BOYS LIFE - Games Guru reviews summer movie games
With the summer’s biggest movies come the summer’s film-inspired video games. Are they hot or not? Here are three that you should know about.
By the Games Guru
CARS 2
When I first saw the Cars 2 game at a Disney event a few months ago, I thought, “It’s too familiar. It’s Mario Kart with Pixar characters.”
But when I play Cars 2, I see that it’s so much more. The experience is enjoyable beyond being inspired by Mario Kart.
A lot of this has to do with Pixar humor and attention to detail. While there’s not much story in Cars 2, the idea that you’re a spy agent of C.H.R.O.M.E. (Command Headquarters for Recon Operations and Motorized Espionage) who races all over to save the world is a good one. And you’ll get a few hearty laughs as you move from level to level to complete your spy training.
Every car you choose from is balanced for a different speed and power. More than 20 cars have their own unique personalities. They each look different: even the eyes on the cars move and react. The cars say things that are funny; even more important, they say them at the right time during the race. If you’re hit by another car, Lightning McQueen will say, “Hey, watch the paint job!”
A fairly lengthy (but interesting) tutorial tells you how to leap in the air, drift and use weapons. During this learning experience, you’ll see how nicely the controls are tweaked. All this makes for a smoother race – even when others are showering you with bombs and you’re spinning out.
Cars 2 is made by the same people who developed Toy Story 3, a real gem of a game. While Cars 2 isn’t as complex because it doesn’t have an open world to roam around in, you can still see how much the game makers cared about the characters – and your game play experience as well.
Cars 2 connects to World of Cars online. That means you can play for free for a while. But if you upgrade your cars, you’ll be asked to pay money. It’s nice that Cars 2 connects online. But in this day and age, the game should have its own online play. You should not have to pay more cash to play.
Overall, though, this is a fine racing game, one that you’ll enjoy before and after seeing the Pixar movie.
With the summer’s biggest movies come the summer’s film-inspired video games. Are they hot or not? Here are three that you should know about.
By the Games Guru
CARS 2
When I first saw the Cars 2 game at a Disney event a few months ago, I thought, “It’s too familiar. It’s Mario Kart with Pixar characters.”
But when I play Cars 2, I see that it’s so much more. The experience is enjoyable beyond being inspired by Mario Kart.
A lot of this has to do with Pixar humor and attention to detail. While there’s not much story in Cars 2, the idea that you’re a spy agent of C.H.R.O.M.E. (Command Headquarters for Recon Operations and Motorized Espionage) who races all over to save the world is a good one. And you’ll get a few hearty laughs as you move from level to level to complete your spy training.
Every car you choose from is balanced for a different speed and power. More than 20 cars have their own unique personalities. They each look different: even the eyes on the cars move and react. The cars say things that are funny; even more important, they say them at the right time during the race. If you’re hit by another car, Lightning McQueen will say, “Hey, watch the paint job!”
A fairly lengthy (but interesting) tutorial tells you how to leap in the air, drift and use weapons. During this learning experience, you’ll see how nicely the controls are tweaked. All this makes for a smoother race – even when others are showering you with bombs and you’re spinning out.
Cars 2 is made by the same people who developed Toy Story 3, a real gem of a game. While Cars 2 isn’t as complex because it doesn’t have an open world to roam around in, you can still see how much the game makers cared about the characters – and your game play experience as well.
Cars 2 connects to World of Cars online. That means you can play for free for a while. But if you upgrade your cars, you’ll be asked to pay money. It’s nice that Cars 2 connects online. But in this day and age, the game should have its own online play. You should not have to pay more cash to play.
Overall, though, this is a fine racing game, one that you’ll enjoy before and after seeing the Pixar movie.