The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn review (PC)

When it comes to film-based games I always have my doubts. The catalogue of games that’s adapted from movies is uninspiring and usually leaves much to be desired.

That’s why I reminded myself that Tintin is the star of a comic book series that was adapted into a film and then reformed into a video game. I was counting on this – I didn’t want my childhood memories of the Belgian reporter destroyed because of a terrible game.

In short – my fond recollections are safe. While The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn won’t blow you away it does have a fair appeal. It’s charming to those of us who grew up with the comic books and captivating enough for the younger generation of gamers who grew up with the likes of Bakugan and Ben 10.

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn is based on the 3D film by Steven Spielberg (which should hit South African cinemas in December 2011). It follows the escapades of the young reporter Tintin – or “Kuifie” as he is known in Afrikaans – who tries to uncover the mystery of the ship named The Unicorn.

The Adventures of Tintin The Secret of the Unicorn screenshot

The majority of the game is a platformer with a few vehicle and third-person levels in-between. The platform levels are undemanding and straightforward – up to a point where it gets repetitive.

The most entertaining parts of the levels are the combat sections where Tintin attacks his enemies in a variety of ways. He can sneak up to them, hit them with beach balls, drop chandeliers onto their heads or just beat the living daylights out of them.

The animations, dialogue and behavior of the enemies is fantastic. It’s humorous to see enemies slip on a banana peel and slam into other foes leaving them dazzled on the floor. The game keeps a fair sense of innocence in its combat mechanic which gives an overall light-heartedness to the adventure. The game also contains sections where you play as Snowy; Tintin’s canine companion.

The Adventures of Tintin The Secret of the Unicorn screenshot

Most of the game is controlled with only a few buttons. Combat is limited to mashing a single button, which makes it easy for kids to play. Experienced gamers might find the controls a bit quirky because they’re so simple but there’s no real fault with the mechanics.

The overall graphic quality is acceptable for a game of this caliber. Level design and character models are of passing grade. Che cut-scenes are an eyesore; they look like they were filmed on a cellphone and stretched into fullscreen. This is one of those rare games where pre-rendered cinematics look worse than gameplay footage. Rather disappointing considering that it’s based on a film.

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn is a fun game for casual or young gamers. The main story will take around 5 hours to complete and it has co-op play with additional levels. It might be worth waiting until it hits the bargain bin however.