Game Play: Family Guy Second Thoughts

Here's the problem with the Family Guy video game: like many a college student play - it completely falls apart in the third act. Stewie's final level (at least I think it was the final level) was bug ridden and clumsy. Marks for the grappling hook (required to climb upward to beat the boss) wouldn't work. At one point I could jump to a point and fire multiple rockets into his head (the weak point) and nothing would happen. Aside from all that - it was dreadfully repetetive. Do the same thing over and over and over again until you succeed three times ... then just when you think it's finished ... it starts over .. and then ... it changes slightly but no less dull. Oh, and since Stewie has all of two jokes during this time ... it also robs one of the biggest strengths of the game ... the humor.

If that wasn't bad enough - what I though was Peter's last level (against The Black Knight) was equally buggy. The DDR style fight sequences would go on and on and on until they just mysteriously worked or didn't work. Food, which allows Peter to do special moves, suddenly stopped adding to the food bar. When that mashfest was over, you're treated to what sounds like Peter's final animation.

Except no - it goes to add another Peter level against a giant chicken. It seemed easy until the chicken learned how to block. And I mean block. Constantly. None of Peter's special moves work and it seemed the only choice was to repeatedly bash into the chicken and take some damage when it briefly stopped blocking to attack you.

Yikes. Back into the Gamefly envelope it went. I don't know if there was any more to the game, but since each level seemed to be getting progressively worse ... I didn't want to find out.

If you're really into Family Guy - probably still a decent rental. Definitely not a purchase (hence I also removed it from the ultimate store of fun). I kinda wish the developers had focused on the Stewie mechanics alone and definitely put in a few more QA hours.



tagged: game, gaming