As incredible as the first adventure?

Following up on the success of the first Incredibles game and the original film, THQ has created the Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer, a sequel to the first game and the film. Picking up right where the last game and the film ended, THQ sends players on a quest to stop the evil Underminer before he takes over the world. With it’s more of the same look but heavier emphasis on action and partnering Mr. Incredible with Frozone, does The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer live up to the original or fall flat? Read on to find out.

Features

All-new sequel to the film and first game

Play as Mr. Incredible or Frozone at anytime

Cooperative game-play

Upgrade character moves

Two player cooperative play

Gameplay]
Unlike the first Incredibles game, Rise of the Underminer offers less variety in its gameplay and instead focuses on action. With that players will be spending the majority of their time destroying wave after wave of Underminer robots as the progress through the game. That’s not to say that all you will be doing is destroying enemies, the developer has thrown in a handful of obstacles and puzzles for your hero duo to overcome. Unfortunately for older more seasoned gamers these obstacles and puzzles will provide very little challenge, but will be a decent challenge for children. Obstacles and puzzles include such acts as having to create ice bridges to get from one point to another, freezing projectiles as Frozone so Mr. Incredible can launch them back at enemies, and destroying barricades. While none of these things are bad, more variety and depth in the obstacles and puzzles would have gone a long way in creating a more rewarding experience.

As mentioned above the superhero duo will work together in order to advance through the game and this is what sets Rise of the Underminer apart from the original. Players will control both Mr. Incredible and Frozone and must learn to use them together utilizing each hero’s strengths to win. At anytime during the action players can switch between controlling Mr. Incredible or Frozone by pressing UP on the D-pad. The character that you are not directly controlling will then following the controlled character and help destroy enemies in your path. Players will still be able to give commands to the uncontrolled character such as telling them to stay close, but that’s about it. This system of controlling two characters at the same time and having to utilize the strengths of each and combine their powers to progress works well for the most part but can sometimes feel like a bit of a chore having to constantly switch between the two.


Not so incredible this time, but decent.

This problem is solved by the games main focus on the multiplayer experience. Assuming you have a friend to play with, each character can be controlled separately through the entire game. The addition of two player cooperative play makes a huge difference in the overall enjoyment of the game. Not having to worry about switching between characters all the time allows each player to focus at the job at hand and work together to overcome the Underminer’s minions. The only kicker to playing this mode is you will find yourself not enjoying the single player experience as much once you go back to it.

While the two player cooperative play solves some of the problems with the game, it does present new problems, mainly for whoever is unlucky enough to play as Frozone. The game is called The Incredibles and as such Mr. Incredible is the most well rounded, powerful, and entertaining character to use. Frozone is weaker and spends most of his time trailing the main hero by filling in the role of sidekick. While he has some impressive fighting moves such as his ice blast, most of his abilities are used to prepare items for Mr. Incredible to use, such as freezing projectiles for him to throw at enemies and building ice bridges for him to cross. It’s still fun to play as him, but if your friend is a real friend he will agree to switching characters every now and then during the game to be fair. Overall the gameplay behind Rise of the Underminers is fun but is way too straightforward, repetitive and lacks the variety of the original game. The two player experience is a welcome addition and makes for a more enjoyable experience assuming you can find someone to play with you.

Graphics
Graphically, Rise of the Underminer looks surprisingly good and like the film. Heavy Iron Studios has done an excellent job recreating the look of the original film. The environments are impressive and detailed, though liner in design. Everything looks as though it came right out of the Incredibles universe. Character models are also especially well done, featuring lifelike animations and accurate lip syncing. A lot of attention to detail went into the graphics and despite the look of the game and times where there is a lot going on at once, the game maintains a smooth framerate.

Sound
Like the graphics, the audio in Rise of the Underminer sounds like the original movie. The musical score matches that of the film and never becomes annoying or repetitive. Sound effects are also equally well done with everything sounding as it should and always coming off crisp and clear. While the game does not feature all of the original voices from the film, the sound-alikes do an excellent job in mimicking the originals. Most of the time you will be hard pressed trying to identify who is or is not an original voice.

Closing
The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer is a decent game that can provide a good amount of fun, but it fails to improve upon the first game and in many ways is a bit of step in the wrong direction. It’s best played by children and even more enjoyable when played with a friend. If you or your kids are fans of the original film or the first game, Rise of the Underminer is worth a rental or even a buy once you know what you are getting into. Anyone who has not played the first game and wants a game based on the film property, they are better off picking up the original game or waiting for a third.