Movie based games have never been that amazing to begin with and THQ’s new title Up is no exception. This is a family game first and foremost but the cooperation element of Up is what sets itself apart from other “movie” titles and the additional multiplayer is better than normal. A few drawbacks of Up are the action and puzzle solving, the tempo has been set so a monkey could succeed and the unlimited lives help in making this game less challenging. The game tends to be a bit more intuitive than its movie based predecessors but the ease of the title is what keeps it from being top-notch.
I have to admit, I found myself smiling and chuckling on more than one occasion. Carl Fredricksen is a crotchety old fart that shuffles around with his walking cane and he can get pretty wild with that cane. Then there is the young chubby boy-scout Russell who is on a mission for merit badges. These two can be funny at times, although the humor wears off around the third stage. One thing in particular that was funny to me was the floating house tied off to our protagonists with a rope and water hose.
Up is a true family game that everyone can enjoy at the same time. The story campaign has a drop-in drop-out co-op feature which has appealing elements that should keep the family interested. These are the best and most intuitive features in the game. One person can play Carl and the other plays Russell (switch on the fly if just a single person is playing), they each have a couple of unique maneuvers that the other one lacks. For instance, Carl uses his cane to pry on objects to help with progression. Russell, on the other hand, has rope that is used to pull Mr. Fredricksen to places that is out of his reach or across “deadly” terrain. There are other instances as well and you will be required to use them constantly because teamwork is essential for success.
The nonexistence of lives may have been implemented for family cohesion; however, the lack of dying makes the game too easy and boring. Some people may find this to be a positive notion when letting children and others play together without truly upsetting one another. Personally, I would have preferred the game to be even slightly more challenging.
Besides the cooperative story mode, there is also a competitive multiplayer element that is local play only (not online). There are three aerial battle modes to play and up to four players can attend. The first is a balloon collection game, whoever catches the most balloons wins. The second is dog-fighting and there are power-ups littered throughout the areas to give the contenders some extra artillery. And the best for last is a team battle where each team attempts to take out the other team’s zeppelin and each other.
So, aside from feeling like I could beat the game while sleeping, Up could be a lot worse than what it is. With a strong sense of teamwork and a family-like atmosphere Up is a title that is easily suggestible to any parent. Although, if you tend to enjoy the hardcore element of games and the challenge they provide, this label is not for you. Up gets a 7 out of 10.
