Nintendo Wii Review: Tangled - The Videogame

I am a big fan of the sort of puzzle games that LucasArts used to do and which Telltale does so well today.  I grew up playing Maniac Mansion, Day of the Tentacle, Sam & Max Hit the Road, and so many games of the puzzle-based ilk.  I was, therefore, pleasantly surprised in my playing of Disney's latest title, Tangled, that it seems to share a lot in common with those games.   It is certainly a version of that genre made specifically for younger players, but it feels exceedingly similar to things like Tales of  Monkey Island.

Ostensibly, Tangled takes you through a version of the tale told in the film, with players controlling both Flynn Ryder and Rapunzel.  I say "ostensibly" because the game is a little weak with the story – I am not sure that those who haven't seen the movie will really be able to place what is going on in many of the levels with the larger story.  Plus, each of said levels really has very little story to them, the bulk of the narrative is told in cutscenes. 

Instead of story, what you get are puzzles that have to be solved.  Go to the Snuggly Duckling (a den of thieves visited by Rapnuzel and Flynn) in the game and you'll find things like a substitute bartender who wants the regular guy back on duty, making your first job there to wake the real bartender up.  As you keep playing through the Snuggly Duckling level you'll be tasked with accomplishing different feats in order to be allowed to use the hidden escape route to avoid the guards.  All the other levels play out in similar fashion.

It is well conceived, but perhaps not brilliantly executed.  Each puzzle is terribly simplistic, there is even a pointer on doors you need to go through in order to get closer to your immediate objective.  The game also presents "challenges," which ask you to do things like break barrels or to make folks dance.  You're given goals for each challenge, but not meeting a single goal in the challenge will still result in your being allowed to proceed.

Article Author: Josh Lasser

Josh Lasser, formerly known as "TV and Film Guy," and complete with a Masters Degree in Critical Studies in said areas, gives his opinions on TV, Film, and Entertainment in general. All of which he does in a shameless attempt to try to get paid to do the exact same thing. …

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