Family Guy

Family Guy made television history when, due to impressive DVD sales, it was resurrected after being cancelled by the undertakers at Fox. But now, it feels as if the creators want to send Family Guy back to the grave by lending out the license to whoever wants it. Need proof? Look no further than The Family Guy Video Game.

The game begins much like an episode of the infamous TV show, with a multi-threaded story. The loosely connected plotlines lead into a variety of stages and mini-games that make up each level.

On This Week's Episode
PROTIP: Use Peter's spin attack with R1 and X when you're overwhelmed by enemies

PROTIP: Use Peter's spin attack with R1 and X when you're overwhelmed by enemies

Peter, for instance, smashes his way to Mr. Belvedere (don't ask) in a scrolling beat'em up, Stewie uses his ray gun in a Galaga/Space Invaders type blaster, and Brian does his best Solid Snake impression by sneaking through the Channel 4 news room to collect evidence against Tom Tucker.

It sounds like it'd be the same sort of goofy fun that makes the show so memorable but it's actually rather boring, as each level has similar objectives and themes. Peter uses the same handful of melee moves, Stewie does little more than grab power-ups and kill ubiquitous clones, and Brian collects enough tapes to open up a video store.

Don't Tune In Next Week

So, to conclude, we're going to give the game a compliment sandwich. We'll start with something good, comment on what needs improvement, then end on something good. First, the game's visual style perfectly mimics that of the television show. But, in trying to recreate the magic of the series, the game dies on the toilet with recycled gags, rehashed plot premises and repetitive gameplay; this is despite solid scripting and voice work from Seth MacFarlane and company. The interactive non-sequitur mini-games however, are a novel approach with some hilarious one-liners.

In the end, we can't really recommend this game to anyone expect the hardcore fans. Everyone else should save their money for the DVD set instead

PROTIP: During the hospital stage, jump on the hospital beds to keep orderlies at bay.

PROTIP: During the hospital stage, jump on the hospital beds to keep orderlies at bay.

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