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Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit Mini Review

Chris Leyton

16/10/2005

Wallace and Gromit return withj plenty of marrows, turnips and cheeese...

Everybodyâs favourite cheese-munching, plasticene duo are back as legendary game designer David Braben once again teams up with Aardman Animations for Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

Closely tied to the recently released box-office debut of the duo the game sees Wallace and Gromit new company, Anti-Pesto, battling against ravenous pests ahead of the annual Giant Vegetable Competition. However a monstrous, veg-eating beast arrives on the scene, terrorizing the neighbourhood and destroying the prize exhibits in the process. Anti-Pesto is hired by the Helena Bonham-Carter voiced, Lady Totttington, to save the day before the unscrupulous Victor Quartermaine hunts it down by less humane ways.

Differing from Wallace and Gromitâs last videogame outing in Project Zoo, The Curse of the Werewolf presents a fully realised free-roaming replication of West Wallaby with a wide variety of tasks to be completed. Completed tasks earn you cards, which progresses the storyline and opens up new gadgets for the pair to get their hands on.

Much like its predecessor the game works on a duo system which comes into play during the majority of puzzles featured throughout the game; itâs an enjoyable diversion for two-players, however the uncertain AI can leave you cussing on a number of occasions. Swapping between the two simply needs a tap of the shoulder button, whilst a whistle to the other will highlight your plea for help during their typical state of busily doing nothing. The slightly laborious manual camera throes up the occasional tricky situation, although generally the game gets control pretty much spot on.

Naturally gadgets are never far away with the âBungunâ providing the biggest basis that the gameplay circles around; yes Wallace and Gromit have got their very own gravity-guns, which work well given the enjoyable physics engine behind the game. The Bungun sucks and shoots, from rabbits and turnips to pots, pans and fireworks; further upgrades to the gun also happen, providing it with additional means to get the job done. Both characters can interact with a lot of objects throughout the game via the Bungun which is tied into many of the puzzles youâll come across â“ itâs also quite fun just to shoot milk bottles around whilst Wallace is telling you off!

A large focus of the missions involves herding pests into vacuum zones, perhaps a little bit too much, although the tedium is thankfully lessened by the solid and enjoyable core platform/shooting dynamics. That said thereâs still a good dose of variety to the challenges presented to the player and a fair share of memorable moments â“ controlling the gigantic were-rabbit lure attached to the Anti-Pesto van via a rhythm/action mini-game captures Gromitâs distinctive disillusionment of Wallaceâs inventions, whilst bouncing along in chase of the were-rabbit on an space-hopper through the streets of West Wallaby is highly entertaining.

The Curse of the Werewolf contains more than a nod towards The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past in its day/night cycle. When this occurs - with a regrettably large load sequence - one of the duo is replaced with a new character (weâll avoid the details), whilst certain new quests are opened. Additionally âWereâ variations on the various animals make an appearance at night, which helps to escalate the tempo of the game putting the emphasis on combat; youâll also come across the appearance of the titular âWere-Rabbitâ to hunt down and progress the storyline. Although the system breaks up the tempo of the game nicely and throws up a handful of interesting scenarios, itâs not as fully featured as it could have been and leaves you wishing for a few smart moments that never really occur.

The structure of the game can also feel a little disjointed at times, often leaving the player with too much aimless wandering around in the search for quests (which isnât helped by the radar/map), whilst youâre never quite sure what will push the game and story onwards. Thereâs a surprising amount of substance to the game with a huge number of missions scattered across the four areas (some of which are frustratingly difficult in a good way), however the stop-start progress of the game doesnât lend itself too well to lengthy sessions, often stuffing in a fair degree of padding before the next âbigâ scene.

Away from the main game The Curse of the Were-Rabbit does have one novel concept that continues the tie between the subject and game â“ a marrow-growing simulator. Yes fans can grow a prize-winning Marrow, nurturing to its daily whims with the correct doses of water; maintaining a steady temperature rate and watching out for the soilâs acidity. Not only that but youâre even allowed to buy new items for the greenhouse from the coins you collect in the game, choosing between various shades of hideous wallpaper and rugs to match or perhaps a new song to play it â“ brilliant!

Without doubt the strongest element of the game is its presentation. Working closely with Aardman Animations, Frontier Developments have brought Wallace and Gromit to the consoles with unnerving authenticity. Its predecessor proved that they could re-create the characters; however The Curse of the Were-Rabbit builds upon that with excellent environments to explore, brought to life with a cast of characters that ooze the Aardman style.

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Wolf is an enjoyable experience, but more to the point about as good as fans of the duo could expect. Frontier Developments and Aardman Animations have once again brought the pair to the consoles with style, making this essential to the legion of fans that adore everything Nick Park touches.

A slightly suspect tempo and structure of the game leaves it feeling less enthralling then it could have been, whilst repetition sinks in to ensure this is one game best played in short burst; however these are small complaints over what is a thoroughly entertaining adaptation of a hilarious film.