The Incredibles PS2 Review

Please note: Due to the nature of this game, this review contains movie spoilers. Do not read on if you wish to see the film unspoilt.

Pixar are truly one of the best animated film studios in the world. They have produced hit after hit, year after year, but this year specifically, The Incredibles seems to be one of the better ones even up there with Toy Story. THQ has supported Pixar along the way with a variety of games being released, obviously aimed at children. The Incredibles is no different, but this game has managed to avoid the pitfalls that cause many licensed movie games to end up in a bargain bin very quickly. The Incredibles is a fairly good platform game that both adults and kids can enjoy.

The storyline of the game follows the film right through, meaning that if you have seen the film you've seen what the game has to offer in terms of environments. The story behind the film and game is that Mr Incredible and his family have been in retirement for fifteen years due to the rising cost of damage caused by the fights they have had with criminals over the years. Mr Incredible just can't let it go, and becomes a vigilante, taking on criminals while trying not to be identified. Eventually a private corporation hires him and his family to take on a mission and thus the main story begins.

The Incredibles as mentioned before, and as expected, is a platform game. The gameplay boils down to moving through levels taking on enemies and solving puzzles. At its very basic form it doesn't sound that great, but both kids and adults will enjoy the title. Although this title has been reviewed really as a children's game, the fact is we could have very easily reviewed this under an adult format and still enjoyed the game for what it is. What makes the game so interesting is the way the special powers from the movie have translated into the game format and the different styles of play that this has enabled.

Throughout the game you will take control of the whole family at various times, with each member offering a different style of gameplay, although Mr and Mrs Incredible has negligible differences. Each characters levels are designed around the super power they have in the movie. Mr Incredible can twist levers, throw things and generally beat things up really well while Mrs Incredible can bend her body like rubber. However the main differences come from the two children; The levels involving Dash are basically frogger style dodge races to a checkpoint in a time limit, while the young girls level's revolve around stealth due to her ability to go invisible. This offers a great deal of depth to the game and keeps the game from getting repetitive.

With the game following the film pretty much to the letter, it was expected that the enemies were pulled directly from the movie. You will encounter boss fights including one 'incredibly' annoying character who has three lives and really is one area the kids will get stuck. The puzzles of the game is the main challenge it throws at you however with levers being turned to disable electric charges or open doors and various character abilities required to traverse some terrain. One thing which is great is you can use the enemies to your advantage by picking them up and throwing them towards objects or each other.

While the level design is fairly basic, the levels are huge and offer some great moments and decent challenges for all ages. Beginning in an urban style area, the game eventually moves to a jungle style island with many traps to stop the family reaching their goal and completing the mission. The visuals of the game are highly impressive, especially the main characters and the style of the game very much mimics the film, with scenes ripped straight from the film and put into the game giving it a much more authentic feel. The voice acting is quite well done and is often funny, especially during the tutorial level.

The Incredibles is aimed at children and that is very much the relevant market for the game, but adults who try the game will find a fairly accomplished platform game that they can enjoy with their younger siblings or children and that is why this game is a great game, because it achieves exactly what it set out to do.