G-Force Review
A Review - By Gaetano Prestia
NOTE: This review is for the XBOX 360, Playstation 3, Wii and DS versions of G-Force. The review notes any differences between the versions.
A game based on a movie about guinea pigs saving the world. There’s no way in HELL that game could be any good. Not only is it a game based off a movie (and a pretty crappy movie at that), but it’s a movie-game on Wii, a console that is becoming more and more accustomed to shovel ware. Well, believe it or not, but G-Force is actually not all that bad. In fact, it’s actually pretty good. Reviews were scalding for the film and you can imagine how surprising it was to find how superior the game was to the actual source material. One could probably say that the movie was based off the game and not the other way around. That would actually make more sense.
If there’s one thing this game really fails to do, it’s tell a compelling and interesting story. While the main market for this game probably isn’t looking for a strong narrative, some explanation as to why you’re doing what you’re doing and why these guinea pigs can talk would have been great. Instead, you’re pretty much just dropped straight into the action. If you look at it one way, it doesn’t really do a good job of making you keen to see the flick because the narrative is weak. If you look at it another way, you won’t care about the characters enough to want to see the film, which is good, because the film sucks.
What we do know is that Leonard Saber is using kitchen appliances to help take over the world.
Yep. Kitchen appliances.
Thankfully, the game’s lacking story is made-up through the actual gameplay and presentation. Even if you’re a fan of the flick and you want to get your kids a fun and exciting adventure for the Wii or 360/PS3, this title will more than suffice. It has plenty of enjoyable elements for the younger crowd and even offers a decent experience for the more mature gaming audience. Yes, believe it or not, G-Force can be fun at times.
A vast majority of G-Force is third-person shooter. You’ll take control of Darwin as you blast your way through stages using the jetpack connected to his back. There are plenty of great weapons at his disposal, such as the Plasma gun for long-range shooting or the machine gun for effective combat. There’s a great little gadget called the NanoHacker, which turns any enemy machines into your allies, making for some pretty funny and crazy moments during the heat of battle.
The Electro-Whip differs from the other weapons in that it isn’t assigned to the d-pad and doesn’t have any ammo. It’s always accessible and is a great way to take out enemies up close. Once you do take out foes, they’ll drop health packs, ammo and the game’s currency in SaberSense Chips, which are used for weapon and health upgrades accessed through kiosks in the levels.
Throughout the game Darwin will be accompanied by Mooch the fly. The two actually make up quite the effective duo, as Mooch is used to reach places Darwin would otherwise have no chance of reaching. He can flip switches, deactivate enemies and scan an area for any foes before Darwin enters. There are also moments when Mooch can enter into air ducts and investigate areas within a certain amount of time.
The combat itself is the biggest surprise packet. It’s not overly challenging as you’ll mostly come up across the same old enemies, but the aiming techniques, double jumps and Mooch gameplay are all really solid. Furthermore, some enemies really require tactics to take down and this is where the Saberlizer comes in to play. This weapon scans an enemy and points out its weakness. There are some enemies that take quite a bit of ammo to take down if you don’t hit their designated weak spot, so the Saberlizer can be really effective when you’re in a bit of a pickle.
While the combat has plenty of shining lights, the game does falter in certain aspects. For one, it holds your hand way too much. It’s understandable that it’s a game aimed at children, but beyond taking out the enemies, there’s no real challenge in moving through the otherwise well-designed levels. It would have been fantastic if this were more of a free-roaming adventure that gave you the freedom to move and tackle missions on your own accord.
The challenge just takes a massive hit because of this and it doesn’t help that each mission goes for way too long. It would have been better had the missions been broken up a bit to offer a more flowing adventure, but you’ll often find yourself playing the same mission for about an hour and a half. Each mission is broken up into little objectives, but these don’t really help distinguish the missions from one another.
The 360 and PS3 modes control pretty much exactly the same as the Wii version, although the latter doesn’t include the horrendously executed 3D levels. If you were looking forward to the 3D in the Wii version, you’re not really missing out on much.
Graphically, G-Force has a surprisingly crisp presentation. The 360 and PS3 versions obviously look smoother than the Wii version, but they all hold up pretty well. Considering the budget and timeframe this game probably had, it looks pretty good.
The DS version of G-Force offers a very similar experience to the console versions, albeit some minor differences. There’s no voice-acting and the sound is of a considerably lesser quality, which is understandable. There are some great little mini-games that take advantage of the touch-screen, such as hacking into systems and connecting wires using the stylus. Most of them are pretty cool and really help distinguish the DS version from the console versions. Most of the same weapons make an appearance and while the mission structure is a bit different (the DS version was made by a different developer), the experience feels more or less the same. It might actually be worth it if you’re after a more unique handheld experience that’s cheaper, rather than the console version.
The Final Verdict
G-Force is simple and holds your hand through the overly long levels. But the combat gameplay itself kind of makes it worth trying out. If you’ve got kids and want a fun, short and simple action game, this is definitely the title for them.
Gameplay
7.0/10
It’s accessible and easy. Some enemies are tough and really require tactics to take down. The levels are too long and too easy to navigate through.
Graphics
7.3/10
Surprisingly crisp and detailed. Nothing amazing, but good for this type of game.
Sound
6.5/10
Decent voice-acting and an OK soundtrack.
Value
6.0/10
Roughly about a 6-8 hour game to get through the five missions.
Overall
7.0/10