"This is a fine one for the books," Wallace states upon finding out the zoo
is locked up when it should have been open.
It’s Archie’s birthday, and to mark the occasion, Wallace & Gromit decide to
make a trip to the zoo. But when they arrive, the zoo is locked and closed.
Archie, the polar bear, is seen driving a truck, and he sent them an aerial
message (paper airplane) in an urgent call for help.
Then Wallace spies his evil nemesis, Feathers McGraw ("He’s supposed to be
doing porridge in the penguin house," intones Wallace), a penguin who plots and
plans to gain extreme wealth through making diamonds, a lot of diamonds.
Feathers has taken over the zoo and has caged all the baby animals. It befalls
Gromit, with Wallace in tow, to save the day.
Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo is a PlayStation 2 release from Aardman,
Frontier Developments and BAM! Entertainment. This is a three-dimensional arcade
romp through the zoo that sports wonderful environments and solid animation. The
only problems are that the game is somewhat linear and it lacks, well,
excitement. It is remarkably laid back, though the dialogue is cleverly written.
Even when engaged in a mini-game, like a race against the clock, the game
just does not get the adrenaline pounding.
As the storyline goes, Features is holding the baby animals hostage to coerce
the parents to manufacture gems for him using the Diamond-o-matic. It is up to
this understated dynamic duo to free the babies and thwart the evil plans of
Feathers.
The game features six levels, with 24 missions and 12 mini-arcade games.
Players control Gromit and will be tasked with weaving through the levels,
collecting nuts, coins and bananas for the telescopic banana gun. Gromit will
jump, climb, swim and spin-punch through the levels. Items collected can be
turned over to Wallace, who will invent new tools to add the adventure.
Of course, in tried-and-true gaming fashion, you will not only have to
contend with Feathers, but his army of henchmen. The game also sports scenes
which parody movies that can be delightful.
Graphically this game is a joy to look at. The game keeps the claymation look
of the televised series and the environments are rich and lush. The camera will
allow you to rotate the view and you can even look through Gromit’s eyes.
The sound of the game is also quite solid. The musical score is understated,
but the effects and dialogue are delivered well.
Control-wise the game is simple and players can launch into this with little
effort. There are boxes placed throughout the first level which will tell
players what controls achieve which result, so there is no real need to indulge
in hours of manual reading.
Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo is extremely well written. The asides, the
observations and the concept is very good. But the game has an unhurried quality
to it that is too laid-back. Clever is good, but in an action adventure game,
moreso in an arcade style, they should be something to get the blood pumping.
This game does not have it.
Gameplay: 7
The cutscenes are long and can cut into the game play. This would be a major
problem if not for the fact that they are very well done.
Graphics: 8.7
The look of this game is excellent. The animation keeps in line with the
televised series and the three-dimensional environments are bright and lush.
Sound: 8
The script is clever and the dialogue is well delivered. The effects are
average, though, and the musical score is too understated for an action game.
Difficulty: Easy
This game does not require a whole lot of thought to work through the levels.
You can easily figure out what it is you are supposed to do.
Concept: 7
This game has a delightful concept, but fails to bring excitement to the fore.
Overall: 7.4
Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo looks terrific and sounds great – for the most
part, but the gameplay is just not there in terms of excitement. With a fun plot
and clever script, this is certainly an entertaining title. But for fans looking
for thrills, or blood-pounding adventure, this game is not it.
