G-Force

If there was anything to be said about movie tie-ins that are released during the summer months, then I’ve said it. The kids have their six-week summer break going on and about two weeks in, that stops being very fun for the parents. So, they head to the game store and pick up something that little Jimmy will love. Not a good game – oh no – but a movie tie-in based on that animated film that little Jimmy absolutely loved. The publishers have had this one in the bag for a while now and frankly, nobody learns and the titles continue to sell like warm buns.

Of late though, some of the resulting games have actually been playable. This isn’t to say that they’re stunning – far from it – but given the state of the industry and the absolute tripe it was peddling for forty pounds a pop five years ago, it’s a massive, massive step forward.

Now, I haven’t seen the celluloid version of G-Force (yet…I’m a sucker for anything Disney coughs up) but I have to say that I’m quite impressed by the videogame version of events. I’m told that the plot is loosely based on the film, which means that you take centre stage as you play as Darwin the Gerbil – who brings along his sidekick Mooch the housefly – as you and the rest of the G-Force team battle against the evil Sabreling, a company that makes home appliances that – as we find out within a few minutes of play – have the ability to turn against their owners.

It becomes quite obvious quite quickly that the normal script hasn’t been followed. Darwin is frequently presented with new tasks to accomplish, generally requiring the solving of a puzzle and – I have to say – that some of these are quite innovative. If you have to get into a room which has a locked door but an open air vent for example, you can take control of Mooch and fly in through the vent – being careful to employ your “time delay” ability to dodge the blades of an air conditioning fan – and open the door from the other side. There is some repetition, but things move along at a pace that stops that from being an issue.

Graphically, G-Force claims (erroneously) to be the first game to actually shift you into the third dimension, and comes packed with a pair of blue-and-red 3D glasses. My promotional copy was missing these, but – for some unknown reason – I still have a pair anyway. I think they came with a copy of The Beano once, but I digress. Either way, the effect is average at best and it would be nice if your energy bar was a different colour, since it almost disappears when you have your 3D specs on. The fact that the cutscenes aren’t 3D kind of take the sheen off the effect, although it’s not like you’ve suddenly been plucked back into the land of the living or anything. As the 3D effect is somewhat of a frivolous addition which is off by default – it isn’t really something that loses the game any points for being less than amazing.

There are some graphical quibbles and occasionally you’ll find that your plasma cannon won’t engage or that Darwin is reluctant to use his electric whip when you tell him to, but these things happen rarely enough for them to be a problem. Be advised though, that this is strictly one for the kids. There are three difficulty levels, but none of them will be anything like tasking to anyone who’s been playing games for more than a couple of years. In fact, there are times when the game almost promises difficulty that isn’t there. Initially, you’re asked to sneak in to a compound whilst avoiding the gaze of the guards. You’ll start by sneaking around Solid Snake-style, timing your runs through the open spaces to perfection. Then, you’ll make a mistake and fall right in front of a guard that seems to be incredibly short-sighted for someone whose job description involves the phrase “keep watch.”

Little issues such as this stop G-Force from crossing over from the “I only got it for the kids” section into the “actually, I reckon I might have a go at that” section of your videogame collection. Your kids won’t be disappointed however, since this is a fine attempt at making a movie tie-in that is – for once – compelling and playable. Good stuff.