Film licences are usually a terrible fodder and often best left to the sidelines, however against my better judgement I kept seeing people talking about how surprisingly good Smurfs 2 is! So as it was in a sale I took plunge so is it misjudged or terrible? The truth is somewhere in the middle…
Smurfs 2 is aimed squarely at the young kids market. For that we get simple 2D graphics with some 3D events going on in the background on occasion. We also get a very slow and gradual learning curve. It means that after some running, jumping and basic attacks, the learning curve is effectively finished. It’s this crux that essentially leaves what is a great start, absolutely tepid by the end of the game. There’s 30 levels and 6 boss fights, the bosses all needing three hits before death and follow a “dodge the attack” approach. Each is simple to understand and to master really. The only extra challenge is towards the end the platform jumping requires a bit of timing.
Elsewhere, the last world suffers from frame rate dips, the Smurf song music that plays when you get “true blue” becomes too annoying for words and each Smurf you unlock feels more powerful than the last, which makes things even easier. The music aside from the Smurf song is well done however, and when the frame rate doesn’t dip, the graphics are functional if unspectacular. Local 4 player co-op is a nice touch and should be commended as a way to up the ante.
Positives
– Gentle platform action
– Level music is nice
– Controls are very solid
Negatives
– Far too easy for its own good
– Lack of challenge
– Requires a couple of playthroughs to get a lot of pointless unlockables
Conclusion
Smurfs 2 is too easy and does too little in the time you spend with it to really consider itself a good game. It pales in comparison to early Rayman levels which should be what a young child’s game should aspire to.