PlayStation Move Heroes Review

Take three of Sony's iconic characters with their sidekicks and remove them from their normal surroundings and deposit them in an alien environment, that's the premise for this game. Jaxx and Dexter, Sly and his accomplice and Ratchett and Clank are quite literally hi jacked from their normal worlds and left on an alien world (or maybe in another dimension, it's not made clear which) and faced with each other and displaying a mutual distrust, they soon realise that they are no longer in Kansas Toto, and it may well be a good idea to cooperate with each other!

Things get from odd to weird very quickly as it seems that some mysterious alien creatures, have selected them to be the competitors in a series of challenges. Even odder though, is the main point of competing in these events, and it's not just about winning medals. No, it seems that part of these game objectives is freeing trapped creatures called Whibbles from cages and launching escape rockets. Why? Well that is never really explained but to be honest that doesn't matter at all.

The games are spread over four different zones with multiple challenges to be unlocked as you compete in the events. So what do the events entail? I shall go through some of them but not all as I do not believe in giving away spoilers where possible.

From the title alone, everything here is controlled through the Move controller which to be honest we didn't have here until recently. I didn't buy it to do this review! Anyway never mind all that. The game is meant for multiplayer action, and is reflective of the party game for the family action that is utilised so well by the Nintendo Wii. The controls for this game are very responsive indeed although I feel it best to use the official 'Nunchuk' style attachment rather than the six axis as a peripheral. It can be used and once you get used too it though it isn't bad at all. (I add I do not have the navigation controller yet)

The games on offer are strange variations on games and sports we know well for the most part. From throwing a disc that resembles a Frisbee to explode crates and unlock bonuses too a game that is a variant of ten pin bowling. Each time you score so many points, a Whibble (those caged creatures I referred too earlier are freed) and a medal is rewarded, and once you have achieved a medal, the next event is unlocked.

The characters and their sidekicks offer different tools for the trade to be used in the events. From Jaxx's gun to a whip wielded by Sly the items are used to shoot targets, whip robots to pieces, and rack up as many points as possible. In single player there is fun to be had but it's clear that it's geared towards cooperative play in your living room (rather than on line) with up to four players competing head to head.

The tools can all be charged up by collecting crystals that will power up the devices that will unleash the maximum amount of power they can. As an example, once enough crystals are collected, the whip delivers a high powered, cyclonic attack that sweeps all before it, and the gun delivers a meaty explosive charge indeed. This I believe happens in their solo games. (Yes I have never played any of their stand alone single titles and now I feel I want to try at least one of them!) The Frisbee by the way, can be guided towards the targets by using the remote itself and once these things are charged, they can be (with some practice I hasten to add) directed to hit multiple targets until they explode with a huge blast that is activated with a squeeze of the T button or trigger.

OK time for the breakdown as it were as to what we have on offer.

Graphics: Bright, colourful and look very nice indeed in HD! They are not as breathtaking as some games sure, but they are suitable and suit the party atmosphere of the games on offer.

Music: Bright and jolly and in some cases, annoyingly catchy! But that's no bad thing. They suit the mood of the game perfectly. But to be honest, you are normally too busy, whipping, shooting etc etc to take much, if any notice of the music!

Physics: These are very good indeed. The play controller is very responsive indeed, whether shooting, whipping or bowling or whatever the game on offer needs you to do. This is explained too you by the voice of a commentator so you are left in little or no doubt as to what you have to do.

This is a short review, true. I have not as yet, unlocked all of the challenges that the game offers. But I intend to keep on going until I have! One day maybe I'll bite the bullet and take a look at the online scoreboards to see how my efforts live up to everyone else's!

It's a bright, colourful and cheerful alternative to all the survival horror or shoot em ups or immersive RPG's on offer out there and should quieten some of the more vocal critics of video gaming and still some accusations of violence in games, etc, etc, etc.

Nintendo have a bit of a head start in this market, with Microsoft Kinect, and now Move trailing behind them. But keep offering titles like this one and they should soon start bridging that gap. This is a bright, cheerful and colourful package but above all else, it's fun with a capital F-U-N!

To be honest I wasn't sure I'd enjoy this title, but I have been cheerfully surprised by this game and as said, I shall juggle other titles I have for review and want to play in general with freeing the Whibbles from their cages and collecting medals whilst sniggering in a Muttley style way!

Don't just take my word for it, there's a lot of fun to be had here, so snatch up the Move controller, set an evening aside, invite some mates, get some pizza and pretzels in and prepare to have a gaming party! Go on I dare ya! Leave the battlefields of Call of Duty for a while and join the party, you will not regret it!