Instead
of shoving a popular series into a pre-defined genre, Family Guy: The
Video Game from High Voltage Software and 2K Games puts the bizarre
sensibilities of the cartoon series front and center. The storyline
centers on Peter's quest to find Mr. Belvedere and the many odd things
that happen in between. The main game is loads of fun with challenging
levels, though the really interesting part of Family Guy is the absurd
mini-games that are challenging and hilarious. It's use of cel-shaded
animation and the real voice actors adds to the authenticity, making this
a faithful adaptation that successfully translates the series to gaming.
It would be easy to pre-judge Family Guy
as yet another licensed tie-in, cashing in on the popularity of a hit
television series, but the developers at High Voltage have gone the extra
mile to create a game that captures the attitude of the series perfectly.
The game basic storyline follows the typically absurd narrative of a
typical episode, where the main plot plays second fiddle to the many
in-jokes, bizarre twists and hilarious non-sequitors that fans have come
to grow and love over the years. Family Guy takes players on a massive
adventure where they control three main characters as they search
throughout the town of Quahog for the elusive Mr. Belvedere.
Each of the main characters (Peter,
Stewie and Brian) brings a different sets of skills and abilities to the
game. Playing as Peter or Stewie offers some fairly traditional gaming
action, with standard platforming and adventure sequences broken up by
mini-games. However, when you take over the role of Brian, the action
switches to a humorous stealth mode, where you have to sneak around
without being detected. In addition to these main characters, players will
encounter other Family Guy characters and guest stars throughout,
including appearances from Adam West, Angry Monkey, Quagmire and other FG
favorites. The game's plot is fairly dense, but the gameplay itself is
simple and straightforward, which allows you to enjoy the jokes without
having to struggle too much with the controller.
The
levels themselves offer plenty of variety with combat, puzzle and action
mixed together to create a game that never feels predictable or stale.
Family Guy's progression is fairly linear, though some areas are more
challenging than others, and you need different skills to progress. Each
level is broken up into several smaller areas and there are frequent save
points, which makes the game easier to play. Each area of the game isn't
that large, so you won't have to spend a lot of time backtracking. The
main quest is fairly simple with some areas requiring you to beat all the
enemies, while others are basically hunt and gather modes. There are also
more complex and challenging sections in Family Guy where you have to
evade capture, shoot Stewie's ray gun around corners and chase nurses
around. These different objectives make things interesting. The gameplay
shows a lot of creativity, and the level of attention really shows in the
way the game integrates its mechanics to the plot.
All of this unfolds with the trademark
Family Guy sense of humor very much intact. The game has numerous jokes
and comedic asides, some of which can be quite funny. Like the television
show, the action is frequently broken up by mini-games, which are usually
riffs on episodes of the series, which should please fans. While these are
fun to play, some of these mini-games are harder than you'd expect them to
be, which actually makes them challenging to play. Family Guy isn't the
hardest game you'll ever play, but it offers a decent amount of fun, and
some of the areas are unexpectedly funny, such as jumping on pregnant
women to make babies fly out, using them as projectiles. This seems
bizarre and is probably in bad taste, but works humorously in context of
the game.
Family
Guy's cel-shaded visuals are excellent and this approach works perfectly
in recreating the feel of the series. What's really cool about this is
that it gives you a level of interaction you could never have with the
television show. The game lets you to walk through many of the famous
locations (like the Griffith house) in full 3D. The character animations
and overall look of the game feels very much like the television series,
with the same color-palettes and look that you'd expect. The overall
production values are excellent, and the game's presentation and feel does
an excellent job of bringing the series to the interactive realm. An
interesting storyline and plot is brought to life using the original voice
actors, which makes a huge difference. There are many cut-scenes and
cinematics throughout the game, and these are high-quality and elaborate,
and make you feel like you're watching an episode of the series, not
playing a game.
This release does an excellent job in
recreating the feel and attitude of the series. It's not watered down, and
some sequences feel a bit more adult and extreme than they would on TV,
which makes the game feel less compromised than it could otherwise. Most
licensed games fall into the trap of trying to shoehorn their source
material into unoriginal genres while ignoring the elements that made the
license successful in the first place. The developers have taken the time,
in this case, to make sure that the elements that made Family Guy so
popular are very much in evidence. Overall, Family Guy: The Video Game is
a solidly entertaining title that should please the television show's
fans.
- Michael Palisano
Grade: B
