Developer: Wild Sphere
Publisher: Outright Games LTD.
Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
Tested on: Xbox One
Gigantosaurus: The Game – Review
Gigantosaurus: The Game is like the title clearly states, a game based upon Gigantosaurus, which is a series made for Disney Junior, which in turn is based upon a book by Johnny Duddle. Generally, the series has somewhat of an educational nature that zooms in on the dino era. At first sight, the style it’s based upon seems perfect for a game adaptation.
Story
Gigantosaurus: The Game has a pretty poor story from which the parts that are being told are also explained poorly. The game tries to hide this by making a rhyme out of everything it shows in cutscenes, but even a story that’s made for children deserves a proper motivation. There are trembles in the world, and the four main characters (Mazu, Tiny, Rocky, and Bill) travel to each area of the world as they follow the Gigantosaurus which seems to be upset over something. At the same time, they try to save eggs that have fallen down by the tremors which in turn progresses the story.
Graphics
The 3D models in this game seem a bit shoddy. They are simple geometric models with textures that make them look way too flat in general. The grass and trees might as well be from an early 2000s game, and as you continue playing, the worlds just feel a bit empty despite all the elements that are put into the environment. The characters themselves look alright, though the in-game animations are a bunch better than the cutscene animations.
Sound
Music in Gigantosaurus is of high-quality. It’s a bit like platformers such as Crash Bandicoot or Super Mario Sunshine. It includes happy orchestrated pieces that add a lot of atmosphere to the environment. Also, the voices seem to be the original voices, though we can’t tell for sure. But even if they just sound like it, that’s a great plus for the young fans of the series. The sound makes up for the graphical quality a bit, because combined it still delivers some atmosphere.
Gameplay
You can play Gigantosaurus: The Game by yourself, or with up to four players. This is immediately a huge advantage for all the bored kids in your family because together it’s a lot more fun and nobody has to feel left outside. Most of Gigantosaurus is made up of platforming. There are some very small puzzles but they mainly consist of picking the right character and using it to flip a switch or climb a vine, as each of the characters has their own special power. When playing solo you simply switch between these characters. Other than that, there are also a few races available to do. It’s a shame there are only a few, as racing can be a rather fun relief from the main gameplay.
In Gigantosaurus you get tasked with one main job: Find eggs across the map and return them to a central location. When solo, this means you will have to run to each egg and back again as you can only carry one at a time, making the game rather tedious. It’s clear that more players are more fun. Also, the essentials of the game stay the same. You start out in one world and have to find four out of ten eggs to advance to the next. Using a map they are found easily as you do some platforming and quickly find your way back. You can also find all ten eggs on each map, as well as tons of other collectibles, but the game doesn’t seem to give you any sort of incentive for it. So it sets up a whole lot of trouble for nothing.
Don’t get it wrong, Gigantosaurus can be a lot of fun to play, especially with family or younger friends. The interactive elements such as slides, catapults, swings, and more, are actually really fun and nicely thought of. Enemies and platforming elements are generally alright as well. However, the lack of variation and some unpolished edges bring the game down a couple of notches. It’s weird how the game seems accessible to all ages, but at the same time, some platforming puzzles can be unforgiving and make you run all the way back to where you fell. The same goes for the racing mini-game, where you can get stuck against some rocks rather easily, and lazy map design where you run against an invisible wall on an open plane on the edges. Most of these things can be forgiven if the running for eggs wouldn’t feel like a day job after a while. Perhaps don’t drive yourself crazy and only play this game with the young ones who really enjoy Gigantosaurus to begin with.
Conclusion
Gigantosaurus has a little story that allows kids (and you) to play with their favorite Disney Junior’s Gigantosaurus character. There’s not that much story for a game that’s based on an entire series though, and while the music is great, the graphics are a bit shabby and the gameplay partially repetitive and slightly unpolished. It’s a game that’s better with more people, so if you can and you want to play it, look for other Gigantosaurus fans and play together.
Gigantosaurus: The Game - Review,
Related Items
1 Comment
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
[…] couple of years have passed since Gigantosaurus first graced consoles, but the kid-friendly dinosaur franchise is back, in kart racer form. While we […]