Friday 04 Jul 2008

Kung Fu Panda does something extraordinary in my opinion, it re-defines the movie tie-in game genre and issues a stern challenge that we can only hope future movie tie-in games will live up to. And all this before we even meet the very likeable, although somewhat unlikely hero, Kung Fu Panda Po.

Let me say straight up that there are probably some gamers that will not enjoy this title, simply because it is a movie tie-in and it is quite short too. However, if you are looking for a humourous adventure this may be just up your street. It will certainly appeal to kids and any gamers who want to spend a good couple of hours picking up some moves (kapow!) and laughing as you do so.

The story follows a panda named Po as he journeys to master the arts of Kung Fu to become the legendary Dragon Warrior and defeat the evil Tai Lung. The combat system is simple enough but players will be rewarded by perfecting different combos and learning new moves along the way. The left analog stick moves Po in whichever direction you choose while the right one controls the camera angle. Being able to move the camera angle is really helpful in most games, especially when you have to make jumps between different objects, and I can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief when I see it included in a game that has some elements of a platformer.

“Legend tells of a legendary warrior whose Kung Fu skills were the stuff of legend.”

When Po faces some enemies, especially bosses, being able to deploy a shield of sorts is really helpful – you can do so by pressing L2 but be warned that using it depletes your Chi. On this note you collect Chi from defeated enemies which you can use to perform different Panda Kung Fu moves. As the game progresses you will learn different combos and while these are relatively simple in the beginning they will become more challenging to master but do inflict more damage on enemies. The moves use the circle, triangle, square and X buttons in different combinations.

I must confess that whenever I play games like Tekken and Dead or Alive I inevitably resort to so-called ‘button-mashing.’ This is probably because I am not a big fan of fighting games and find the combos overwhelming to remember. When the first combo flashed on the screen I found that it was simple to remember and that I could soon perform multiple combos in a row. Although I did pick up quite a few combos and moves (Panda Quake being my firm favourite), I must admit that good ol’ button mashing also did the trick.

One thing I really enjoyed about this game is the variety of enemies that you will face. Ranging from simple wolves to ninja cats and TNT-throwing crocodiles, you will constantly have to change your attacks to overcome them, and just when you thought you had it all figured out, you will be caught out by a series of quick-time events. Now I know that the phrase quick-time events probably reminds you of repeating attacks again and again in Prince of Persia and God of War, but these quick-time events are manageable, although they may really challenge you once or twice.

“I just ate, so I’m still digesting, so my Kung Fu may not be as good as later on.”

Speaking of difficulty, the games features three difficulty levels and as a result this game will appeal to first-time gamers, youngsters and the usual gaming crowd. Added to this is the option to finish the primary and secondary objectives in each level. While the primary objective may be relatively simple to complete, gamers can embark on the secondary objective to expand upon their Kung Fu journey. Also keep a look out for golden coins along the way which you can use to purchase upgrades and costumes. Collecting some of the golden coins is challenging and the green Rare Coins which unlock concept art, multiplayer games and even montage videoos will also keep you occupied.

You know those games where you stumble around, wondering where to go to next (Tomb Raider is one game guilty of this)…well, this is not one of those games. Each level has a clear objective and the levels are really not big enough to get lost in. In addition you can simply follow the golden coins to lead you in the right direction, which is particularly helpful if you are retracing your steps through a level. While some gamers might find this boring I found it refreshing to always know what I was supposed to be doing and where I was supposed to be going…it leaves more time for gaming in my opinion.

As touched upon earlier, the upgrades menu allows you to use the golden coins you have collected to upgrade Po’s abilities or purchase new outfits for Po. While I am sure a few gamers will breathe a sigh here, let me point out that Metal Gear Solid’s Snake has different outfits as does Ryu Hayabusa in Ninja Gaiden II. Case closed and buying a panda a costume is just plain cool. You might want to pay more attention to collecting those coins too since upgrading Po’s abilities does make his Kung Fu moves more powerful.

“You picking on my friends? Get ready to feel the thunder. Come out with the crazy feet. What you goin’ to do about the crazy feet.”

Add to this the fact that you also get to play as other characters including Master Shifu and the Furious Five and you are assured to be kept entertained learning new moves for different characters. Actually you are sure to be kept entertained throughout this game with non-stop humour and general fun and merriment with the big fat panda kicking ass. You can also look forward to tinkering with various multiplayer games and co-operative modes such as brawling, team survival and mini-games.

All in all Kung Fu Panda breathes new life into the movie tie-in genre, is visually stunning, fantastically engaging and quite honestly a bodacious time to spend a couple of hours.

Pros: Humour; music; great fun; good voice-overs; artwork.

Cons: Too short.

Rating:
Contributor:	Lisa

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