The Spiderwick Chronicles Review (X360)

Here we have yet another Voice Over moment, you know the ones “Read the Books? Seen the Movie? Now play the Game”. The franchise in question this time around is The Spiderwick Chronicles, a series detailing the adventures of three young siblings as they open their eyes to the hidden mysteries of the world that surrounds them. Now I have to confess I only know this because I have played the game, as I have in fact neither read the book nor seen the movie, but as this is a review of the game I feel qualified to continue.

Assuming then that a number of you out there are in the same position as me, let me sum up the premise of the game (and therefore books and movie). A single mum, for reasons unexplained, moves her family (comprising twins Simon and Jared and their older sister Mallory) into the creepy old house known as Spiderwick Estate, previously occupied by the eccentric Uncle Arthur. It’s not long, mere seconds according to the game, before young Jared begins to realise all things in the house are not as they seem. Strange bumps and noises behind the wall lead him to discover an old Dumb Waiter which, when climbed, reveals a hidden part of the house. Here he discovers Uncle Arthur’s Study, and not too long after an old journal called the Field Guide.

I see dead… leaves

From the start it’s obvious that this is not going to be a graphical experience that will make you salivate with joy, but in fairness it’s not half bad either. The falling leaves that make up the loading screen look like a screensaver from back in the days of Windows 95, but once you get to the actual game play things improve. The environments, though not particularly large, give the impressions of depth and detail enough to be acceptable. The characters are well rendered and the various mythical creatures are represented true to the Movie, a comparison easy to make as the game is intermixed with scenes from the film.

The controls are simple, easy to work and ideal for a game likely to be played by younger gamers. Attack combinations are all comprised of one button pressed repeatedly, with the timing of the button presses dictating what your character will do. Unfortunately the fact that timing plays a part is never really explained, so you find yourself repeating the same first combination a lot. In reality this isn’t going to hinder completing the game, the first combo you learn is entirely sufficient to get you to the end credits.

Enslaving Fairies

At its heart this is essentially a platform game; a large part of the experience is given over to running round collecting various items whilst dispatching any undesirables who step in your way. Along side collecting the various story line items there are sub quests which can be completed. The added element here is collecting Fairies and Sprites. Power ups and Health boosts are obtained when you catch a Fairy or Sprite, the specific bonus dependant on the species you catch. Swinging you butterfly net at a passing Fairy will trigger a mini game where you are required to paint a portrait of the little darling in your field guide. There really isn’t much to this, simply move the brush cursor back and forward over the page until the full picture is revealed; I found doing this quickly became tedious.

To fully complete the game you are required to run around and collect a certain number of each Fairy/Sprite and therefore complete the field guide. You don’t really get the opportunity to do this when playing through the story and so handily the final chapter in the game is purely about collecting them all. To be honest it’s not that much fun and I’m not sure how many people would bother to see it through.

Not built for sharing

A multiplayer element is unlocked as you progress through the game, though it’s simply made up of a series of mini games based on collecting fairies. This really didn’t seem like a worth while addition, and as an un-lockable it’s disappointing. If they were determined to offer a two player experience I feel they should have incorporated it in the story mode.

It’s in the Walls!!

One aspect of the game worth specific note is the section played as the Brownie called Thimbletack. These sections are surprisingly well done. They are set in the walls of the house and see you scampering up over beams balancing on wooden supports and dodging the electricity from faulty wiring. Although it’s all far too simple and straightforward I still found I enjoyed playing through these sections, and would have preferred more of them in the game.

Overall this is a fairly solid title, nothing awe inspiring yet nothing dismal, and unfortunately for a movie tie-in that is quite an achievement. It’s aimed at younger players, and there is little that any serious gamer would find of interest, but for that younger generation it’s not a bad offering.