G-Force (video game)

''G-Force'' is an action platform video game based on the film of the same name. It was released in July 2009 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360, iOS and mobile phones.

Plot

The plot is based on the movie, in which a group of highly trained guinea pigs (Darwin, Blaster, and Juarez) fight against Leonard Saber, an evil billionaire and his robotic "household appliances" army.

The game plot differs from the movie in several key ways. In the film, Speckles is missing after the others escape the pet store until the final scenes of the movie. In the video game, Speckles reappears a short time later claiming that he escaped the trash compactor. The game also interjects several new locations including the appliance production centre and some sewers not seen in the movie, and Saber's partner "Yanshu" talks to Darwin several times throughout the third and fourth acts. Also, when Saber finds out that he had been manipulated into activating Clusterstorm, the G-Force team save him after he is falsely arrested by the FBI, whereas in the movie, he is falsely captured by the FBI before he is given the assignment to recall his consumer products to atone for his mistakes. In addition, the game also ends differently, Darwin finds Speckles in a giant satellite dish rather than at an appliance store, and the latter does not have a change of heart and does not stop his evil plan. Instead, he continues and Mooch must destroy the machine, presumably killing Speckles. However, in the final moments of the game, Speckles' hand emerges from the wreckage, implying he survived and is still planning revenge. Additionally, Ben orders G-Force to vacate the area when the FBI closes in, instead of them being promoted by the FBI.

Gameplay

''G-Force'' is an action-adventure game played from a third person perspective. The player plays through multiple linear levels in a variety of environments in order to progress. In combat, the player controls Darwin and must use his arsenal to defeat his enemies. Some of the weapons in Darwin's arsenal include his electric whip, a plasma gun, and a freeze gun.

Outside of combat, the player must complete platforming challenges using Darwin's jetpack which allows him to hover in the air. They must also solve puzzles, some of which require the player to control Mooch, a gnat who can fly and enter places Darwin can't. Mooch can disable enemies and traps, which allows Darwin to progress. In certain sections, the player controls a modified hamster ball and must travel through sewers, shooting enemies and avoiding obstacles.

Throughout the game, the player can collect SaberSense Chips, an in-game currency that allows the player to purchase upgrades for their weapons.

The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions featured an anaglyph-based stereoscopic 3-D mode, and were packaged with two sets of 3-D glasses.

Reception

The game received "mixed or average reviews" on all platforms except the iOS version, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.

GameSpot said of the PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360 versions: "Fun combat and crafty puzzles make this a good companion to the blockbuster movie". Greg Miller of IGN said "''G-Force'' isn't a game everyone should be lining up to play, but people looking to have an interactive piece of the movie shouldn't be disappointed". IT Reviews wrote: "The flaws are easy to spot; ''G-Force'' is decent, solid, chipper family entertainment". Game Revolution was more negative, giving it a "C" grade and criticized the "repetitive puzzle design ndbland visuals".

The 3D mode received mixed reviews. ''GamesMaster'' said of the Xbox 360 version: "Don't underestimate the wow factor of the 3D mode - if this is the future of games, sign us up". IT Reviews, on the other hand, said of the same console version: "The 3D glasses bundled in are a gimmick at best, a one-way trip to a headache at worst".

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:G-Force (Video Game)
2009 video games
3D platformers
Action games
Disney Interactive Studios games
Eurocom games
IOS games
Keen Games games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Nintendo DS games
PlayStation 2 games
PlayStation 3 games
PlayStation Network games
PlayStation Portable games
Video games based on films
Video games developed in the United Kingdom
Video games scored by Steve Duckworth
Video games with stereoscopic 3D graphics
Wii games
Windows games
Xbox 360 games