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Twitch and Spaz Go to the Movies:
Twitch: This week we're going to review two movies that have been made into games. Spaz: Dude, this was the scariest game I've ever played. When those vampire chickens started pecking on the other animals in the barnyard, well, let me tell you, I'm afraid to eat bacon now. Twitch: Whatever are you blabbering about? Spaz: The Evil Dead Chickens. Man, that was some petrifying poultry. Twitch: Dude, sometimes I think your brains have been sucked dry. We're reviewing two very different games this week: Evil Dead and Chicken Run. Spaz: Uh, yeah ... I knew that. Twitch: All right, that's enough. Evil Dead: Hail to the King is based on the classic horror trilogy starring Bruce Campbell. While it initially seems like Evil Dead will just be another run-of-the-mill survival horror game, by the time it has concluded you realize you have played a minor classic. What at first seems like it will just be a rehash of the movie soon becomes a worthy sequel highlighted by a classic Evil Dead twist ending. Spaz: And Bruce Campbell is a hoot. No half-hearted effort here, he reads his lines with relish, and anyone who found the cutting sarcasm of the movies funny will find the game just as humorous. In fact, in a spark of inspiration inspired by the finishing moves of Mortal Kombat, Ash (Bruce Campbell) can finish off opponents by blurting out a snappy one-liner. Twitch: If there is one noticeable problem with this game, it is the respawning of the numerous foes--the Deadites, the Wolverine Troops, the Hellbillies--sometimes it feels as though the constant battles are slowing down the game. Thankfully, as the game progresses, there is less fighting and more puzzles. Spaz: The puzzles are not the typical "find a key, open a door" that are usually found in this type of game. Instead, there are actual inventory-based puzzles that would make any adventure gamer proud. No, they aren't so difficult that they will keep you awake all night--you find a wrench, you use it to fix a pipe--but this game is about fun, it's not a Mensa test. Twitch: If you've seen the movies, then you know the weapons are fun also. Nothing fancy here, no lasers or nail guns, just a good old-fashioned axe, shotgun, rifle, and, of course, Ash's famous chainsaw. Inventory items include journal pages, research notes, and pages from the Necronomicon. Health potions are plentiful and save points evenly spaced so that if you lose a life, you shouldn't have to replay a major portion of the game. Spaz: So what is Evil Dead: Hail to the King about? Honestly, does it really matter? Does anyone remember what the movies were about? But if you must know, Ash is having nightmares about the cabin in the woods so his girlfriend Jenny drives him back to confront his fears. Does Jen then get kidnaped? Does Evil rear its ugly head? Does Elvis live? What do you think? Final Grade: B+
Twitch: Our second game is based on that summer blockbuster movie, Chicken Run. Spaz: Not only were no chickens harmed in the making of this game, but we understand it stars the original chickens from the movie and Mel Gibson's voice! Twitch: It does not! Stop that. If you saw the movie Chicken Run and thought it would make a great game, you were right, but this isn't it. Too hard for children and too boring for adults, Chicken Run falls into that netherworld of wasted potential. Spaz: The graphics and voices are marvelous, but the game limits where you can go and what you can do. To make matters worse, as you sneak around the barnyard attempting to avoid the hounds, you have to keep an eye on a small radar screen displayed in the corner, and the reaction time between spotting danger on the radar screen and actually being attacked is so minuscule as to raise your frustration level to extra crispy. Twitch: The game more or less follows the plot of the movie as you sneak around collecting various items that can help escape from the Tweedy's farm. This leads to a lot of to-and-froing and repetition that quickly become boring. Mini arcade-style games are spaced throughout, but unless you find collecting eggs rolling down chutes as fast as you can enjoyable, then you're sure to not find any of this egg-citing. Spaz: Probably the best thing about this game is that when you are finished, you can deep-fry the main characters in eleven herbs and spices. Just try to ignore Ginger's cackling as you drop her into the hot oil. Twitch: Dude, that's too gross. Hey, pass me one of those drumsticks. Final Grade: C- Minimum System Requirements: |
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