Up for Xbox 360 Reviews by Gamers

The beauty of Pixar's projects are their all-encompassing appeal. Instead of pandering to a younger audience through crude humor the studio has found a way to introduce mature themes and characters that can be enjoyed by children as well as their parents. Up the game is a pale shadow of the film as far as story and presentation are concerned but in terms of pure accessibility it's a success.



The game stars the same main characters from the film allowing you to take control of Russell (the young and impressionable scout), Carl (the crotchety old man), and Dug the dog. First off I want to warn that the first level is not indicative of the rest of the game and is set in a scene from late in the movie. While the segment avoids spoiling the ending it is a strange design choice and unwelcome glimpse at where the film goes if you haven't seen it yet.



After this awkward intro the game transitions into the meat and potatoes of the experience which consists of Russell and Carl tramping through the wilderness collecting merit badges and overcoming simple obstacles. Both characters have unique abilities that allow them to help the other navigate the environment. For example Carl can push over large rocks with his walker and Russell can help his elderly friend up inclines by extending a rope. The story is dished up through grainy film scenes and loosely ties together the levels by delivering a bare bones version of the movie's plot. This part of the presentation is an afterthought and it shows.



When a single player is in control they can easily swap between the two characters to solve the environmental puzzles. The computer takes control of the other character in situations that require teamwork, which always worked for me, albeit not as smoothly as having two people in control. As a nice touch for the younger audience, there are simple audio cues that point players towards the solution to each puzzle without force feeding them the answer. Most importantly, a second player can jump in or exit the game at any time which is nice if you don't have time to sit in for a full play session with someone else.



Collecting items and bounding through the woods are enjoyable, but there are some mild frustrations along the way. The first of these are dog attacks which require players to continuously press a button at the right time to block incoming canines. It requires a quick thumb or repetitive button mashing and occurs far too often. Also The dog fights towards the end of the game can be difficult for any skill level and will take a few tries to complete. These hiccups get in the way of an otherwise simple and straightforward game.



Like a helium balloon, Up is a short lived diversion only offering a few hours of fun in the main quest. However, collecting all of the merit badges and hidden items add some value to playing certain levels more than once. There are also three very simple multiplayer activities that allow up to four people to participate in variations on airplane dog fights. While piloting aircraft players have to either shoot darts at each other, balloons, or opposing dirigibles to win the game. These simple activities add a bit more variety to the experience but will quickly become repetitive for the older crowd.



The art in Up the game isn't as clean as the movie and sadly there's no 3D option since games have yet to widely implement this feature. However, it is enjoyably colorful and detailed and maintains a very low level of violence. Carl squishes a bug now and again, but most of the obstacles are environmental like logs and waterslides. Even when Carl faces a pack of vicious dogs, he guards the attack with his walker and then ties a balloon to the animal's back, letting it drift away with the breeze. This easy-going approach extends to the difficulty. While there is a health bar, it rarely depletes and when it does you simply start anew in the same general area. And if your character falls off a cliff they float back down to earth immediately, the only punishment being embarrassment over a mistake.



Perhaps the most humorous part of the experience are the audio clips that are pulled directly from the film. The characters maintain a running dialogue that only gets better as characters like Dug the dog join the crew. The soundtrack is light and airy, which is as much as you can ask for.

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