I've never been a Disney fan. I think at some point I got into the whole animation resurgence somewhere around the
Little Mermaid,
but then again, so was everyone. It was a time of free animation, and
everyone was experimenting with new and wild forms of cartoonage. With
so much animation flowing everywhere now though, I've grown tired of the
same formula, the same "goofy" sidekicks, and the cross-marketed adult
contemporary R&B single. Tarzan looked incredible, but felt like a
finely honed formula -- so much so that when it was over, it was hard to
tell what made it any different from the
Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, or Herbie Goes Bananas. The Tarzan
Action Game is the same way -- beautiful to look at, fun to play, but not all that new. Fortunately, it gives you enough
thrills and spills during it's short set of levels to make the ride almost worthwhile.
Tarzan is basically your chance to get in some Crash
Bandicoot/Pandemonium style console thrills on your PC, with enough
graphic flair to make you feel guiltless in the process. Levels scroll
from left to right in 21/2D, which is used in a fancy enough way that
you almost forget that you aren't
free roaming.
Tarzan can jump, swing, and climb rocks (only in specific areas, of
course), and can also use a variety of explosive fruits, as well as a
knife. Fruits, if you didn't know, are naturally explosive in the
jungles of Africa.
The graphics are clean and dense, with flying animals and moving
creatures filling in almost every corner of the screen. Tarzan lacks a
bit of detail, but he makes up for it with graceful movement, speed, and
a variety of cohorts that more than convince you that he fits just fine
in the environment. Branches take Tarzan on winding paths, breaking up
the flat context of the levels, and taking advantage of the 3D
environments. The designers have kept things at a quick pace, and you'll
find yourself swinging from branches, riding on birds, running from
charging elephants, and even doing some inner-tubing as Terk. The
familiar "awoo-ah-ay-ah-ay-ahhh" is intact, and topped with Tarzan's odd
"D'oh!" and surfer-esque "wuuoaohh" -- all other sounds are kept to the
chirps and quirks of the jungle, which are done in a really nice,
movie-sized way. Depending on how well you like the music from the
movie, you may either be humming your way to happiness, or hurling your
way to hell at the instrumental versions of Phil Collin's songs. Either
way they're done quite well, and fit in perfectly with the action.
The
game
follows the path of the movie almost exactly, which means that you get a
lot of running, a lot of jumping, and a bit of tree surfing, which ends
up being one of the best moments in the game. Most of your time is
spent running as quickly to the right as possible, while trying to
collect Tarzan letters (you'll get to see
movie clips
for every set you collect) and sketch pieces (which unlock bonus
rounds). The action take a few turns, such as free-roaming ship level,
and swimming in the river, but for the most part the game covers very
familiar platform territory. You also get a chance to take on a level as
Jane, and as Terk. Jane runs from a hoard of baboons in a very, very
Crash like level, while Terk gives you a chance to take over the camp
monkey-style, while avoiding... your other pals. We didn't say it made
sense. Speaking of which, though you'd assume that Tarzan would
overpower his enemies, he Tarzan spends most of his time attacking
enemies with fruit -- and not just any fruit, dangerous fruit. Find
special fruits, and you can get a super-explosive blast, or even an
edible melon which explodes with deadly shrapnel. Did we mention that
Tarzan has the amazing ability to bounce off of nests? Let's not even
talk about the natural growth of floating coins that seem to be
everywhere the forests of Africa.
The most disturbing aspect of gameplay is Tarzan's obsession with
killing -- evil baboons are one thing, but what did those innocent
Lemurs ever do to you, Mr. "King of the Jungle"? In Disney's
Tarzan Action
Game, Tarzan is basically a tribal killing machine, and your job is to
slay any and all innocent animals that cross your path. Armadillos,
cockatoos, boars, frogs... you name it, and Tarzan has it on his death
list. With most games, you can leave behind logic when you're attacking
walking mushrooms and alien menaces from hell, but little monkeys? It's a
little disturbing, even if they
do transform into a bunch of butterflies when they explode.
The game is a fun ride, and despite the lack of logic, grabs a lot
of the flavor of the film -- including it's length. The thirteen or so
levels fly by in a heartbeat, and though each one is slightly different
than the last, none left a strong enough impression that I felt like
re-visiting them. I found myself on the second-to-last level in a little
over two hours, and that's with most bonuses accomplished. Younger
players might want to replay levels in order unlock all the bonus games
and movie clips, but most gamers will find the prospect of tackling
identical levels a little tedious. Still, it's a fast, frenetic piece of
gaming that will have you entertained, even if it isn't for more than
an afternoon. I hate to say this, but this is really one of those games
that will definitely appeal to younger gamers (who it's marketed for)
than older brats like me, who've been raised on the classics, but like
their action and adventure games dense, fat and full of brainpower. This
is one of the better movie-to-game translations to come along in a long
while, and for kids obsessed with the ape-man's adventures, this is a
perfect addition to their budding game library. For grown-ups though, it
feels a bit too small to be an entire meal, but could serve as a nice
appetizer. In the end, it feels just like the movie it's based on -- a
lot of flash, but not that much depth.
--
Vincent Lopez
Copyright of IGN
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Tuesday, December 31, 2013
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