Reviewed: December 9, 2006
Reviewed by: Mark Smith
Publisher
2K Games
Developer
High Voltage Software
Released: October 17, 2006
Genre: Action
Players: 1
ESRB: Mature
3
6
6
2
3.3
Supported Features
Screenshots (Click Image for Gallery)
I've been a fan of Family Guy from the very beginning. I was even part of the letter-writing campaign to bring the show back after its premature demise. I love everything about the show from egomaniacle Stewie, sophisticated Brian (the family dog) to the twisted family dynamics, crazy neighbors, and brilliant non-sequiturs.
I was understandably excited when I learned that a game was in the works, even if most attempts at a Simpsons game had failed in the past. Family Guy offered so much potential and High Voltage (Leisure Suit Larry) seemed to be the obvious choice to head the project.
Regrettably, it only took a few minutes of actually playing the final game to have all my hopes and dreams shattered. Family Guy ends up being a mindless exercise in juvenile and annoying gameplay targeted towards a demographic that the ESRB deems too young to play it.
I originally played the Xbox version of Family Guy and only made it to the third level before giving up and assigning the game to another writer. When the PSP version showed up a week later I figured I would take another shot at it. Now it was time to pay for my sins.
Family Guy allows you to play as Stewie, Brian, or Peter in numerous levels and a few mini-games that desperately try to mimic the flashback style of the television show.
The game is sound in theory and with full support from the show's writers and voice actors the potential would normally be off the charts, the when it comes down to actual gameplay, everything take a spiraling plunge into the toilet dooming this game to bargain bins where it will be scorned by gamers and fans of the show.
The first thing I noticed is that the game recycles a lot of moments from the show, like Brian getting chased around the house by Lois and the vacuum cleaner, complete with 100% accurate dialogue from that episode.
Even original moments and story ideas seemed to be hacked up and reassembled elements from the three exisiting seasons of the show. Take the entire premise of the game for example:
Family Guy is basically three games in one depending on who you are playing as, but even that is dictated by the story.
As Stewie, you are on your continued quest for world domination only to find yourself thwarted at every turn by your even-more villainous half-brother, Bertram. Stewie's levels play out as typical console platform and shooter level with plenty of firepower and random item pick-ups.
Peter is suffering from a head injury from the opening level and is now hallucinating that his family has been kidnapped by an 80's sitcom TV star. Peter's levels are also very platform in nature and generally involve the consumption of large quantities of food.
And finally we come to Brian, once again accused of defiling Lois' father's prized racing dog. His missions are extremely difficult, usually involving lengthy stealth levels with no checkpoints and hours of frustrating replays.
The first such mission occurs very early in the game (third level). This is where I stopped playing the game on the Xbox, and it was no better on the PSP. It was with grim determination and at least two hours of painfully repetitious gameplay that I finally managed to sneak out of police HQ. Regrettably, nothing happens past this major stumbling block that was remotely worth the effort required to get there.
Stewie's levels revolve around shooting people or using your mind-control device to make adults do your bidding...solving puzzles. You'll collect components and coupons, which you can use to upgrade your homemade ray gun. Peter has a health meter that drops as he takes damage and a snack meter that fills as he eats food dropped by his enemies. Fill the meter to unleash several snack attacks.
Brian's levels play out like some sick and twisted version of Splinter Cell. You need to hide in shadows and stay out of the enemy's line-of-sight to sneak through impossible levels. Keep an eye on that impulse meter or Brian might revert to some primal canine behavior at just the wrong time.
Of the three, Stewie is probably the least objectionable character to play. His ray gun is cool and his zip line grapple and balloon-float double jump hearkens to the roots of platform gaming, but it all seems just a bit too simple and juvenile, especially for an M-rated game.
Even the non-sequitur mini-games seem too easy and forced into the story and gameplay. What few moments of comic relief to be found are surrounded by hours of incompetent game design and annoying gameplay.
And what’s up with the Mature rating? The show is rated TV14 and I couldn’t see anything in the game that pushes the content into the equivalent of an R-rated movie. If anything, the game should have been rated I for Immature because anyone old enough to buy it will hopefully be smart enough not to.
You'd thing for a rather simple and generic animated style used for Family Guy it wouldn't be too hard to capture that in a video game. The PSP does a far better job of presenting crisp and colorful animation than the console version, like because it's all being compressed onto a small screen.
I can't complain about any of the graphic. Characters are flawlessly drawn and animated to match their TV counterparts. It really looks like you are playing an actual episode of the show.
The HUD for each character is subtly different but they all fit into the Family Guy theme, as do the menus and load screens. There are countless sight gags in almost every scene if you look hard enough.
Much like the graphics you really can't go wrong when you have the same talented team to work with from the show. All of the major actors as well as supporting cast (like Adam West) lend their talents to this project.
The Family Guy theme is there along with a convincing score that fits wit the combat and stealth nature of the gameplay.
For me, this game has absolutely no value whatsoever, whether you play it on the PSP or console. It will only take you about 30-45 minutes to get to the first Brian mission and after about 20-30 failed attempts of trying to sneak through the police station you will snap your disc in half.
I can’t even recommend as a rental. There is no multiplayer – not that I know how they would have implemented it – and most of the story, jokes, and overall content seems to be recycled ideas from the show. There is nothing original or even remotely fun about this game.
Family Guy tries to be three games in one and fails miserably at all of them. If it weren’t for Stewie’s moderately fun platform levels I hardly doubt this game would have scored anything for gameplay. At least they put a Stewie level first so they could hook you longer than you would have otherwise played this game. The only positive thing I can say about the game is that the designers at least nailed the look and feel of the show, but how hard was that when you have all the artists, and actors?
If you are a Family Guy fan then avoid this title like a bad episode of American Dad (which is most of them). What little humor and even less enjoyment you might glean from this title can easily be replicated with a rubber band and a paperclip.