Reviewed: February 7, 2005
Reviewed by: Mark Smith
Publisher
THQ
Developer
Heavy Iron Studios
Released: November 1, 2004
Genre: Action
Players: 1
ESRB: Teen
7
8
8
6
7.7
Supported Features
Screenshots (Click Image for Gallery)
It’s pretty much a rule these days that when an animated feature film hits theaters a video game is either already on the shelves or soon to follow. This has never been truer now that feature animations are being rendered entirely in computers laying the foundation for video game graphics before the game deal is even inked.
Pixar’s latest superhero action romp, The Incredibles rocked theaters last holiday season and is headed to DVD in the next few weeks. With store shelves already buckling under the weight of movie-licensed games, not to mention dozens of superhero games based on the likes of Spider-Man and Catwoman, plus the recent fever known as City of Heroes, it’s going to take a really great game to get noticed.
The Incredibles has a lot of things going for it before you even crack open the box. It’s based on a fantastic movie with rich and diverse characters, each with their own unique superpower that is perfectly recreated in the game. Regrettably, the designers also chose to recreate the plot from the movie. It has become standard practice in movie-based games to either forge new territory or at least expand on the events of the film, but The Incredibles sticks to the plot of the film like it was part of their licensing deal. While this keeps the gameplay familiar to anyone who has seen the film it’s like going to the movie after reading the book. It’s just not as fresh.
The Incredibles follows a family of superheroes who fight crime. Dad, or Mr. Incredible is super-strong and can toss thugs and large objects like nobody’s business. He can also rip large doors from their hinges and leap across large gaps with the aid of flexible flagpoles. Mrs. Incredible has a rubbery property that allows her to stretch out her arms to grab things, swing across gaps, or twirl around knocking things down. She can also roll up into a ball. The kids, Violet and Dash, each have their own superpowers. Sis can turn invisible and baby bro can run so fast his feet catch on fire.
The opening levels ease you into the gameplay and the command system by introducing each character and their specific abilities in their own custom mission. This tutorial works really well and by the time you are finished with the first few levels you will be ready to settle in for the main game. Later in the game you will learn and be required to combine the various powers of this superhero family to work in unique combos to overcome certain obstacles.
The gameplay changes significantly depending on the character you are playing as. Mr. Incredible plays like an old-school fighter while Violet has more stealth play. There are also some rail shooters that give you a taste of frantic arcade action to help break up the standard platform play of the other levels. Then you have some really ingenious boss battles that take a bit of thinking and strategy to win. Some of these are very challenging and younger kids might require some help.
Using superpowers depletes your Incredible energy meter, which is fueled by power-ups scattered generously throughout the game. Some powers use more energy like Violet’s invisibility, which drains the meter so fast the power is nearly worthless. There are a few inconsistencies with the control scheme but it worked pretty good most of the time. I’ve played a lot worse, and nothing here was detrimental to the overall gameplay.
The game looks fantastic, although with ample source material provided by Pixar that is to be expected. The cutscenes are perfect recreations right from the film and the gameplay environments and level design are outstanding. The outdoor levels are ful of 3D architecture that ranges in complexity but all the buildings and landscapes have excellent textures that pop right off the screen. The level of interactivity and destructible objects is mind-boggling.
The lighting and shadows are also really good with plenty of special effects to enhance the Incredibles’ superpowers as well as other supporting effects like explosions, laser traps, sparking computers, fire, smoke, and even the subtle glow of power-ups. Everything is crystal clear and razor sharp with HDTV progressive scan support.
The character design and animation is excellent, especially those of the main cast. Each of the Incredibles is perfectly recreated, both in appearance and animation as the walk, run, leap, roll, and do all sorts of “incredible” feats. The camera does a great job of tracking the action with little input on your part.
The audio portion of the package is a flawless recreation of the film, both in score and hilarious voiceovers. All of the characters have their signature phrases and the villains all have various taunts during gameplay.
Sound effects are lifted right from the film and everything has that exaggerated cartoon style about it. There is also good use of Dolby Digital for separation and accurate sound placement in 3D space, crucial in an action-combat game like this.
The Incredibles isn’t so incredible when it comes to game length. Most gamers can finish the main story in 8-10 hours while younger kids might get a slightly bigger bang for their parents’ buck. There are some interesting extras to unlock like movie clips and artwork, but these are quickly becoming tired incentives to explore these games outside of normal gameplay.
One added perk for Xbox Live subscribers is the ability to download an extra level. Definitely a little icing on the superhero cake.
The Incredibles is a faithful, almost too faithful at times, translation of film to game, so naturally if you enjoyed the movie you are going to have fun with the game. It doesn’t really expand on the story but there is a nice diversity of gameplay and specific playing styles based on the characters and their levels.
I can easily recommend the game as a rental for casual action fans and superhero lovers, and when the game drops into a lower price tier I’d definitely recommend a purchase for anyone with kids or those who are still a kid at heart. It will be a nice complement to the forthcoming DVD release in March.