PS3 Review: G-Force

If you thought that playing a licensed game about a guinea pig would another blemish on the movie-to-game genre, think again. “G-Force” is anything but your typical movie-based title. For starters, this game is actually fun. I’m serious. You star as Darwin, a guinea pig tasked with saving the world from the threat of machine monstrosities and corporate villainy. You’ll get to slay vile toasters and waffle irons with an Electro-Whip like Obi-Wan Kenobi. To top off the fun, there are several puzzles in this game that give it a Zelda-like feel, without the deep story arc.

Yes, story is the one downfall of G-Force. There isn’t much of it. Darwin leads a band of guinea pigs, codenamed G-Force, on a mission to take down Saberling and the threat of living-kitchen appliances. That’s about as deep a story as you’ll get. The few cut-scenes interspersed don’t necessarily push along the plot. They merely serve as transitions from one facility section to the next.

G-Force really wins big with smooth gameplay and controls. Darwin is outfitted with a jetpack and can navigate across treacherous office terrain with ease. You’ve got a few weapons in your arsenal, but you’ll mainly use your Electro-Whip to bash enemies and your Saberlizer to scan objects. The Saberlizer serves as one of the key-problem-solving features in G-Force. As you come across different enemies and mini-bosses, you will need to scan them to discover their weaknesses. You will also need to scan different obstacles in your environment to figure out how to move on to the next room. For instance you may use your NanoHacker to bring machines to life and help you open a blocked doorway.

One of the best features of this game is the Batman & Robin style team of Darwin and his fly, Mooch. Whenever Darwin has a problem getting into a new room, or sneaking through a whirling fan he can turn to his faithful sidekick. Mooch can slow down time to bullet-time and pass through a whirling fan or squeeze through a vent hole. There is one clunky control here. Using Mooch to fetch a keycard in the Saberling headquarters is slightly difficult. You have to hold down the Circle button and navigate his flight pattern with the dual thumbsticks, while using the L1 button to open the door. I’m not one to complain, but it is hard to do all three at once.

There are a few parts to G-Force than can become monotonous. I know this is a fantasy story about appliances from Saberling taking over. But by the time I got attacked by the 50th waffle iron in the kitchen, all I could think is that this guy must reallllly like waffles. As the game progresses, there is some variety added to the enemies you face. More importantly, the difficulty increases and you will be forced to turn to your trust Saberlizer more often to figure out a way to defeat your enemies. Each enemy you face can potentially leave behind Saber chips. These chips can be used to unlock new weapons and upgrade your existing arsenal.

The game features about 10 hours of gameplay, but the boards are very redundant. There are only five boards in the game, each of which is extremely long. All the boards look like different variations of the same government facility complete with pesky toasters, shredders and waffle irons. You do get to ride around in a hamster ball during the game, but your time in it is very limited. Seasoned gamers know that whenever a vehicle pops up for just a quick minute or two, the controls will most likely be abysmal. Sure enough, they are.

The PS3 and Xbox 360 releases are packed with two 3D-Glasses. This makes for a nice experience in moderation. When the colors aren’t blending together, you can see the added dimensions to government facilities. But, moderation is the key here. You can’t play the entire game with the 3D glasses on or you will quickly give yourself a migraine. There should really be a warning on the box for children who may try and fight through the pain.

G-Force is one licensed game that bucks the trend of atrociously designed and fun-devoid games that plague movie translations. The game is a fun platformer that will give you hours of fun as you crack your Electro-Whip down on one toaster at a time. Guinea pig fighting has never been so thrilling. The balance of puzzle solving with Mooch and the Saberlizer is a nice-well touch. Tediously long repetitive levels will be a definite drag on your overall enjoyment, but that won’t stop you from liking this game.


source: www.buzzfocus.com