Voices are one thing, and dialogue quite another. After all, the best script in the world gets tiring quickly if you hear the same old quotes over and over again. Fortunately, The Simpsons Game features entirely different dialog from episode to episode, so the quips never get stale. The extra effort truly benefits the player, as you will find yourself listening, and chuckling, to what every Springfield citizen has to say from start to finish.
The Simpsons Game does a better job than any other game before it to accurately recreate Springfield and its residents. From the minute you begin the game (and earn the world’s easiest achievement), you’ll be treated to a fantastic representation of the world Matt Groening and company created. Inside and out, the buildings look like their television counterparts, from the Simpson home to Springfield Elementary. The characters look authentic as well, and feature great animation. If Homer remains idle for a while, you’ll see him doze off, gaped mouth and drooling, just as you’ve often seen on TV. The cut scenes are 50/50, with some appearing as if they came right out of the show, while curiously others are pixilated and downright PS2 looking. I’m not sure why there is such a disparity here. My only theory is that there were some hastily arranged last minute changes to the story. Regardless, the game looks like the TV show the vast majority of the time, and maintains a smooth frame rate no matter how much action appears on screen. Readers should bear in mind that the graphics are not on par with a title such as Gears of War, but they do faithfully represent Springfield to every detail, and therefore perform exactly as they should. The score assigned to the graphics reflect the smooth and authentic nature of the display, and one should not construe that The Simpsons Game is revolutionary in its presentation.
There are two major flaws with game play, chief of which is the camera. The camera often hangs up on environmental objects and is prone to shift just as you begin a critical jump, or some other action. The camera is more than just a nuisance, it a major fault that can often make game play frustrating. When I see a game with a major flaw like this, I often wonder if the game underwent any testing before it shipped. Is this your first game EA? Though you’ll never be able to ignore it, try to put the camera problems in the back of your mind, and play this hilarious game to the conclusion.
The second flaw lies in the lack of support for Xbox Live co-op play. This is a cardinal sin to most Xbox 360 owners. As mentioned, most episodes involve two characters, so there is simply no reason why Live co-op should not be supported. Two gamers can play co-op locally in a split screen affair, but due to the nature of the game, many times one player will be left idle while the other carries out a task necessary for the level to progress.
Completing an episode in campaign mode unlocks a special time trial themed to that particular level. Separate leaderboards are kept for campaigns and time trials in the only vestige of online support EA chose to incorporate.
As is true of every platformer game, there are collectables to be found. Besides each episode having video game clichés to be discovered, each character has their own set of collectables within the level. For instance, Homer collects Duff Beer bottle caps, and Marge collects discount coupons. There is not much to be gained from collecting everything, other that winning a trophy for finding everything on a given level. After you collect several trophies, the Simpson’s health meters will increase. Along with the collectables within the episodes, each character has 75 to be found within the sandbox mode of Springfield proper.
When I first played The Simpsons Game demo I was not impressed. EA chose to show one of the most frustrating scenes from the game to an audience unfamiliar with the product. Truthfully, it was not until I played through the first few episodes that I began to warm up to the game. The hilarity is outstanding, and because every effort was made to ensure each episode stands on its own, the humor does not get stale. Most gamers can expect to get about 10-12 hours of play their first time through. Though the replay value is strong only for those that are obsessive about collectables or having the best times on the leaderboards, The Simpsons Game is going to be worth a rental to most gamers.
