to jump into. It is just one of those cases
when something was pushed out for the sake of having a product– just to sell
some merchandise. It does not feel like a lot of thought went into it, and if
not for the name, would otherwise be lost on the shelves for other games of
similar creation. The game is an adventure title, full of cut-scenes and clever
voice acting. It is a great way to relive the fun of the movie– if seeing the
movie characters in action is enough to qualify it as a "good" game.
You play as one of (the family of) The
Incredibles: Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl (the practical,
super-stretching, loving wife & mother), Violet (shy daughter) and
Dash (rowdy, speed-demon son). One character at a time, you must utilize
your talents to ultimately squash the evil efforts of your enemy– Syndrome.
Through various levels and sometimes chapter-ending Bosses, it’s a whirlwind of
specialized character skills and player control frustration. While some similar
games allow to select and play a character of your choice, this one forces you
to use them all. Each stage utilizing a specific member of the Incredible
family. So, you have to be good at EVERY super-power.
The game starts with some cut-scene movie
sequence, and the rest of the game is full of such treats. Your first mission is
played as the Main Super, Mr Incredible. His powers are the stereo-typical,
generic Super-Guy type stuff. Super strength, tough skin and the attitude to
match. He’s a brute with a "gee-whiz" mentality. The other characters have more
personality, and the action/acting is sometimes quite funny. The best parts of
the game come in the form of clever quips and winking nods to its light-hearted
intentions. The movie did not take itself seriously as a hero-film, and neither
does the game.
Aside from the cut scenes and voice humor, the
game is merely the shell of a marginally good adventure game. It is cursed with
sometimes horrible camera angles and bad character motions. Dash’s power is
incredible speed. He can run so fast he can go across water. The one thing
he lacks is brakes. While it’s fun to use his "Flash"-like talents for
the gauntlet he has to race, it’s made insane by the fact that he has no STOP.
In the movie, my favorite character was Violet. Her powers include being able to
disappear, and make force fields for protection or even to levitate an object.
In the game, she was also my favorite to play with, but she was plagued with
shortcomings. All of the characters have a strength meter Violet expels a lot of
power doing things that are critical for success (like moving in an invisible
state). Her ability to maintain her power is so limited you have to be darn good
at it or you will run out of super-power, and Game Over.
For all of the characters, the controls are
difficult to master. You’ll get whipped many times in battle as you try to get
your way out of trouble. Sometimes, despite knowing the moves very well, you are
still penalized by sluggish execution. I do not mind being beaten by my lack of
prowess, but I don’t like it when I do everything right, but get beaten due to
bad controls. That makes a game hard– in a bad way. Mr. Incredible himself
reacts to controls as if he were operating in a bog of mud.
The audio is very good. The voices and heroic
music enhance the gameplay immensely. For all of its shortcomings, at least they
kept that part of the movie genuine and well-used.
The graphics take a toll on a video card, though
you wouldn’t expect it from the game’s requirements. I had to turn down the
detail level to get a smooth game played. Though I exceed what I need to play
it, playing at a higher rate caused a lot of pauses and flat-out crashing. When
it was working well, the game looked nice. The cut-scenes were great, and fans
of the film will be treated to a "sequel" of events. One of the benefits of
doing a game from an animated movie is there is no complicated translation
required. It’s not like trying to digitize Clubber Lang for a Rocky game!
I found a lot of fun in the game, but it was
really just a above-average action game with a thin camouflage to make it more
enticing. If not for the name and look of the game, it could easily be passed
over for many titles that do the same thing– only better. When the film
was released, Disney cautioned that parents should keep in mind that there are
adult situations and they should take heed of the PG rating. Likewise, although
this game is rated "E" for everyone, I would caution that this game will
be too difficult for younger players. Most experienced older players will be
able to adjust to the errors in order to get through some of the "mess". I am
not sure "Everyone" will have that ability.
Review Scoring Details |
Gameplay: 7.0
The controls are not good for most of the action required. Occasionally,
things work the way you want them to, but it feels more like an exception than
the norm. Learning what to do is relatively easy. It’s just a matter of being
able to do your thing with the maximum success. That may sound like an obvious
statement, but if you knew that you had such an obstacle (camera issues and
controlling snags), you have to be an ACE at your moves to be successful. No
room for error. To balance that, some of the levels are easy and make you
feel like you’re playing a different game altogether. Somewhere in that
unbalance, there’s enough good action to make it somewhat fun in many ways.
Graphics: 7.0
The graphics are nice and do justice to the movie. I take issue with the
failures of the system requirements. I think the minimum requirements as stated
by the manufacturer are too generous. Despite having, on paper, everything they
say I needed, I could not enjoy the game with the full graphics on. That took
away from my experience. The cut scenes, however, looked fine and the action
(when it worked as it should) looked nice– just as the film did.
Sound: 8.0
One of the best aspects of the game is the sound. The voice acting and
super-heroic music makes it fun and joyous. Just like the movie, the quips and
light-hearted nature of the movie translates into a more fun overall experience.
Difficulty: Medium
It’s not easy to play, but not because of terrible bosses and tricky
movements. It’s made hard because of slow-reaction controls and "mind of
its-own" camera work. It is dizzying to get into a fight with the camera angles
spinning in ways that put you in a disadvantage. You often have to move out of
instinct rather than intention.
Concept: 6.5
It doesn’t take much energy to create an adventure game based on an (already
animated) adventure film. It’s a job of translating it into a gaming format and
making it fun and fresh. You have the characters and plot, but need to create a
new adventure with the "tools" you have, already. I do not think there was
enough new touches to warrant a game with this title.
Overall: 7.0
Here was a great chance for a great movie to come into our homes give us the
chance to make our own fun from it. Instead, we’re delivered a stale adventure
game with a fancy name on it. When it could have shined, it was dull. When the
chance to kick in and throw some punches comes along, your thrusts are mired
with the sluggish controls. At times, it felt as if the game was doing its own
thing and you were just a spectator. I wanted to feel like Mr. Incredible, but
was left feeling more like Captain Yawn.
