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Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo Review
Chris Leyton
02/10/2003
We certainly didn't see this one coming, a decent adaptation of one man and his dog...
Having stormed the world with a series of acclaimed animated shorts and picking up a host of awards at the same time, gamers can finally get the chance to play as Wallace and Gromit in âWallace and Gromit in Project Zooâ due for release on the Playstation2, Xbox and GameCube.
Set as the sequel to âWrong Trousersâ, the game sees players taking control of the loveable Gromit as he and Wallace set out to liberate the local zoo from the evil clutches of the maniacal Featherâs McGraw.
What transpires is a fun filled 3D romp that bears more then an uncanny resemblance to the likes of âMario 64â and more recently âSuper Mario Sunshineâ.
Each of the games levels incorporates a variety of challenges and puzzles in a similar fashion to the previously named titles. Although a number of these are subject to the particularly level, the majority run throughout each of the levels and see you primarily saving baby animals from precariously placed locked cages, whilst others include shooting a set number of wooden animal decoys to racing around a lap of the stage.
To say âWallace and Gromitâ pleasantly surprised us would certainly be an understatement. Thanks to the close relationship between the games developers and Aardman Animations, the game manages to capture the unique humour and spirit of the animated shows perfectly.
More importantly the games developers have recognised the need to be tongue-in-cheek regarding the content within the game, as such youâll spot numerous parodies of game elements to add to the humour; our particular favourite is the way theyâve got around the age-old pastiche of collecting items, so instead of collecting coins for no apparent reason Wallace informs Gromit early on to collect nuts and bolts which he can use to build various inventions. This sense of humour is carried out throughout the game and results in one of the few platformers to actually raise a laugh for the right reasons.
Taking direct control of Gromit, the game uses an impressive âduoâ system whereby Wallace follows Gromit wherever he goes unless the going gets a little too scary. Wallace will chirp out helpful hints and the occasional not so helpful but funny comment. Having collected enough nuts and bolts, Wallace will also help out at specific points by building various inventions and contraptions to aid you in your way or helping to overcome an impassable area.
Throughout the game Wallace will build a variety of makeshift weapons for you, including the favourite Porridge-Gun to the Banana-Launcher. To spice up the action, Wallace will also invent a number of contraptions for Gromit to use despite his objections. One typical example sees Gromit slipping on a pair of springy boots to defeat a boss; itâs not the first time weâve seen it, however it perfectly suits the context of the game and has been implemented extremely well.
The heavyweight comparisons to the likes of âMario 64â and âSuper Mario Sunshineâ come about because similar to those titles, âWallace and Gromitâ features an excellent control system that makes playing the game extremely fun. Gromit has a wide range of moves available to him, including the usual jumps and attacks; however like Mario, Wallace can perform exquisite flip jumps with a quick forward-back motion, sneak along in an amusing crouched animation and have his own take on Marioâs âbottom-bounceâ. Playing the game is so enjoyable because the controls donât let you down and Gromitâs movements are so fluid, youâre never fighting with them to do what you want to do and the flowing nature of them really makes the overall experience so much more enjoyable then the numerous other platformers weâve seen this year.
If there were one complaint then it would have to be in regards to the camera. The camera does an adequate job of keeping up with the action and maintaining a clear view, however we found ourselves fighting with the manual camera controls on a number of occasions. Thankfully it doesnât impede the experience in any significant way and rarely caused any involuntary deaths or falls from great heights.
Visually âWallace and Gromitâ is a masterpiece, recreating the hand-made plasticine look perfectly. Itâs testimony to the animators at Frontier Developments that we still find ourselves admiring the visuals, even after playing the game for a considerable time. The look is certainly distinguished and unique amongst the current crop of videogames and is a welcome appearance with the current obsession on all things cell-shaded.
The game is certainly one of the few to merge technical accomplishment with artistic style flawlessly; everything from the high-polygon models to give smooth looking characters to the dynamic and specular lighting results in the best adaptation we could have possibly hoped for. Thanks to the co-operation of Aardman Animations the games animation is equally as amazing if not more so; the game is full of animations that will make you chuckle - try shooting Wallace with the Banana Gun and see what happens.
The game features five large levels, which are split up into 24 different sub-levels and a range of mini-arcade games. It may not be the biggest platform game youâll ever play, however as the saying goes âgood things come in small packagesâ. In a note to old-school platformers, various bonus-stages can be found in hidden areas; these take a similar approach to the devious ones featured in âSuper Mario Sunshineâ pitting you with the task of getting from start-to-end across a path of platforms that drop and move to make poor old Gromitâs task that little bit harder.
As a final slice of cheese that tops the cracker, Wallace and Gromit fans will enjoy the fact that a large selection of goodies and movies can be unlocked as you progress through the game.
