Post by The Wicker Man on Nov 11, 2004 23:17:55 GMT -5
I picked up a copy of the Xbox version of Snicket from my local game store tonight. Only it and the Game Boy Advance version were on the shelves...I'm told that the PC, Playstation2 and Gamecube versions haven't arrived yet but should any day now.
First off, I'm pleased to report that all versions of the game come with a free child's admission to see the film, good at too many theaters to list here. I don't know what age range is considered a child (my guess is 12 and under), but it is safe to say that I am not one, nor do I have a child of my own. Therefore, the first person who wants it just needs to post here, and then PM me their mailing address.
OK, that out of the way, the game.
The title screen of the game shows the exterior of a brick building in a city. As soon as you press start, the camera pulls in and we discover that it's Lemony's current hideout. His typewriter is going in the foreground and pictures are hanging on a clothesline in the background. From here, you can change all the normal game options and access bonus material, which I assume is simply movie stills. The music score is a little reminiscent of Harry Potter, but it is not based on Thomas Newman's score, according to the credits. I'm sure it wasn't even composed yet when they made this game. It does not sound Danny Elfman-ish at all, if anyone is wondering.
The game proper begins with a book opening and Tim Curry's voiceover as Lemony, There are several direct quotes from the book, and much of the running jokes are already present, such as "a word here which means..." etc. The entire opening of the book/film, from Briny Beach all the way up until they show up at Olaf's house is covered by the book's turning pages showing pen and ink illustrations that draw themselves, accompanied by Lemony's narration. The art style is not Brett's...it looks more similar to the trading cards and is obviously based off of photos from the film that we've seen. The game then switches to another, short in-game cutscene in which Count Olaf shows the kids to their room and tells them to get rid of the rat infestation. All the movie actors here reprise their roles. Jim Carrey sounds good so far, and Emily does an acceptable job. As people have stated about his acting in the film, Liam sounds a bit stiff.
It is here that you're given a basic tutorial of the game, and are charged with building your first invention, the "Brillian Bopper", to get rid of the rats. And yes, Violet ties her hair up when she starts thinking. You can switch between Violet and Klaus at any time, but switching to Sunny requires certain conditions. The first of these is finding a ventilation duct that she must enter. Sunny's portions of the game are much different than the rest in that the camera is locked to a side view and they are essentially old school game mechanics a la Viewtiful Joe, where you must run, jump and bite your way to an objective, which so far seems to be paving the way for the other two kids to get into a new area.
When you find all the parts for an invention, you are taken to another screen where you assemble the parts by rotating them until you see an "X" and then pressing a button to attach the next part.
Generally speaking, the environments so far are well textured and lit and there's definitely a Burton-esque feeling. However, I feel that the likenesses are off on the characters. Violet's dress is cool, but her model has creepy eyes. Olaf has great animation befitting an evil, overacting ham, but again, the face is a little distorted.
That's as far as I've gotten tonight, and I imagine that is all that you'll really need to get an idea of the game. So far I'm happy with it, and Tim Curry's narration coupled with writing that definitely captures the Snicket spirit adds IMMEASURABLY to its playability.
As an aside, the PC game is NOT a port of this game, so someone else will have to talk about it...I'm not so obsessed that I feel the need to buy them all.
Questions?
First off, I'm pleased to report that all versions of the game come with a free child's admission to see the film, good at too many theaters to list here. I don't know what age range is considered a child (my guess is 12 and under), but it is safe to say that I am not one, nor do I have a child of my own. Therefore, the first person who wants it just needs to post here, and then PM me their mailing address.
OK, that out of the way, the game.
The title screen of the game shows the exterior of a brick building in a city. As soon as you press start, the camera pulls in and we discover that it's Lemony's current hideout. His typewriter is going in the foreground and pictures are hanging on a clothesline in the background. From here, you can change all the normal game options and access bonus material, which I assume is simply movie stills. The music score is a little reminiscent of Harry Potter, but it is not based on Thomas Newman's score, according to the credits. I'm sure it wasn't even composed yet when they made this game. It does not sound Danny Elfman-ish at all, if anyone is wondering.
The game proper begins with a book opening and Tim Curry's voiceover as Lemony, There are several direct quotes from the book, and much of the running jokes are already present, such as "a word here which means..." etc. The entire opening of the book/film, from Briny Beach all the way up until they show up at Olaf's house is covered by the book's turning pages showing pen and ink illustrations that draw themselves, accompanied by Lemony's narration. The art style is not Brett's...it looks more similar to the trading cards and is obviously based off of photos from the film that we've seen. The game then switches to another, short in-game cutscene in which Count Olaf shows the kids to their room and tells them to get rid of the rat infestation. All the movie actors here reprise their roles. Jim Carrey sounds good so far, and Emily does an acceptable job. As people have stated about his acting in the film, Liam sounds a bit stiff.
It is here that you're given a basic tutorial of the game, and are charged with building your first invention, the "Brillian Bopper", to get rid of the rats. And yes, Violet ties her hair up when she starts thinking. You can switch between Violet and Klaus at any time, but switching to Sunny requires certain conditions. The first of these is finding a ventilation duct that she must enter. Sunny's portions of the game are much different than the rest in that the camera is locked to a side view and they are essentially old school game mechanics a la Viewtiful Joe, where you must run, jump and bite your way to an objective, which so far seems to be paving the way for the other two kids to get into a new area.
When you find all the parts for an invention, you are taken to another screen where you assemble the parts by rotating them until you see an "X" and then pressing a button to attach the next part.
Generally speaking, the environments so far are well textured and lit and there's definitely a Burton-esque feeling. However, I feel that the likenesses are off on the characters. Violet's dress is cool, but her model has creepy eyes. Olaf has great animation befitting an evil, overacting ham, but again, the face is a little distorted.
That's as far as I've gotten tonight, and I imagine that is all that you'll really need to get an idea of the game. So far I'm happy with it, and Tim Curry's narration coupled with writing that definitely captures the Snicket spirit adds IMMEASURABLY to its playability.
As an aside, the PC game is NOT a port of this game, so someone else will have to talk about it...I'm not so obsessed that I feel the need to buy them all.
Questions?