What do you get when you combine the likes of a mammoth, a sloth, and a smilodon? Well in 2002, it turned out to be a rousing film about mammals surviving the Ice Age. In 2006, the minds behind the series added in another mammoth into the mix and two opossums for another family-friendly film that had humor and a positive message. Now, in 2009, the same team is back with their third film with adding in a weasel and tons of new dinosaurs in Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Could Activision Blizzard finally deliver a worthy Ice Age video game after years of mediocrity? The answer to that simple question is: yes! Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs hit store shelves and I wouldn’t doubt that skepticism arose due to the bad rap that licensed video games receive nowadays. So to ensure gamers don’t overlook Dawn of the Dinosaurs, I want to assure everyone that Activision Blizzard has put forth one of 2009’s better movie licensed video games.
That’s right, Dawn of the Dinosaurs is a must-have title geared towards family and children – an attribute that the Xbox 360 sorely needed fulfilled. Starting off with a tutorial level, players will use Sid the sloth as he collects crystals for Ellie the mammoth. He isn’t alone though; Eddie and Crash the opossums help teach players how to play the game such as controls, platforming maneuvers, and much more. If players have ever played a platforming game before – which, I hope they have – Dawn of the Dinosaurs is as easy as reciting, “One, two, and three.” But don’t let the uncomplicated difficulty hold you back since Dawn of the Dinosaurs is enjoyable for everyone. The content is appropriate and doesn’t provide any mature content that parents will want to censor. The replay value isn’t minimal either; it’s quite the opposite with mini-games and upgrades to unlock throughout the levels.
Doing so, players will have to collect fruit for an in-game currency to buy the items from Fast Tony, the con-man armadillo. It may seem tedious – if you’ve ever played Banjo-Kazooie, it might be eerily similar – but the collecting of the fruit helps the longevity of the title tremendously since the mini-games can be played offline with friends in multiplayer affairs. If you are a fan of the films, and the characters too, players are eligible to use any one of the six characters from the popular franchise. From Manny the mammoth to Scrat the squirrel, they’re all here and it helps mix things up changing characters from level to level. The best levels consist of using Buck, the new weasel introduced in the third film, as he performs his best Crash Bandicoot impression. He not only performs like Crash, but he also slides and rides the neck of longneck dinosaurs as if he was rail riding in a 3D Sonic game.
So in short, yes, the gameplay is diverse enough to keep gamers interested for the length of the game. When you boot up Dawn of the Dinosaurs, ask yourself this. What was the last video game you enjoyed that was based on a film? If it takes you some time to think about it, it’s best to smile and move on as Dawn of the Dinosaurs offers a compelling time for gamers to be engaged in. Almost all of the actors have returned to provide their voices, the visuals aren’t half-bad and there’s offline multiplayer to keep players coming back for more. To all parents: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is a must-have title for your children on the Xbox 360 – don’t hesitate any longer, rent or buy the prehistoric video game as soon as you can.
