I have to
admit that I still play with dolls. Not the fancy porcelain ones, but the ones
that are made for kids. Baby dolls, Barbie dolls, paper dolls, I like ‘em all.
When the Bratz dolls came out a few years ago, I was instantly attracted to
them, namely because of the quality of their accessories. And, the fact you
could take their feet on and off in lieu of removing their shoes, was just too
cool.
I also have
to admit that I like “Girl Games.” Sexist or not, it’s true that most young
girls like playing around with fashion accessories and makeup, enjoy dressing
up, and relish designing fashion magazines. Most young girls also like
adventure games over first-person shooters, too, go figure. Combine the two
themes of fashion and adventure, and you have an instant winner if the game is
designed well.
For the most
part, Barbie has ruled the girl game market, with Disney and THQ running neck
and neck for second place. This doesn’t mean that Mattel has produced better
games overall, just that their marketing is better. The quality of output from
all three companies has been pretty comparable, with games running the gamut
from excellent (Mattel’s Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper PC and
Disney’s Lizzie Mcguire 2 GBA) to horrible (Disney’s That’s So Raven
2 GBA and THQ’s Britney’s Dance Beat PC), with many mediocre titles
in-between. Bratz Rock Angelz, I’m happy to report, is a superior game,
and one that all girls will love, whether they admit to liking the Bratz or
not.
The premise
of the game is to design a fashion magazine, devoted to all things trendy. The
game begins with gaining an internship at Your Thing Magazine, ruled by a
pink-clad Zza-Zza Gabor wannabe named Burdine. Sadly, our girl is soon fired,
but no worry, she and the other Bratz join forces to start their own mag,
Bratz Magazine. During this process, the Bratz will be helping people out by
running errands (adventure mode), making various items and choosing designs
(mini-games).
The gameplay
is a mix of adventure and arcade style play. Players begin as one of the Bratz,
then jump back and forth from the four Bratz girls to accomplish different
tasks, according to their special abilities and talents. Gameplay is divided
into chapters, with mini-games between chapters every so often.
As in most
adventure games, there is a fair amount of errands to run and items to
collect. The Bratz will spend a good amount of time walking around, looking
for items to pick up. Task lists are kept in their journals, but as the quests
are simple, players won’t get confused about what they’re doing very often.
The adventure mode is easy, and the characters will give hints as to what to
do when items are clicked on. The mini-games are various arcade games that
mostly require clicking quickly on items that match a certain criteria. The
themes in these games are usually clothing items, but there is also a “make a
smoothie” ingredient matching game, and a “take a snap” photo chasing game.
The PC
version differs from the console versions, in that it is more of an adventure
game. The console versions offer more of a creativity mode, with lots more of
a shopping emphasis and the ability to change makeup and hairstyles, in
contrast to just being able to change clothes in the PC game. Both have
mini-games, but the PC version’s games seem to be more arcade-oriented.
Bratz
sports a great look, with vivid, crisp colors. All the backgrounds and scenery
are very well-drawn, and the Bratz characters look fantastic. The animation is
really good, too. The Bratz have a sauntering walk, and will dance in place
from time to time. In fact, they act just like my 15-year-old daughter does.
The designers must have observed young teen girls closely. There are pop tunes
throughout the game, and also elevator music during some of the chapters. I
was reminded somewhat of the game Toonstruck and one of the chapters in
Kings Quest VII, in terms of all the pink and the muzak, plus the
cheeky humor.
The Bratz
also sport very trendy clothes, a la Britney Spears, although again, the PC
version seems to be different from the console games in that the clothes seem
to be just a tad less revealing. The screenshots of some of the console
outfits show tiny cropped tops for the Bratz, which is not appropriate attire
for teenagers, in my opinion. The PC version is tamer in terms of clothing,
but some parents may still question the suitability of this type of clothing
in a children’s game.
The
interface is intuitive and easy to manage, with the main menu accessible
simply by clicking the ESC key. The inventory, journal and camera are
available in drop down menus at the top of the screen. After becoming unlocked
during the game, any part of the game is replayable from the main menu.
It’s hard to
pinpoint an exact age range for this game, as while the gameplay is very easy,
the characters and story are really more for older children and young
teenagers. Older players will breeze through in no time. Younger players will
be more challenged, but may not appreciate some of the content, like the
emphasis on shopping and the humorous comments. Also, Burdine fires the Bratz
character Jade in a very rude manner; this may hurt some young players’
feelings.
Bratz
Rock Angelz is a
good entertaining game, and girls will enjoy playing it. It has just the right
amount of humor, music and fashion to appeal to most young teens. The only
problem is that the game is a bit short and easy for teens, but it can be
replayed again, especially the mini-games for higher scores. One good note, it
doesn’t have a horoscope section!
Like stated
above, the age range is problematic, but this game is probably best for girls
ages 9-13, give or take a few years either way, depending on the tastes and
maturity of the girl. An excellent Christmas gift! Great job, AWE and THQ!
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Gameplay: 8.0
This game is a
hoot to play. Girls will enjoy the comments and looks of the Bratz, and there
is a good amount of things to do during the game, with enough variety to keep
interest. However, the game is rather short and easy, and while replayable,
the adventure remains the same each time. The mini-games can be replayed for
higher scores, though.
Graphics: 9.0
The game looks
awesome!
Sound: 8.0
The music is
good, and ranges from pop tunes to elevator music.
Difficulty: Easy
This game is
easy.
Concept: 8.0
While there isn’t
anything really new in most of the action, the presentation is flawless.
Overall: 8.0
A nicely designed
game for pre-teen and teen girls, and moreover, one that doesn’t condescend.
It is intelligent and offers girls a variety of things to do. The adventure is
entertaining, and the mini-games fun. The only problem is that it is a very
easy game, and is really too easy for the target age range of pre-teen/young
teen girls. Still, it can be replayed again, and the initial interest in the
game will be high. Parents will definitely want to look at this for Christmas,
if they can live with the Bratz’ clothes, that is.
