| Author | Review |
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phatal1ty
Posted on 02 December 11 at 21:49, Edited on 19 June 12 at 00:05
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This review has 34 positive votes and 7 negative votes. Please log in to vote. |
Disneyland Adventures
Gameplay / Story:
This is a true to life recreation of Disneyland in Anaheim with a cast of over 40 familiar iconic faces, The rides and attractions are now made in to an assortment of mini games, classic rides are less interactive but are more of a nostalgic experience for those that have been.
The rest of the "story" is a sand box adventure each park character has up to 10 side quests (most have 5-6) this is an assortment of collecting pictures or random objects or a host of other interactions (magic wand, water pistol, spy glass etc) Characters with quests are easily spotted as they sport a giant exclamation mark which is also visible in an overhead map of Disneyland
and the last part of game play is simply park exploration which is much the same as the above but instead of interaction for a character you are filling out your own autograph books and photo albums and pin collections as well as putting a spell on the light posts and manholes and a host of other make work tasks around the park.
Handling
The idea of a sandbox kinect game, especially one as large as this will put a lot of people off but this is executed very well and totally works. You point the way you wish to move with your right hand (sharp turns with your shoulders) and your interaction tools with your left
Starting conversations are done with a wave and hugs and autographs are done in hand-gestures that are simple and easy to remember but most importantly they make sense. The whole game tracks fairly well and when it doesn't its forgiving.
I have to be honest here and say its not as smooth as it would be on a standard controller, and it does feel like a lot more effort but it is worth it... and there have been times where I've been frustrated with not being able to switch between the interactive tools as easily and quickly as it would traditionally.
But you do have the option of sitting down (I'm often playing cross legged on the floor) and only getting up for mini games.
Graphics & Sound:
This is where the game really stands out the game is done in a cartoonish way that you would expect but occasionally when you catch a glimpse of the top of the Matterhorn from fantasy land or the top of the pirate ship towering over sycamores from adventure land you are transported back to the first time you went to Disneyland. The park is dotted with other visitors and lines are existent (but you are able to fast-pass your though a portal way to the front of the line) which all adds to the realism of being there.
The sound is fitting and as you wander though the park over hearing a few notes from small world as you run past it, makes it magical.
The princesses hum their respective songs as they stand around idle but there is a mini game where they sing and dance and you are asked to join in the dancing and optionally belt out Disney tunes at the top of your lungs 
Achievements:
These are LONG... read GRINDY... about 15hrs in to the game and I have a little under 300 gamerscore to show for it. There are well over 1000 collectibles/photographs to take so be prepared for one long game... I would imagine at this point just completing all the tasks will be upwards of 40hrs plus attractions plus park collectibles we are looking at well over 100hrs of gameplay. This is something that one can easily pick up (but putting down is quite another story) as its lots of little tasks and the rides are all fairly short.
Good luck trying to figure out where you are missing photos the only in game tracker is a percentage broken down to each area, good thing is once a photograph is taken its no longer begging for your attention (hidden mickeys are sparkly and park passes have bouncy signs which become stationary)
Conclusion:
This is a fantastic show case title of what the Kinect can do. Its beautiful and nostalgic and has the best kinect handling outside of a dance/sport title. You are absolutely getting your moneys worth in content and game-play. For some it might seem like a lot of make work tasks and tire quickly of the repetitiveness. But for those that are young at heart and have a love for Disney you are in for a treat.
Regardless of completion this is a must own title for any Kinect gamers. For those looking for a quick and easy 1k move along... this is not the game for you. |