Impressions of titles like Ben 10: Power Trip, Transformers: Battlefield, Zoids and The Mighty Paw Patrol Save Adventure Bay
Children’s and family video games are one of the most attractive bets to share a lazy afternoon with the little ones. Some of them with an educational component, others with the simple objective of having fun without further aspirations, but always with the purpose of uniting parents and children at the console or computer and offering them a joint playful activity. Outright Games was established for the same purpose in 2016, and has specialized in creating titles based on highly successful film and television works. Thus, they brought us titles like Adventure Time: Pirates of Enchiridion or Jumanji: The Video Game. Recently, we have attended the virtual presentation of their new releases and we have been able to test them remotely. Today we anticipate what we can expect from Transformers: Battlefield, Paw Patrol: Salva Bahía Aventura, Ben 10 Power Trip and Zoids Wild: Blast Unleashed.
Transformers: Battlefield
Transformers is one of those franchises whose affection lasts throughout the generations. As toys, television series, comics or movies, robot-vehicles have become an icon of popular culture shared by adults and children.
On October 23, Coatsink studio presents Transformers: Battlefield for Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox One. In this installment, Bumblebee and the Autobots must unite to save Earth from the evil Megatron, who is getting closer and closer to the Allspark. We, as new commanders, will lead our squad on an expedition from Central City to Cybertron.
With an animation that evokes the classic series, an elegant adaptation to 3D, beautiful settings and an absurd and innocent humor, we must create our squad and orchestrate their performances. It is a turn-based strategy title, in which we have action points that we will distribute between movement, attack or defense. Each of our units – selectable from a generous menu – will have certain special features and abilities, such as Bumblebee’s classic and devastating Sting Attack. Creating a balanced team will be easy, since the complexity of the combat system is very affordable for all ages. According to the study itself, they have sought to create a strategy title that pleases both novices of the genre and experienced players, for which they have created three levels of difficulty.
Also, the game’s interface is quite intuitive, with a correct location and legible texts. From an isometric perspective, we can visually assess across the map to identify enemy troops. With intuitive navigation, we will easily get hold of the controls and menus. When selecting a unit, the areas to which we can move at no extra cost will be illuminated, after which we will have to assess whether to use action points in a greater movement distance or reserve them for another action. Coverage will also be important for defense, as we can protect ourselves from the enemy’s field of action and force him to adopt another position. The role of the Autobots that can transform you into aerial vehicles is also important, since they are key to avoiding obstacles and reaching the enemy more quickly.
It has been confirmed that we will have local multiplayer mode, but at the moment we have not delved into it.
Zoids Wild Blast Unleashed
Another toy and animation franchise that adds a video game version to its universe is Zoids Wild Blast Unleashed, developed by Code Glue and with a release date for October 16 on Nintendo Switch.
In this 3D fighting game, we will be able to choose our fighter from the cast made up of the two opposing factions: Arashi’s Freedom Team and Dark Metal Team, while we follow a totally original story created for the game. The ring consists of a three-dimensional stage with an almost totally free movement, with extremely simple combos designed for the smallest audience. As we progress in the battle, we will nurture the bond between our fighter and his mech, after which we will be able to unleash our form as Wild Blast and access the most spectacular and forceful attacks and combos. With Final Blast, we can deliver a final blow that can change the course of a fight whose outcome was practically decided.
Zoids offers different game modes, from Story, Practice, Battle for two players and Mission mode, with different challenges to put us to the test. On a visual level we found it a delight, both in the finish of the graphics and in the fluidity of the animations, but its extreme simplicity makes us wonder if it can be attractive enough for veteran fighters. However, it can be a very attractive title for the little ones in the house who want to be interested in the genre, as well as enter the universe of mecha anime.
Paw Patrol: The Mighty Paw Patrol Saves Adventure Bay
The Paw Patrol is, perhaps, one of the most popular series among the little ones. Drakhar Studio brings us Paw Patrol: The Mighty Paw Patrol Saves Adventure Bay, an unpublished chapter in a video game format that will claim positive values such as respect for nature. On November 6 we will have it available for Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox One.
In this story, a meteorite has fallen in Adventure Bay and has empowered the entire Paw Patrol. However, the dogs must fix the damage caused and rescue their friends. In a 3D environment and with very well polished graphics, we will explore different scenarios with very simple platforms while collecting cookies that add to our score. We will also have to clean the beach of waste, for which we will have to choose the most suitable puppy according to their abilities, and at the end of the phase we will have to solve a puzzle based on fast time events. Likewise, we can play in pairs on the same screen, and cooperate together in different tasks. From the same study they confirm that all the puppies are in the dog cast: Chase, Rubble, Marshall, Everest, Skye, Rocky, Zuma and Tracker.
As we progress through Story Mode, we will unlock mini-games in which we will add scores. During our session, we tried Pup-Pup Boogie, a dance game in which we have to press the buttons following the rhythm, in true Dance Dance Revolution style.
In the absence of discovering the other missions and minigames offered by this installment of The Paw Patrol, we have perceived it as a very friendly title and with very affordable controls that we highlight the educational values and the stimulation of the ability to solve problems. In addition to pleasing the little ones in the house, it provides an educational value that becomes another incentive to choose it.
Ben 10: Power Trip
Ben 10 is another series of great success among children, in which enriching values are transmitted for children. PHL Collective has taken into account the basic pillars of this work when developing its video version: Ben 10 Power Trip. Next October 9 we will have it available for Steam, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
In this unpublished chapter, Ben is on vacation in Europe with his family, until the magician Hex unleashes the power of the four mysterious crystals, and a young superhero must save the planet again. In a 3D adventure that includes exploration, puzzles and platforms, the child must complete missions that lead him to follow the thread of the story.
Of the entire event, Ben 10 Power Trip is the title that we found the most complete. With a gradual learning curve, we will learn to move around the map – on foot and on a skateboard – and we will gradually acquire the alien transformations of our hero. During our short test game, we complete missions that involve solving small puzzles, clearing platformer sequences, collecting items, and fighting hordes of enemies in a simplified hack and slash. Likewise, we will obtain various simultaneous missions to solve in the desired order, which will give us great freedom of exploration within the game. With very basic notions typical of the RPG, we will level up and acquire new improvements for Ben, at the same time that we can access mobile food stalls to acquire power-up snacks.
Little by little, we will find the iconic characters of the series, such as Gwendolyn and Kevin. We can also access a local cooperative mode that, unfortunately, we have not been able to test for the moment. However, we have perceived a quite attractive adventure, with a generous variety of scenarios and chained missions that vary in their main mechanics. The graphics, on the other hand, have been the only thing that has not convinced us due to its somewhat obsolete style, and we consider that being more faithful to the original animation would have favored this very promising game.
With this assortment of games, Outright Games launches a captivating bet for the Christmas campaign that knows how to connect children with very successful franchises while offering very simple experiences rooted in a wide range of genres. It is worth exploring these titles in greater depth to see if the fun continues throughout each game, or if it will remain only in the excitement of the first hours.
