I am not a movie buff. I watch three movies a year. That is it. One of the movies I watched this past year was Monsters vs. Aliens , a “B-movie” inspired by the old drive-in horror movies from the 1950s and ’60s. To say that my dad liked it is an understatement. He loved it. So how does the videogame tie-in of the same name fit with the movie? It comes together decently and allows novices to have fun but falls a bit short.
Monsters vs. Aliens follows the misadventures of a group of monsters trapped in an underground military facility. They eventually escape, though not very well as they are recaptured. Instead, they are recruited to save the world from destruction from an evil alien bent on destroying all life that doesn’t look like him. Anyway, the movie worked because it is just one big parody. Furthermore, the characters’ personalities were much more prevalent. Susan is a reluctant hero who is trying to figure out her identity. The slimy blob “B.O.B.” is a major (but sweet) ditz. The Missing Link (or as I like to call him “ML”) is a womanizer. And Doctor Cockroach is the stereotypical mad scientist. Yep, the movie reveled in its B-movie archetypes. However, I feel that the game does not live up to its potential. The characters feel flat compared to what I saw in the movie.
However, there are several things the game does that come close to the movie. First to assault the senses are the graphics. The computerized, well-detailed graphics are nearly perfectly ported. The graphics are bit grainier, but they still retain some of the charm from the movie. Environments are rather large and vibrant, though “recycled” a bit too much. For example, San Francisco has tall skyscrapers, the desert is devoid of life and falling rocks, and the underground military is sterile and downright imposing.
Everything in Monsters vs. Aliens sounds decent. Jumps have some “air” to them. Poundings are heard as ML destroys robots. BOB has a gooey noise has he traverses the environments. Susan is constantly skating. Happily, the voice actors from the movie are heard in the game. So it is a fun little treat to hear them re-create a longer tale of the events from the movie. It doesn’t feel phoned in to me. The only voice that is missing (as far as I can tell) is Stephen Colbert. He played the President and added some wonderful slapstick to the movie. And I’m sad he’s not heard or present on any level in the game.
Gameplay is mix of three basic levels. Susan skates around an area for some time, knocking things and running over DNA. These levels are rather basic as it is essentially a “gun-on-rails” inspired game. ML lets his inner monster loose and destroys boxes, generators and tons of enemies. His levels are rather generic beat-’em up inspired segments. It isn’t bad, per se, because it is almost always fun beating the stuffing out of things. There is just not much variety to his levels. And then last but not least is BOB. His levels are a bit more creative. The other characters can naturally jump, but BOB can stick to walls and ceilings. However, if there are any grates, he will slide right through them. This often leads to his “defeat.” (Death is not to be feared. It just takes 2,000 points and sets you back a few seconds. That is it.) This can be avoided as BOB usually has to hold a box (or something) to place on a button. He also has some “shooting” segments, when he becomes full of an endless supply of bubbles and has to destroy something.
Levels in Monsters vs. Aliens are long. They take about 20 minutes or so to work through. What takes about 20 minutes of movie time takes about an hour or so to finish in the game. At least you’re getting your money’s worth. However, I was constantly fighting boredom to completely play through the levels. Why? I’m too experienced. I’m not a novice or a kid. It is too basic. It neither changes things up nor increases difficulty. While it keeps most of the feel of the movie, it doesn’t feel like a lost chapter. That is what I was looking for when I played this game — something to supplement the movie, to fill in blanks.
Adding to supplementing the movie is the DNA Lab. This is something that folks are going to love or hate as it is full of various items. If you’re wondering why you’re forced to hoard it and have crammed into your hands, here is the reason: DNA unlocks audio commentary by the characters, artwork, movie segments, game challenges (such as avoiding damage or obtaining a certain score) and power-ups. By unlocking more items, you can get more stuff. Most of it can be considered “fluff.” You don’t NEED any of it. Can some of it make your game time easier or more enjoyable? Yeah, it can. There is a move that lets Susan bash a series of enemies more efficiently. Health upgrades make it easier to make it through levels. And there are upgrades for Doctor Cockroach’s attacks. This is especially useful if you have someone to play the game with you as this is the only way to control him.
Monsters vs. Aliens is a wonderful game for novices. It retains most of the visual charm of the movie, contains the majority of the voice actors and is exceedingly accessible. The controls are solid, though the environments are a bit stale. While it may not be as creative as other games, it does what it intends rather well. Ultimate question is this: How much do you love the movie? If you greatly enjoyed the movie, the game should be a blast for you. If you just stared at the screen and counted the seconds until it was over, then you’re probably going to be bored with the game. Regardless, this could be quality time with a family member. If my second cousins lived closer, I would definitely hold onto this game just so I had something fun to play with them.
