I have something to admit. In general I groan whenever it comes time to review any game based on a movie. While there are exceptions to the rule, in general video games based on movie licenses are almost always abysmal wretched things. It was therefore with great trepidation that I booted up Kung Fu Panda. I was pretty much prepared for the worst. What a surprise then that instead of a train wreck I discovered a game filled with personality, fun, and overall the best movie based title I’ve played since Surf’s Up. Developed by Luxoflux and published by Activision, Kung Fu Panda follows the adventures of the lovable Panda from the movie, named Master Po. Master Po desires to be a kung fu hero but is far from his dream. Through a series of hilarious mishaps Po finds himself Chosen as the “Dragon Warrior” by an elder Kung Fu Master much to the horror and of everyone else present. As the chosen one Master Po will be trained by Master Shifu and the Furious Five in ancient Kung Fu arts. Master Po’s training has only started when the villain of the game Tai Lung, busts out of prison, and begins to rampage the land with the help of an evil army. Master Po and the Furious Five swing into action, determined to take Tai Lung out.

Gameplay:

The game itself is an action platformer. Similar in some ways to the Ratchet and Clank series, the emphasis in this game is definitely more slanted towards combat. Po has a strong attack, a fast attack, the ability to double jump as well as a dodge move. Po also has the ability to learn new specialized moves such as “Panda Quake”, “Iron Belly”, and “Panda Stumble”. Panda Stumble is handled particularly well as it has you morph into a Metroidisque ball. Some of the levels are designed for you to take advantage of the ability to roll around, giving an almost Sonic the Hedgehog type feel if you go off a ramp. There were certain points in the game when I kept on thinking to myself that THIS is how 3D Sonic games should work. The actual combat itself is a blast, usually involving tons of enemies to inflict some serious Kung Fu punishment on. As the player dispatches enemies, some will release coins, which can then be used to upgrade Master Po’s Kung Fu Skills, as well as his health and chi metre. Some of Po’s special moves cost Chi to use, although I never found myself running low, thanks to abundant Chi drops by enemies. Most of the levels are linearly designed and scattered throughout the levels are rare green coins that unlock additional game content such as multiplayer modes, artwork, and some short movie clips. Each stage consists of a main objective and secondary objective. All levels require completion of both primary and secondary objectives to unlock 360 Achievements. I also found that rare green coins were often found near the secondary objective. Almost all the levels end in a boss battle, some which are pretty spectacular.

Graphics:

The game looks good. Really good. Colourful and vibrant, each level seems to have been designed with an eye for aesthetics. Given the “Kung Fu” theme of the game, Chinese architecture abounds but fits in perfectly without becoming overbearing. I was really impressed with the lighting in the game. Temples are dark and spooky, likewise in ruins, whereas when you are outdoors it really feels like a beautiful bright day. One level has you flying through a massive storm avoiding lightning clouds and I was astounded by how beautiful everything looked. Another level has you hopping on lily pads over a pond, a pond that features some of the best water effects I’ve ever seen in a video game. The characters themselves are animated wonderfully and look great in action. This care for detail is seen not only on Master Po, but also on every boss, secondary character, and hordes of enemies he encounters. It’s hard to explain, except to say, that the game looks exactly right. From an artistic perspective, Kung Fu Panda really lives up to what I expect from a game based on a DreamWorks movie.

Sound:

The sound in this title is pretty top notch. A big part of Kung Fu Panda’s charm is the voices of its characters, and I believe a lot hinged on the ability of those voices to give each character the same appeal as from the movie. I am happy to say the Luxoflux did an awesome job in this department. Kung Fu Panda voice-overs are exactly what you would expect based on the movie. While surfer dude voices normally annoy me, in Master Po’s case it fits perfectly. While the voice talent in the game isn’t that of the actual actors from the movie, it’s pretty damn close. The soundtrack itself has an oriental theme to it, most of which I believe has been imported directly from the movie. In general the music was great and fit each level perfectly. Sound effects sound good in each level, and while not overstated usually do the job adequately.

Longevity:

The game is too short. Far too short. An adult gamer should finish this title in less than 10 hours. While I realize Kung Fu Panda is probably aimed at younger kids, the game left me wanting more. This actually speaks well to the developers, that they made a game which leaves us wanting more. I was reminded of Surf’s Up in this aspect … I had a blast in that game too, but it was akin to a 5 minute roller coaster ride that is over as quickly as it begins. It’s a shame really as the game has a lot of production values normally seen in Triple A titles. For those who desire 100 percent completion there is a lot of stuff to unlock via the rare green coins, and some of the 360 achievements are going to be very hard to get. There is also a “Master Ninja” mode (hardest difficulty), which might add some replay value, but even stretching out the game, I can’t see there being anymore than 12 – 13 hours worth of playtime in the single player portion. Just so it’s clear I’m being generous saying 12 – 13 hours. Multiplayer options don’t fare much better in terms of keeping an older player’s interest, with most of the games seemingly aimed at the pre teen crowd. The mahjong game I played for a bit, and found it to be kinda fun, but overall I can’t see multiplayer being a huge selling feature. Perhaps most disappointingly the multiplayer offline only meaning you can’t play over Live. You’re basically out of luck if you don’t have 3 friends handy.

Overall:

Kung Fu Panda is a fun title with a lot to offer. It will make a perfect gift for a younger gamer in the household, while still offering adult gamers some top rate gaming experiences (even if abit short). For those of you who don’t have kids I recommend at the very least renting Kung Fu Panda for the weekend, and enjoy the experience that Luxoflux has managed to craft together.