The Simpsons Game Impressions (PS3)
I’ve been watching The Simpsons since just about the beginning of the show, and when I heard the full voice cast was going to be involved in the game I was pretty excited. I did my best to give The Simpsons: Road Rage a fair shake back when it was in Radical’s hands and when I heard a sandbox-style The Simpsons Game was in development I was intrigued. With EA at the helm and aiming to release it for every last electronic device short of the LCD screen on a gas pump I was a bit wary, but after playing the PlayStation Store demo I still ended up doing what I normally never do. I pre-ordered the game for my PS3.
I’m about two to three hours in and I’m impressed with the excellent use of the license even if the platforming can’t hold a candle to the likes of Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. The game is funny, the voice work is just as great as I’d hoped, and the sarcasm and skewering of video gaming in general is long overdue. It’s also pretty topical, which makes me think a tiny fraction of the one-liners may date the title in a year or two.
The opening level gives you a clue as to how connected into The Simpsons TV show lore the game is. Homer falls asleep on the couch after snacking on chocolates and descends into a land of chocolate, led by a white chocolate rabbit. The rabbit taunts you into pursuing him, leading you into the basics of the platforming gameplay and character attacks. The rabbit almost immediately disses Homer: “Maybe you’d be better off in a turn-based RPG!”
If you’re a fan of the show this is definitely something you should try out with a rental to see if you really want to put in all the time to collect everything and own it. If you’re looking to run through the story alone, I’m sure it’ll be over in roughly eight hours for most people if my own experience and reviews are any indication.
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