‘Despicable Me: The Game’ follows the antics of the super villain Gru and his minions as he attempts to steal the Moon. The game is based on the movie ‘Despicable Me’ and plays out a small portion of it. Evil Genius Gru is racing against his arch nemesis, and super villain, Victor. Gru must first gather parts for his space ship, and he employs his little yellow friends to help him.
The game is separated into two types of gameplay, platforming and puzzle solving. The controls are exactly the same between the PSP and the PS2, with the right analog stick and the R2 and L2 buttons on the PS2 controller not being used at all.
In platforming you’ll be jumping from place to place, while dodging fire, steam, electricity, and bad guys. The platforming can be very difficult, but if you fail or die ten times, you are given the option to skip on to the next area by using a ‘Despicable Cheat’. While platforming, you’ll run across little question mark pick-ups that give you hints for the puzzles, so be sure to keep an eye out for them. There are also collectible ‘Family Photos’ to be found for the completionists out there.
In puzzle solving, and this is where the game really creates a unique experience, you’ll have to learn to use your minions along with four different weapons. You are given an ice gun, air gun, magnet gun, and a web gun. Each weapon has a different effect when used on a minion, and these different effects are the keys to the puzzles you’ll be tasked with. The farther you progress in the game, the more complex the puzzles become. With switches above you, you’ll have to inflate your minion and send him skyward like a balloon. You can stack them up and use them as abridge for gaps. Put them in a circle and freeze them and they become somewhat of a battering ram. The depth to the puzzles can leave you guessing. You will only have enough minions to finish each puzzle, so use them wisely.
The PSP and PS2 versions are identical in every aspect of the story mode, but the PS2 version does bring along some split screen multiplayer action. You can play as Gru or Vector in a variety of multiplayer air combat modes featuring dogfights, fortress defending, and minion collection.
The graphics on the PSP look great while the PS2 graphics look OK. The levels are well designed, and the puzzle solving using the minions is a great addition to the genre. The platforming levels can de a little too difficult for the younger players, but having the ‘Despicable Cheat’ will help the little tykes along their way. The music does a good job of setting the tone of the gameplay and fits the game nicely.
Most games based on movies miss the mark and feel rushed. Despicable Me: The Game, while short in length (5-6 hours to completion), does bring something new to the genre with the use of the minions in puzzle solving.
PlayStation LifeStyle’s Final Score
Smooth animations and decent PSP graphics Platforming can be too hard for the younger crowd, but it does allow you to skip levels |
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