| Game Reviews From a Parental Perspective! | |
|
|
| Home | Forums | Review Archive | Columns | Feature Articles |
|
Home >
Review Archive >
Video Games
> Results: Stuntman: Ignition
Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us | Buy This Game Scroll down for our Kid Factor.
The ESRB says:
Mild Language: While GamerDad found no bad language in the gameplay itself, the introductory talks with directors had terms like "damn" Drug Reference: One of the movies you work on is about taking down a drug lord, and there's some reference made by the stoner directors of another movie Suggestive Themes: You'll hear some innuendo from at least one of the directors, and there are some "sexy girls" shown in a couple of the animated trailers you unlock Violence: While all you're doing is stunt driving, there are other stunts going on in the background, such as cars being blown up and actors being shot at, and the movie trailers are full of people fighting each other with fists and guns The idea of a game where you perform various movie car stunts is certainly a good one. When the concept was visited in the first Stuntman title, it produced an interesting game that was spoiled by high frustration due to a minuscule margin for error that only satisfied a very small number of hardcore players. Stuntman: Ignition largely overcomes this flaw and the result is a highly entertaining game for anyone who doesn't mind a little trial-and-error repetition. Gameplay is straightforward - choose a movie, pick a scene, watch the stunt overview with the stunt coordinator, and then perform the stunts for that scene. You'll be behind the wheel (or handlebars) of a variety of different vehicles, and asked to do stunts typical of any plot-light/action-heavy summer blockbuster movie, such as bursting through burning buildings, jumping over obstacles, or sliding your bike under a tanker truck. Each scene lasts several minutes, and the director will be barking out additional instructions ("smash through the crates!", "drive through the gap!") as you go. If you miss too many of these cues (and you will, at least on your first runs), or you do something silly like drive out of shot, the take will be over and you'll have to start again. When you do complete a scene, you get to watch the replay, filled with exciting camera angles just like a real movie. ![]() There are six movies to work on during the game, each one becoming available as your score and reputation increases. They are all recognizable parodies, from James Bond to The Dukes of Hazzard. In addition to the movies themselves, you can also work on live stunt shows and commercials, to earn extra points or brush up on your skills, though the included tutorial levels should do that for you. Presentation is excellent, with each movie set having a well-defined look . The fake trailers you unlock after completing each scene of a movie are quite amusing, as they really nail the parodied genre, whether it be the 70s revenge flick or the volcanic disaster movie. Game graphics look good, the movie soundtracks work well, and the sound effects are serviceable, if you can even hear them over the shouts of the director. My only real reservation with the game is that once you've successfully shot each scene (and there's only 36 of them, not including the commercials and stunt shows), there's little to keep you playing other than besting your score and achieving every award nomination. The multiplayer modes and the ability to build your own stunts are diversions, but not nearly as enjoyable as the movie shoots. It's this fact that stops me from calling it a must-buy, but Stuntman: Ignition is sure to provide some enjoyment for anyone who likes the type of movies it portrays. Other Versions: The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions are practically identical. The PS2 version is graphically inferior and lacks any online modes at all, but is still a solid choice if you do not have one of the newer consoles.
This is an example of a game that would have been suitable for most anyone if it weren't for the presentation, in particular the movie trailers which are shown when you finish each movie shoot. Nothing explicit is ever displayed - these are equivalent to real movie trailers that you see on TV - but the movies you are working on would be PG-13 or R if they were real, with plenty of violence and an injection of sex appeal. The "James Bond" trailer has a view of a woman taking off her dress, leaving her topless but seen from behind, and the camera pans across the body of the skimpily-dressed "Daisy Duke" woman in another trailer. Other trailers show people getting shot or fighting. Some of the dialog used in the director introductions also assumes a certain age level, with jokes about partying for example. I would suggest that if your children watch primetime TV unsupervised then you have no worries with this one, but I feel our 14+ rating is the most appropriate.
Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us | Buy This Game Browse Amazon.com's selection of "stunts" themed games Home > Review Archive > Video Games > Results: Stuntman: Ignition |
Read the GamerDad 2007 Holiday Guide!
|
Please Note: GamerDad is not intended to be read by anyone under 18. We stay clean, but be warned! Content Management System developed by Redbird Solutions. |