The Incredibles are a group of super-heroes who all have their own special abilities, and as do all good super-heroes they use their gifts to rid the world of bad guys. The story goes that the public turns against The Incredibles, so they are sent into hiding, supposedly never allowed to use their special powers again. Of course, a hero is a hero, and two of them (Mr. Incredible, and Frozone) go out at night, listen to the police radio band, and go and help people who are in danger. An all-new enemy then endangers the world, and naturally this is where you come in, and must go out and stop it.
So the videogame is based around the same story, surroundings and characters as the movie, and straightaway you are thrown into the action with Mr. Incredible (whose ability is his sheer strength). Control is very basic, with separate buttons for jump, attack and the Incredible move (which varies between the individual characters). Left stick controls the character, and right stick lets you move the camera around. Control is fairly smooth, but can be weird when trying to jump to platforms and grabbing ledges etc. I think the camera is a little close too, and could do with being pulled out a bit further. It works quite well though, and doesn’t get stuck or confused very often.
The levels are nice and varied, and although the majority of the game is platform-based, you do get levels that are different and that mixes things up nicely. In Dash’s first appearance, you’re late for school and you must chase the school bus along the road, and make sure you get to school in time. You must dodge trucks, trains and roadworks along the way. Dash’s ability is his speed, but his feet get very hot quickly so you have to keep your eye on the temperature gauge.
When playing as Mr. Incredible, many of the objects in the levels are destructible, or he can pick them up and throw them at enemies or switches to activate doors, lifts, etc. The game looks nice in places, with great looking water, impressive draw distance and explosions. Character models, animations and texturing aren’t quite as good, but it works well enough and nothing stands out as being particularly bad. Unfortunately after playing games like Prince of Persia, Jak3 and Sly 2, the games that don’t look quite as good do stand out more. But for a game of a movie and all that implicates, The Incredibles is good enough. I really like the games OSD (on-screen display) – it’s the main ‘I’ logo from the film, and the swish around the letter is your energy gauge, and the background to the ‘I’ is your Incredible strength. Very neat.
All the actors from the film have voiced the characters in the game, which is always a nice touch, and music from the film features here too. The game’s cut scenes in-between levels are basically footage from the film, which tells the story as you play.
The game is solo experience only, with no multiplayer. There could have been some simple mini-games like races with Dash, or button-bashing lifting events with Mr. Incredible or something, but unfortunately there is nothing at all.
The Incredibles, as with the majority of movie-licensed games is rather basic, and never really gives you a tough challenge. This game especially, is presumably aimed at a younger audience, and I think it’s a great game for lower age group. Controls are simple, the game’s missions are straightforward, and the levels are short and varied, which is good for those with a short attention span. Power ups, and tutorials litter the levels so you’re never stuck of where to go or drastically low on health, and even if you do die your energy gauge is filled up when you restart. If you get really stuck, you can even pause the game and a small video will show you through the level. The name is enough to guarantee sales on this game, but it actually is pretty good to be honest, and the kids will love it I am sure.
|
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
