“The Adventures of Tintin: The Game” arrives for the Xbox 360 a couple of weeks before the big screen’s release of the 3D movie. As one of the oldest comic book characters of our time, Tintin arrives during the period when the holiday game releases have slowed down considerably and the rush to crank out reviews has also tapered off. Much to my surprise, Steven Spielberg, who is apparently a big fan of the comic series, directs Tintin’s big screen modern debut so there is plenty of reason to believe the movie could be a hit. Unfortunately hit movies do not always translate into hit movie-based games, as more often than not they fall flat. Rushed, incomplete, and full of glitches are just some of the common themes associated with the movie-based games. So when Tintin arrived on my office desk I have to admit I was skeptical and after some extended playtime with the game many of my concerns were validated. This being said, those younger fans of Tintin should find several redeeming qualities in this game.
Unlike many other movie-based games that typically feature a linear single player campaign, The Adventures of Tintin is a platforming game at heart, but the developers managed to throw in some vehicle segments, 3D combat sequences, puzzles and boss battles to change things up; yet the bulk of your time is spent jumping, climbing, punching, leaping, running, and of course platforming, along the game’s many levels. Tintin is not a difficult game and it is one that is meant to be played by the movies target audience, that being kids or young Indiana Jones wannabes. I believe that mature gamers will inevitably become bored playing the game as it becomes repetitive and monotonous at times, yet younger gamers who may have an interest in taking in the flick over the holiday season should enjoy what Ubisoft’s Tintin game has to offer.
The Adventures of Tintin consists of primarily a single player story progression mode. There is little in the way of extras, no online multiplayer, no upgrade system, no customizable options and no mini-games. On the surface, it is a game that appears to lack some depth and content, but this is not the case at all. The Adventures of Tintin is a fairly deep single player game filled with numerous Xbox achievements, not to mention the challenge mode and co-op modes, which extend the life of the game considerably. Before I get into some of the core gameplay elements that I enjoyed or disliked, I will briefly recap the games storyline.
The Adventures of Tintin: The Game follows the events of the corresponding big-screen movie The Secret of the Unicorn. As you would guess, for the most part you play as Tintin who is a young energetic reporter. The game begins with Tintin purchasing a model ship named Unicorn. Just as he is attempting to purchase it an individual who is attempting to outbid him accosts him. Tintin manages to ultimately purchase the ship and then quickly discovers there is more to this ship then it just being a simple model. Soon after, Tintin sets off on a journey to uncover the full mystery behind the ship and take down a ton of baddies in the process. The story takes a series of twists and turns throughout. Tintin runs into a variety of interesting characters and his trusty side kick “Snowy” the dog offers adds a bit of kick to a story we have all seen is one shape or another throughout the years. Think of Indiana Jones for kids and that is the essence of Secret of the Unicorn.
As I already mentioned, the game is mostly played in the form of a 2D platformer, but it does manage to mix up the gameplay enough to give you some sense of variety. There are segments where you will have to navigate Snowy through a series of cobblestone walkways as he tracks down enemy scent and there are segments where you will fly a yellow Cessna plane through storms and tornadoes. There are also other sequences where Captain Haddock is aboard a pirate ship taking down a slew of pirates. The Adventures of Tintin takes you across sinking ships, massive mansions, underground caverns, sewers, and Arabian towns. It is quite an adventure indeed.
The platforming segments of the game work very well. Tintin manages to quickly scoot around the game’s many levels with smoothness and controlling our hero is accomplished with ease during the platform segments. My 9-year old daughter only encountered some occasional difficulties when making her way around some of the game’s levels, but overall the combat was incredibly easy for her. Simple button presses will get you past most of the enemies in the game. Granted, enemies do become a little more troublesome when they charge you with an umbrella or when they are equipped with armour, yet once you figure out how to take them down with a simple toss of a banana or by merely sneaking your way around the level in order to attack from behind, defeating the game’s enemies was not a challenge at all.
The parts of the game that take you away from platforming also have their fair share of issues. For starters, camera control issues surface during some of the combat and during the sequences where Snowy needs to track down an enemy with his scent. I also found that the plane sequences also provide little challenge as the game guides you along a pre-determined path. The combat sequences where you are control Captain Haddock feel awkward and unnatural too. While I do give the developers kudos for spicing things up a bit, at the end of he day these bits of variety did not do as much for me as I hoped.
On a more positive note, The Adventures of Tintin features a co-op mode where Tintin and Haddock can escape the single player progression and do battle in some levels of their own. These co-op sequences are enjoyable and give the game some replay value. There is also a challenge mode where you can replay some of the vehicular segments that are timed. So for those looking for some bragging rights, challenge mode may just be for you. In challenge mode the game also makes use of the Kinect, although be forewarned this aspect of the game is not as refined as it could be. I often found my motions were not accurately captured and made for a challenge mode that was more frustrating than it needed to be.
Visually, although The Adventures of Tintin is very stylized, and looks like it is indeed based on the movie (watch the movie trailers to see what I mean), in the end it is a game that looks somewhat average, as it features no jaw dropping moments or visual sequences that will stun you. The game does not seem to push the capabilities of the Xbox 360 hardware and I believe that it is a game that could have looked much better. For example, leaves on the street look flat and plain, and seem to lack the texture and depth the make them look like they are actually ON the street. I also found that characters lack any real detail or definition, clipping issues surface during the 3D gameplay segments, and the levels, although colourful at times, are somewhat bland and lack any significant innovation. This is in stark contrast to Ubisoft’s other platform game this year, Rayman Origins, and it seems as though they took a turn in the wrong direction with The Adventures of Tintin as this hero from early 20th century could have looked so much better.
Despite the lackluster visuals, The Adventures of Tintin is a decent sounding game. The voice work is solid and keeps you engaged. I found myself interested in the dialogue and much of that had to do with the decent voice work. The music is as equally pleasant featuring tunes that are perfectly suited for the game. The music almost sounds like it is directly taken from the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland, but it works well for the type of game it is. For the most part the rest of the game’s sound effects deliver. My only gripe in terms of the game sound is with the lip-synching as it does not match the actual voice work at times. Characters mouths will continue moving well after the character has stopped talking. Not a major issue but more of a small annoyance. Despite this, The Adventures of Tintin is a game that certainly delivers in the sound department.
As far as movie-based games, The Adventures of Tintin: The Game for the Xbox 360 is not the worst on the market, but it certainly is not the best either. Fans of the soon-to-be released movie should enjoy the platforming sequences in the game. The sense of adventure and ease of controls shines during these segments. Yet when the game deviates from being a platformer, The Adventures of Tintin begins to suffer. Mature gamers in general will most likely want to steer clear from The Adventures of Tintin but fans of the comic series may find some redeeming qualities and should give it a look indeed.
