Family Guy Video Game!
a game by | High Voltage Software, Inc. |
Platform: | XBox (2006) |
Editor Rating: | 5/10, based on 1 review |
User Rating: | 9.5/10 - 4 votes |
Rate this game: | |
See also: | Action Games, Action Adventure Games, Side Scrolling Games, 2D Platformer Games, Puzzle Games, Movie-Based Games, Stealth Action, Espionage Games, Family Guy Games |
Family Guy Video Game! is a wacky interactive comedy game based on the popular cartoon of the same name, which delivers all the risque humor of the show through interactive gameplay. Following three main characters from the show, Peter, Brian, and Stewie, you'll embark on a ridiculous adventure across the city of Quahog, full of debauchery and gags. Each character has different levels and gameplay styles, providing an assortment of experiences to keep things fun. Unfortunately, the underwhelming writing, frustrating controls, and general lack of polish prevent the game from feeling truly entertaining. For fans of the show, Family Guy Video Game! offers tons of cameos and callbacks, but newcomers might be left baffled by the otherwise juvenile content.
Main Game Features
- Fight, shoot, and sneak through 22 levels
- Three playable characters offering unique gameplay
- Outrageous comedy akin to the original cartoon
Story
The game has three unique stories, each focusing on one of the three playable characters from the show's main cast. In Peter's story, he wakes up in the hospital after being hit on the head by a falling cable satellite dish.
Believing his family to be in danger, Peter goes on a brawling rampage across the city, constantly enduring head injuries that lead to increasingly odd scenarios. In Brian's story, he must escape from prison and clear his name after being wrongfully accused of a crime. To prove his innocence, Brian must hunt down the true perpetrator while evading capture. Finally, Stewie's story involves a plot of world domination involving his mind-control ray, which is foiled by his half-brother Bertram. In an explosive action-style narrative, Stewie and Bertram engage in a destructive sibling rivalry.
In all fairness, the plots presented in Family Guy Video Game! are very representative of the show, but that's not always a good thing. Like the cartoon, most of the characters and story details only exist to serve the gameplay, which results in a hollow experience without much motivation. The signature offbeat and adult humor of the show is present throughout the game, but not everyone will find the scandalous scenarios to be all that funny. If you enjoy the show, you might find some of the narrative interesting, but most players will probably find themselves growing bored halfway through.
Gameplay
Throughout the game, you'll play as Peter, Brian, and Stewie as each attempt to achieve their personal goal and claim victory. While all three characters control from a third-person perspective, the gameplay styles differ wildly depending on which character you're playing as. The most varied levels are Stewie's, which mix elements of shooting gameplay, platforming, and light puzzle-solving.
While there's enough variety to keep Stewie's levels from growing stale, it's simply not that challenging, except when the awkward controls make enemy encounters harder than intended. It's common to die to enemies and miss easy jumps due to the mediocre gameplay, which adds an element of frustration to the experience.
Peter and Brian's levels are more simplistic, but this winds up being slightly worse, as the gameplay grows repetitive fast. When playing as Peter, you must simply run through the level, fighting everyone in your path. These levels play similar to beat 'em up games like Streets of Rage, with basic combos, power-ups, and ultimate attacks to unleash. Brian's levels all revolve around stealth, tasking players with sneaking around areas while picking up some collectibles. Occasional mini-games are present throughout all three types of gameplay, often referencing jokes from episodes of the cartoon. While these are funny the first time you play them, they can become bothersome on repeat attempts, especially when lackluster gameplay forces you to retry checkpoints.
Conclusion
For better or worse, Family Guy Video Game! is exactly what you'd expect out of a licensed game based on an adult cartoon. The gameplay is simplistic and underwhelming, the graphics are serviceable but bland, and the jokes grow stale pretty quick. Peter's beat 'em up levels are fine, as are Stewie's standard platforming levels, but Brian's stealth sections really weigh down the overall package.
Existing fans of the show might enjoy this video game adaptation, but most gamers will want to skip over this otherwise lackluster title.
Pros
- Interesting gameplay variety
- Accurate representation of the show
- Some decent jokes
Cons
- The plot is pretty dumb
- Brian's levels can be tedious
- Terrible controls
Download Family Guy Video Game!
System requirements:
- PC compatible
- Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP