Over the Hedge

Cute and somewhat unique characters, light humor, big screen drama – must be a game based on a motion picture.

You got it. The movie is Dreamworks Over the Hedge and Activision has a game based on the movie that takes the characters, draws from the plotline, changes it up a little bit and then creates a platform style game that targets younger players.

The game can be played either in the single-person mode or cooperatively.

What the dev team (Activision is the publisher) has crafted is a game that is briskly paced, carries some solid and zany tongue-in-cheek dialogue, and sparkles in the graphics department. The camera may be fixed, but the action is all over the place, creating moments where you must concentrate on the character controlled, or the mayhem can be a bit overwhelming.

The story of the game centers on woodland creatures who wake up from hibernation to find their home encroached by suburbia. While that could be considered a downside, the upside is that there are new food choices available. However, there is one woman who wants to see the animals gone and she has called in Dwayne, the exterminator, to see that they are. Dwayne is part exterminator, part Dr. Frankenstein in that he can put mind-control hats on some of the critters to get them to attack their fellows.

The cast of characters includes RJ the Raccoon, Hammy the Squirrel (the over-caffeinated rodent), Verne the Turtle, Stella the Skunk, the human Gladys, Dwayne, and Vincent (a grumpy bear who starts off as a nemesis). Each of the playable characters has unique abilities that can be used to work through the levels.

The game has the stock array of user-interface components (health bars and the ability to jump or switch between characters) and you can even stack characters on top of each other, depending on the situation.

There is a clearing that acts as home, or a staging base, for the characters and there you can choose scenarios or minigames that have been unlocked. The minigames have different tracks/courses that can be unlocked and the range of games include bumper cars, RC racing rally and range driver. The game does feature a co-op mode as well. These are all for two players on the same machine. There are more than 30 levels and four playable characters.

The game is very colorful and bright, with lush environments and great three-dimensional effects. The one drawback is that there can be a lot of action taking place and if the eye wanders, you may lose track of the character you are controlling.

Each mission has primary goals plus secondary goals. For example, you may hit a zone known as Night Streets. The primary goals are defeat the rat king, meet Penny by the fire hydrant and meet Ozzie and get to the next street; the secondary goals are to find Penny’s three missing kids and don’t trigger a spotlight.

The humor may be on a level commiserate with the targeted age group, but the sound is sharp and clear, and the graphics are very lush and bright. The control scheme is tight as well.

Over the Hedge is for younger players and perhaps for families wishing to indulge in a little cooperative gameplay. It has some arcade functionality, but is generally a light game that looks good, is easy to play and has solid entertainment value.

Gameplay: 7.5
The controls are tight, and the load times are not too long.

Graphics: 8.5
Lush and well done, though the rapid play style and fixed camera can create a little confusion at times. Still, the effects sparkle and the characters will occasionally nod knowingly at the camera to include players in the game – that is a nice touch. 

Sound: 7.6
The sound is very much in line with the movie. And though some of the lines feel forced in a comical direction, they are well delivered.

Difficulty: Easy
Though there are a variety of difficulty settings, the game is fairly straightforward – even in the puzzles – and players should not have to tax their brains overly much.

Concept: 7.0
The game does a nice job of blending the film with an arcade-like game experience, long on action. Nothing overly new, but still a solid experience.

Multiplayer: 7.5
Minigames and co-op mode make for some solid family fun.

Overall: 7.75
The graphics are bright, colorful and compelling – as is the gameplay. Players will be drawn through the game by the brisk pacing and the fun that seems to be firmly ensconced in the style and feel of the game. This game delivers on light fun and should appeal to younger gamers.