You know when you’re playing a licensed kids game that it’s gonna be one of a few
things.
It’s either a generic minigame collection, a generic beat ‘em up or a generic 2D platformer.
I mean, it’s got to be a law somewhere.
Either that, or…games like that are fast and cheap to make, minimizing development
costs and maximizing profits.
You know, either or.
So what do we have with this one?
Well, if you guessed 2D platformer, congratulations.
You have eyeballs.
Disney Frozen: Olaf’s Quest continues in the grand tradition of Fester’s Quest, by
being a pretty mediocre video game.
But to be honest, it deserves credit, too.
Because as generic as it may be, in terms of its design…it’s actually pretty well-made.
Which is more than you can say for a lot of movie tie-ins.
So you play as Olaf, who is a snowman.
I’m assuming he’s from the movie, though…I’ve never seen it.
Full disclosure.
Also it’s not a Pixar film, so.
My inner fanboy won’t allow it.
Anyway, you move Olaf from one end of the level to the other.
And along the way, you can also collect two different things.
One of which there are many of, and vary from level to level.
And also, there are three flowers hidden in each level.
Although…I mean, “hidden” is sort of a generous way to describe it.
So obviously…I mean, there’s really not much to Olaf’s Quest.
The gameplay is pretty simple, there’s not much variation…you move and jump.
You can’t even run.
Later on, you can pretend you’re in Labyrinth, and toss your head around.
No Jennifer Connelly or David Bowie, though.
Huge drawback.
Well, that and the fact that…it’s super boring to play.
Then again, it’s probably only boring if you’re a jaded 30-year-old who expects video
games to, you know, actually be good.
But if you’re a little kid who liked the movie, this is probably a much more entertaining
experience.
And like I said, it’s actually well made.
The design is, just…like, completely generic.
But the game controls well.
Olaf is responsive, and the whole jump extending floaty thing works great, too.
It also makes the tougher platforming parts a lot easier for kids.
I also like the game’s simplicity.
It’s almost laid out like a mobile game, really.
Each level is a really short platforming challenge.
They literally take…a few minutes at the most, to finish.
The challenge is in collecting as much of the stuff as you can.
The three flowers and all that other stuff.
At the end, you get a score out of three stars, based on how much you found.
So I like that.
It feels like those short levels will keep the kids’ attention, and the promise of
a three-star score—uh, which is already familiar to them, thanks to a game like Angry
Birds—will have them going back and replaying them.
Which they’ll do, since the levels are short.
So obviously, that’s some pretty smart design for a kid’s game.
The actual game design is generic, but…I guess the approach is good.
And you know, the game looks good, too.
It’s really bright and colorful, and the backgrounds actually change pretty frequently,
to create the feeling of progress.
And there’s also a pretty nice soundtrack, too.
But on the other hand, there’s no dialogue or anything from the film, which might bum
some kids out.
Then again, who cares?
They’re kids.
They don’t like it, you give ‘em…time out.
And take away their yogurt.
I’m not telling you this is some amazing kid’s game that’s gonna…break down walls,
or anything.
It’s still a generic licensed game that’s only gonna appeal to very young gamers.
But on that grading scale, it’s actually a lot better than most of these games.
It has some surprisingly decent graphics, and its gameplay is, like…platformer training
wheels.
When they’re ready for Mega Man, they’ll have Olaf’s Quest to thank.
Actually, they’ll have Dr. Light to thank.
But…the point stands.
Just give your kids Mega Man.
Tough love.