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Mixed results for games to big summer films |
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Written by Justin Hoeger, McClatchy-Tribune
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Friday, 13 July 2007 |
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As the summer's blockbuster hopefuls arrive, so do their video game tie-ins.
"Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" stars the driest superhero team on the planet in an equally dry action game. It's similar to last year's "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance," with just the title foursome present rather than a grab bag of the Marvel roster.
A solo player can switch at will between the stretchy Mr. Fantastic, the force field-wielding Invisible Girl, the flaming Human Torch and the stone-bodied Thing. Up to four gamers can play at once, each taking one of the characters.
Each of the Four has a set of normal attacks, a set of special attacks and a set of combo attacks that combine their powers with those of their cohorts. The Torch can fly over some obstacles while Invisible Girl can pass through others; likewise, Mr. Fantastic can reach high switches, and the Thing can bust through barriers.
Trouble is, all the powers are sort of boring and tied to a depleting energy meter that recharges over time. It's tough to feel like a powerhouse when the Thing has to pause his clobberin' time after charging around for a few seconds. And Mr. Fantastic's moves are just dull.
Anyway, the group will battle through events from the movie and will encounter various villains, areas and tasks that weren't in the movie (this sort of thing helps to flesh out many movie-adapted games).
The game looks fair and has some fun physics-based abilities to mess around with, such as like telekinesis. But on the whole it's forgettable, a by-the-numbers action game to go with a subpar movie.
Faring better is "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," the first Harry Potter game that's not by the numbers. This one features an open campus with missions to undertake as Harry and his friends prepare for the coming battles with You Know Who.
It's not Harry Potter by way of "Bully," but it's about as close as we're likely to get.
Earlier Potter games were mostly straightforward jaunts through the books' plots. This one follows the story of the novel, but does so in a more free-form way. The player may wander the halls of Hogwarts, a striking setting that serves as the game's star. The Marauder's Map serves as a guide to the next story mission, but there's no rush to complete them.
The Wii version has a slight edge in control. In the other versions, the player casts spells by moving the analog stick in a certain direction or motion. In the Wii version, the player flicks or thrusts or waves the remote about like a wand - it adds a good bit of fun to the game mechanics. Of course, the visuals in the Wii version are rougher than those on the other new systems.
A selection of mini-games, such as Wizard's Chess, and lots of little tasks to perform (like using the Reparo spell to fix shattered objects) and things to collect help flesh things out and make for decent diversions from the main quest.
"Transformers: The Game" is made by the same folks who created the charming and fun "LEGO Star Wars" games. "Transformers" isn't as good as those games, but it's not bad.
There are four Autobots and five Decepticons to control in a pair of campaigns. The Decepticons are more fun - they don't have to worry about collateral damage. In fact, they prefer it, so the chaotic and imprecise nature of the game play works for them.
The weapons feel weak - they're fine against humans and their vehicles, but against other Transformers, even cookie-cutter drone models, melee attacks are often the way to go.
The game is broken up into several missions per campaign, each set in a large area scattered with mission beacons that activate as the player progresses. It's not really a free-roaming game, but it's not strictly level-based, either.
The visuals are good, especially on the Transformers themselves, who unpack and fold up like steel origami sculptures when changing forms, just like in the film.
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FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER
2 stars
Publisher: 2K Games
System: Sony PlayStation 3, also for PS2, Microsoft Xbox 360, Xbox, Nintendo Wii
Price: $59.99 ($39.99 to $59.99 for other versions)
Age Rating: Teen
HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
3 stars
Publisher: Electronic Arts
System: Nintendo Wii, also for Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, PS2, PSP, PC
Price: $49.99 ($29.99 to $59.99 for other versions)
Age Rating: Everyone 10-plus
TRANSFORMERS: THE GAME
2 ½ stars
Publisher: Activision
System: Microsoft Xbox 360, also for Sony PlayStation 2, PS3, Nintendo Wii
Price: $59.99 ($39.99 to $59.99 for other versions)
Age Rating: Teen | Only registered users can write comments.
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