WALL-E
Preview
WALL-E has been alone for 700 years, but that's about to change
by Kevin
previewed on WII
Typical Movie-Based Game? Or Something More?
In the beginning of this year, it was announced that there would be a game based on the upcoming Disney/Pixar movie WALL-E and that it would be published by THQ and developed by Heavy Iron Studios.
Like the movie, the game is set on the Earth in the distant future where the only inhabitant is a small robot named WALL-E. It will be an action-based adventure platformer. The game will supposedly adhere to the plot rather accurately, as most movie-based games seem to do.
WALL-E is a machine that is designed to make bricks out of garbage and stack them up. This is implemented in the gameplay along with platforming for puzzle solving and reaching new areas, but it is interspersed with run'n'gun and rail shooting segments when WALL-E teams up with his new companion EVE, who is equipped with a laser and rocket boosters.
The game is controlled using the Wii Remote and Nunchuck, but hopefully the only motion controls used will be for aiming EVE's gun or maybe some slight camera adjustments. This is my main concern for the game as a lot of developers like to add motion controls for their Wii games just for the sake of it, and a lot of times this just comes off as gimmicky rather than innovative. Hopefully Heavy Iron realizes this and doesn't make the player rely on swinging their arms around like a madman in order to play it.
The Look of the Future
WALL-E's graphics are pretty standard fare. That is to say that while they aren't the most breathtaking graphics this generation has to offer, they aren't bad either. The fact that the game was developed for the Xbox 360 and PS3 and ported down to the less graphics-intensive consoles is a good sign, as the game still looks pretty good on those consoles with the only difference being lower polygon counts and lower-resolution textures. Overall, the 360, PC and PS3 versions are on par with most games being released these days, and the other platforms being top-notch for their generation, with the Wii version looking slightly better than the PS2. WALL-E will also use the Havok engine to simulate the game's physics, such as defeated enemies, stacking objects, and even WALL-E's animations as he jumps and rolls around the environments, which are quite large compared to most games.
Besides the story mode, the game allows up to four players to compete in various mini-games, some of which are exclusive to the Wii version of the game. From the images released, most of these mini-games appear to be some sort of battle games. While not much information has been released yet about the Wii-exclusive games, it's safe to assume they'll probably rely on the Wii remote's motion controls.
Breaking the Mold
So far the game sounds like a pretty decent platformer game, but will all its features be polished up enough to make it stand out from the rest? As we all know, licensed games tend to be the most highly criticized, and for good reason: Most of them are made simply to advertise the movie or to rake in a little extra cash from a big hit. While they aren't all terrible, most are terribly mediocre (Goldeneye being one of the few exceptions I can think of off-hand), and it would be a shame to see a game with as much potential as this one go down that path. I do get a good impression from what I've seen of the game, however; mostly because of its similarities to the obscure but awesome N64 title Rocket: Robot on Wheels. Perhaps it will serve as a good example of what a movie based game should be.
While it probably won't garner much praise from the hardcore gaming crowd, it should be a nice game for the casual, pick-up-and-play type of people, and at the very least, a good choice for the kids. The game's release will coincide with the movie (which is scheduled for June 27), so expect it sometime in late June/early July of this year.
