For those unfamilar with the show, Little Britain is an English sketch show that parodies the country’s various social cliques, features eccentric characters with memorable catchphrases, and succeeds in both delighting and disgusting in equal measure. It's one of those shows that make you go "Huh?" the first few times, and then finding yourself in hysterics shortly thereafter. Or not. It's one of those shows you'll either adore or despise (I, for one, count myself in the former camp).
I went into this review expecting the usual situation with licensed games, and especially one of this magnitude of cult status – namely, that those unfamiliar with the show would find nothing special, while fans would find it enjoyable, despite its drawbacks. At the budget price of AU$50, we could likewise overlook such minor deficiencies.
If only it were that simple.
We cannot sit idly by while this... thing, masquerades as a game, much less anything that could in any language be described as 'entertainment'. From the simplistic, derivative gameplay, to the shoddy controls, to the bland visuals and monotonous sound, there is virtually nothing here that will appeal to anyone, be they familiar with the television series or not. And what's worse, a mere 5 minutes playing this game will probably put newcomers off the show for life.
Yes. It is THAT bad.
How bad you ask? Let's start with the games.
Oh my God, I so can't believe I just played that!
Little Britain: The Video Game is similar to titles such as Rayman Raving Rabbids and Warioware, in that the game is made up purely of minigames, with each catering to a different character from the series. Seven minigames. Not seventy. Not seventeen. Seven. A paltry amount by any stretch of the imagination. Especially when a great number of favourite characters don’t even make an appearance. But such a small offering would be forgivable if each (or any) of the games featured were fun to play - or at very least, less painful to endure than removing a veruca with a blowtorch. They are not.
The first such offender features bulging, pink bikini-sporting Vicki Pollard, whose task is to skate around a park, collecting CDs and pulling off various stunts. Sorry, did I say around a park? That's what the manual says, but it must be a misprint, as the game sends you skating along a perfectly straight path, with no curves in sight (except for Vicki's obscenely voluptuous physique). The camera view gives you little-to-no warning of the many obstacles you are expected to avoid… or jump over, providing you press the button several hours in advance. The controls are incredibly sluggish, and the moves you must perform to accumulate points are of a simple button-mashing affair - which also proves the case with several later games. It’s also probably the most difficult and frustrating level in the entire game - in other words, not the best starting point.
From there, things go from bad to worse; or rather, they go from bad to not-quite-as-bad, to boring, to pointless, to frustrating, to even more boring, before finally reaching the almost comforting environs of East Worst Shire. If that sounds convoluted, it’s because that’s how the game is. The 'quality' of the minigames varies wildly, as does the difficulty level, ranging from ludicrous simplicity to controller-snapping frustration. The only thing they share in common is the feeling of despair as you play them - a niggling sensation that something in the depths of your soul has died.
Men in drag. Where would British comedy be without them?
Future levels feature a Columns clone, a Whack-a-Mole clone and a Pac-Man clone (hampered by yet another close-up view that prevents you from seeing enemies coming, thus sucking out what meager enjoyment could possibly have been had). Worse yet is the patience-destroying soccer game, which features not only the most excruciating wait times – about 10 seconds if you should ever kick the ball out of bounds...which you will being doing...often – but also quite possibly the most irritating voice work in the entirety of the game. Possibly any game. On any system. Ever.
Which brings us to one of the most disappointing aspects of the title. If all else failed (and it does), one might at least hope that the voice work – which features the inspired/demented talents of actors Matt Lucas and David Walliams – would at the very least make the game mildly entertaining. It does not. While there are a few moments where a barely audible chuckle very nearly escapes your lips, the extent to which sound bites repeat is inexcusable. Each level contains possibly 5 different sounds or catch phrases, which are played at a brisk and ear-numbing rate. What’s worse is that there is practically nothing new here. The gags are 99% recycled material from the show, which, considering that fans of the show are the most likely to purchase the game, is a serious let-down. It might have almost been worth suffering through the title had there been some granule of never-before-seen comedy to be had.
Graphics are serviceable, but basic. Character models are constructed well enough, but the animation is stiff, and with such small and enclosed environments, one would expect better.
Lastability is also a serious problem - though by the time it takes you to get through the game (under an hour) you’ll be glad of it. You can let the controller slip from your grasp, lean forward, rest your head in your hands and weep - weep for the future of licensed games, should this excrement be any indication. No solace will you find there, but the mourning process must be experienced for the healing process to begin. Otherwise, you might never fully recover from this horrific experience.
"Kerfuffle" barely begins to describe it.
There are a number of different challenges you can attempt, and if you haven’t worn out the remnants of your sanity from hearing the same jokes repeated over and over ad nauseam (literally, in one case), you can unlock various clips from the show - and see the same jokes repeated over and over. Seriously. Save your money and buy the DVDs.
As it stands, with the source material, Little Britain: The Video Game could have been so much more. Quality of minigames notwithstanding, where is the rest of the cast? Where’s teeny-tiny Dennis Waterman? Socially-maladjusted psychiatric patient, Anne? The luscious Bubbles Devere? So much material has gone untapped.
It’s understandable that companies want to make as much profit from a commodity as possible. But surely there are better avenues, even for such an unethical task. Not all licensed games are such putrid drivel. A free-roaming title along the lines of Simpsons: Hit and Run, for example, could have been great fun. And since laughs are always had more freely with friends, why not a Buzz: The Little Britain Quiz, with characters from the show making cameos?
When all is said and done, Little Britain: The Video Game can be safely added to the incessantly mounting pile of hideous licensed games. At the very bottom.
.
"
Loading...
