Alex Rider Stormbreaker (Game Boy Advance) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

We've always had both GBA and DS games which tie-in with the latest summer or seasonal blockbuster and there is a significant portion of Nintendo's back catalogue that takes its title from a big screen outing. The Harry Potter books changed that, to a certain extent, with publishers and the larger movie studios finding a new source of ideas (and ready made scripts) in the growing popularity of children's literature. The last few years have seen Lemmony Snicket and the continuing obsession with all things Potter and later this year we'll be treated to Eragon. Before all this though writer Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider character will be brought in Stormrider and THQ are betting that it's going to be one of the summer hits releasing games for both the GBA and DS platforms.

Gameplay

While it follows the plot of the movie quite closely most of your gaming will take place in a kind of three quarter, above viewpoint. It's here you'll travel through training camps, secret hideouts and underground labs in an attempt to learn the truth about Stormbreaker. If you were looking for some deep and meaningful gameplay, unfortunately, it's not here and the bulk of the levels revolve around some combat, locating keys and opening doors. There are other aspects to the gameplay though; wandering into searchlights will alert the guards to send reinforcements whilst activating pressure pads will open secret doors. More interesting though are your various gadgets, which are 'drip-fed' to you throughout the game. These are essential to your success and some of them need to be to hand at all times. We found the most useful to be your 'super yo-yo' which allows you to jump over some of the larger gaps and the highly corrosive acid, which eats through even the toughest doors. It's always apparent when to use these, as an icon will flash above the object you need to use it on but it's still a nice touch. Outside of the of the standard gameplay there's also a short driving section and a more enjoyable horse riding section where you must consume carrots located along the road in order to increase your speed. Saving is done automatically but you can also seek out special areas where you can save mid level which is essential when you are in one of the more heavily guarded areas.

Controls

The control system is very simple indeed and for once using your various gadgets is far simpler than in previous GBA titles. This is because you always have them to hand, and not tucked away somewhere in an inventory which generally breaks up the flow of the game. The collision detection's not too bad either although outside of combat there's little to really test this.

Graphics

Visually there were better looking games on the GameBoy Color and it's a little sad to see developers producing these bland graphics on what is a reasonably powerful system. This very fact is demonstrated with the various cut screens all of which are lifted from the movie and are viewed as incredibly high quality photos. Very strange.

Sound

The game's audio isn't too bad. The various soundtracks are definitely secret agent inspired, it's just a shame they loop so quickly. Sound effects are minimal with only weapons firing and the grunts of guards as you overpower them springing to mind.

Final comments

You would imagine that a license like Stormbreaker would have the developers working overtime producing a game so packed with ideas and cool gadgets that it would rival the best Bond titles available. Unfortunately this is a very 'run of the mill' title with a little puzzle solving, a lot of combat and some driving and horse riding thrown into the mix. It's not a bad game, it's just not a very interesting one and once you've competed it there's little reason to revisit it. I'd like to say that if you really want it just go for an overnight rental but as I've just spotted it on my travels in the 'bargain bin' that's probably the wiser choice.

Pro: Horse Riding, The Gadgets.
Con: Poor Visuals, Repetitive Gameplay.
Final score: 4.7

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