G-Force (Wii) - Review by Chris

Introduction

It's summer time (although being in the UK, you'd hardly know it) and as such it's the time of year when we see the usual glut of movie tie-in games. Merely uttering the words 'movie tie-in' is usually enough to send people running but over the last few years, there have been some developers who have proven that good games came be made off of a movie license. One such developer is Eurocom, who have returned this summer to provide the tie-in for the new Disney film G-Force, which stars a collection of guinea pigs sporting some high tech weaponry and technology as they aim to save the world. And thankfully, given Eurocom's previous record with movie licenses, G-Force has turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable game.

Gameplay

The most immediate thing to notice about the game is the story, or lack thereof. Eurocom have clearly designed the game to be played by those who have enjoyed the movie, and as such will know the story. As a result, there is little in the way of allusion to what is happening or why it is happening which can be rather confusing and detracts from the overall idea of a game based on a movie license. But the story goes that Leonard Saber has developed a new line of high tech household and office appliances that, when he pressed the button, will transform into devilish machines and carry out his evil bidding. The G-Force team, made up of guinea pigs Darwin, Juarez, and Blaster along with mole Speckles and fly Mooch, uncovers this plot and takes it upon themselves to stop Saber when no one else will believe them. As I've said, the story isn't alluded to much throughout the game and not knowing it doesn't really take much away from the experience because it is still an enjoyable game without it, even if you are thrown into the game's environment, Saberling Facilities, almost instantly.

You control both Darwin and Mooch throughout the entirety of the game, although there are small sections where things are changed slightly. Darwin is the main character of control and everything goes on in a third person view point when you play as him. As Darwin, you have access to various weapons and gadgets which can be upgraded by collecting disks throughout the game's 5 chapters and utilising these gadgets will be your key to survival. The gadgets include the likes of a jetpack, which is used for the majority of the platforming elements in the game and can also be used to provide your character with a speed boost when running along the ground, as well as a scanner, which will help uncover weaknesses for the game's enemies and for determining how to progress. Where Mooch comes in is where we see some ingenuity in comparison to the almost standard third person setup of Darwin. Mooch is a fly that follows Darwin about the levels and can be switched to at the press of a button. As Mooch, you can fly about the levels and must use him to interact with various appliances and switches to help Darwin progress, however you are restricted by a time limit and a distance limiter for how long you can stay as Mooch and how far you can move away from Darwin. This duality of gameplay keeps things feeling fresh and when things start to feel stale, a new element is introduced to bring back this teamwork ability between the two characters.

The game also provides some on rails vehicle sections where you'll have to pilot the G-Force team through some tunnels in their motorised exercise balls while avoiding obstacles and shooting enemies. It's a simple diversion from the majority of the gameplay but greatly needed as things can seem to drag on through the levels due to their size. Overall, the game's 5 chapters will last you a considerable amount of time, more so than most other movie tie-ins but it still retains the lack of replay options to make gamers come back to it after finishing.

Controls

For the most part, Eurocom have done a good job of using what is available for the controls. Using both the Wii-mote and Nunchuk, movement through the environments is easily and accessing your weapons and using them requires a simple press of one of the d-pad's directions and then holding the Z button to aim. The Wii-mote's pointer abilities are thereby used for all aiming aspects with the weapons and even for piloting Mooch, who is accessed by use of the minus button, around the levels and it works incredibly well and shows that third person shooters can have a home on the console. Your jetpack functions are set to the A button and the down direction on the d-pad and are easily accessible, much like the overall setup although it may prove to be a bit too complex for the demographic Eurocom are aiming for. The only issues come about as a result of the camera control, which relies on you pressing and holding the C button and using the Wii-mote's pointer to move. You'll either like it or loathe it but it is probably the best that could have been done.

Graphics

Most movie licenses bring with them weird and wonderful environments for you to explore. Yet here, we have the bog standard, monotonous, cubicle layout of a building with there being very little in the way of change to the surroundings making it feel rather bland. The sheer scale of said environment is impressive and makes for some long levels but it also has the downside that it causes the game to drag its feet a bit as the game goes on and on. Character and enemy models are done to a high standard though, with Darwin and the rest of the G-Force team being well represented and looking really good. Some of the effects are equally good such as some of the lighting from the various enemy appliances which go some way to showing that the Wii is capable of more than most movie tie-in games let on. The game doesn't support the same 3D technology as the 360/PS3 versions but whether this is a good thing or a bad thing is up to you but it would have been nice for it to have been included.

Sound

The actors and actresses who provided their voices for the film sadly haven't provided them for this, yet those that have been brought in to imitate them do a great good of recreating the voices flawlessly. All the sound is presented to a high standard and there are no real drops in the quality throughout the game.

Final comments

Eurocom have a good track record with movie tie-ins and they can chalk another one up in the good column. G-Force may miss out on a key element, this being the story, but the overall game is a thoroughly enjoyable experience from start to finish, providing some great action and platforming with a twist courtesy of the dual gameplay of Darwin and Mooch. Likewise, the game has been presented to a high standard both on the visual and audio front. G-Force can proudly stand as a benchmark for movie licenses and other developers should take note of what Eurocom have achieved.

Pro: The dual gameplay aspect is great, presentation values are high, great fun from start to finish
Con: Levels are bland in design throughout, chapters can drag on for a bit too long, camera control issues
Final score: 7.5

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