Arthur and the Minimoys (PS2/Xbox/PC) Preview

[RainOfTerror]

Arthur and the Minimoys allows players to relive the fantastic adventures of young Arthur and his two pals, Selenia and Bétamèche, in their mission to save the Minimoys’ world from destruction. The game will incorporate filmmaker Luc Besson’s entire Minimoy universe and its tiny inhabitants with the richness and extraordinary visuals of the film. Here is a snip :

There's already been a comment about graphics, but it really bears repeating: this is a beautiful game, full of awesome depictions of giant insects. Just in the demo we saw a ladybug the size of a house that would carry you around a town-like level, a dragon-like earthworm that made the ground rumble as it passed, and a boss fight against some sort of vicious beetle. Environments varied wildly, from Minimoy villages to underground tunnels in topsoil, to open areas that took place in enormous forests of grass blades. Check the complete Arthur and the Minimoys preview (http://www.worthplaying.com/article.php?sid=34018) over at WorthPlaying.

It may just be me, but this game makes me think of Psychonauts.

[Kefkataran]

It's got a Psychonauts-esque look, but it's got a LOT to live up to if it wants to really earn that comparison...

[Suicidal ShiZuru]

Looks awesome. We need more fantasy based games. And by fantasy I dont mean elves and dragons...

[holysin]

Arthur and the Minimoys is a series of four novels written by controversial French filmmaker Luc Besson. In France they're wildly popular, acting as a sort of environmentally-friendly Harry Potter for little French children. Besson has been directing and producing the animated film adaptation himself through his EuropaCorp production company. With an $85 million budget and a release planned for 40 countries, including the United States, it's by far the most ambitious European animated feature ever produced. The North American release is being handled by the Weinstein Company, and the voice acting cast stuffed full of top-name talent like David Bowie, Madonna, and Mia Farrow. Right now the film is on track for a release in January 2007, complete with an Arthur and the Minimoys marketing blitz that would include both the release of the original novels and this video game.

hmmm

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0344854/

Plot Outline: Ten-year-old Arthur, in a bid to save his grandfather's house from being demolished, goes looking for some much-fabled hidden treasure in the land of the Minimoys, a tiny people living in harmony with nature.


Yeah... I guess I'll be skipping that... No chance in hell this is going to be good. Well, maybe as "good" as the Harry Potter games.

[Sl1pstream]

hmmm

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0344854/

Plot Outline: Ten-year-old Arthur, in a bid to save his grandfather's house from being demolished, goes looking for some much-fabled hidden treasure in the land of the Minimoys, a tiny people living in harmony with nature.


Yeah... I guess I'll be skipping that... No chance in hell this is going to be good. Well, maybe as "good" as the Harry Potter games.

Why can't this be good? It's a game for kids but there's a lot they can do with it. It won't have gore though, if that's what you mean.

[Suicidal ShiZuru]

Storyline isnt really anything majorly bad. I dont see the links with Harry Potter though, which does suck[as in hp sucks not that the game lacks similarities]...

[holysin]

Why can't this be good? It's a game for kids but there's a lot they can do with it. It won't have gore though, if that's what you mean.

Well.. A game based on a movie based on a novel... Should I go on?
If the game was being made by EA would it make any difference?

I´ll keep quoting from the preview


While the target audience for the game is meant to be 8-12 year olds, the demo showed off some surprisingly fiendish puzzles.

The game, however, is a pretty straight-up 3D platformer with rendered graphics. It's based primarily on the film, but draws somewhat from the novels to help flesh itself out.

Seriously, does anyone expect anything than, at best, something that you can play with a young relative?

[Venkman]

The game looks downright gorgeous.

[Sl1pstream]

Well.. A game based on a movie based on a novel... Should I go on?

Spider-man 2
A game based on a movie based on comics.

Naruto
A fighting game based on a tv show based on a manga

etc etc

There are good licensed games so it's not impossible that this could turn out to be a good game.