The Adventures of Tintin: The Game was developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It was released on December 6th, 2011 and retails for $39.99 MSP.
The Adventures of Tintin: The Game follows the exploits of Tintin the journalist, from the popular film and comic series, The Adventures of Tintin. Throughout this adventure, you’ll find yourself doing everything from piloting planes, sneaking through ships at sea, to sword fighting with pirates from the past. The Adventures of TinTin aims high for a game based on a movie and attempts to live up to all the big-screen glory of its Peter Jackson directed counterpart. While the final representation may lack innovation, it promises to bring a plethora of smiles and laughs to your living room.
The first of the game’s campaigns is essentially a straight-forward re-tread of the events of the 2011 film. The second campaign can be played solo or with any partner that your heart desires. It takes place after the events of the movie and follows Captain Haddock’s dreams after he is knocked out. It is similar to the first campaign, but unique in the fact that a friend can come along for the ride. Haddock’s dream campaign has over twenty levels and each one is of relatively decent length. There are also mini-games that can played with or without Kinect that end up being hit or miss.
Here’s what we liked:
Competent Platforming - Unlike some platformers where it can be hard to tell where your jump will land or the controls are floaty and loose, The Adventures of Tintin always keeps a level head. The controls are very tight and no death can be blamed on the game itself. That said, many players may find that the game lacks challenge. The occasional combat related puzzles are the only thing that really requires players to stop and think.
Humor - This game is based on a kid’s movie and with it, brings some slapstick humor that even mature audiences will enjoy. Whether it is hiding in a barrel and hitting baddies with the lid while they walk by or watching them slip on banana peels it manages to bring a smile to the faces of young and old alike. There is quite a bit of comedy to be found in the game’s cutscenes as well, which is amplified by the high-quality voice overs that the game packs.
Vehicular and Pirate Sequences – In the first campaign there are segments that break up all the jumping and climbing. Sometimes they involve donning the hat of a pilot and flying a plane, driving a side car through a dessert, or even reliving the past as Sir Francis Haddock the pirate and swashbuckling your way through sword fights. No matter what the game throws at you, these segments are always fun and provide a much needed break from platforming. Players will find that no matter what the scenario, the game’s controls are always responsive, which certainly helps the flow of things.
Here’s what we didn’t like:
Mini-Games with Kinect – TinTin’s mini-games are centered around the vehicular and pirate style sequences of the first campaign. They are essentially the same gameplay samples, with varying challenges and difficulty levels. The pirate mini-game is a ton of fun with Kinect and my motions were never misread. The flying mini-game on the other hand; Well let’s just saying playing it successfully with Kinect basically wasn’t feasible. The sidecar missions are much better than the flying ones but occasionally Kinect misinterprets one slight movement which comes at the detriment of the player. That said, all the mini-games can be played with a controller, which may help avoid potential frustration.
Length- Ultimately the game is short, especially if you can’t find a co-op partner for the second campaign. The first campaign weighs in at about 4 hours and the second campaign isn’t much longer. With, or without a co-op partner, everything the game has to offer can be seen in about eight hours.
Dud segments- There are several segments of the game that fall flat on their face. For one, the stealth segments of the game are a complete joke. Your enemies are all apparently dumb or deaf as they don’t seem to notice when one of their buddies gets taken down and screams. Or you can just abandon the sneaking entirely and beat everything with your fists, which negates the entire point. Additionally, there are some “swing and grab” segments that are fun the first time around, but appear way too frequently and get boring as time goes on.
Co-op complaints – First of all, co-op is only playable through local means, on the same screen. No online option exists. This is great if you want to play The Adventures of TinTin as a parent and child, but not if you’re two buddies in separate parts of the country.
In the end The Adventures of Tintin: The Game is worth the money. The game is blast to play through alone or with a friend and a smile will always find its way onto the player’s face. Sometimes its because the game is fun, and other times its because of the laughs to be had. While the game certainly has its shortcomings, the amount of fun to be had outweighs them. For those looking for a game in the midst of all the drab first-person shooters, fitness and dancing games out there, The Adventures of Tin-Tin: The Game is an excellent choice for a change of pace.
Score: Buy it!
