Monsters vs Aliens - Xbox 360 - Xbox 360 - Preview

Based on the upcoming DreamWorks Animation 3D feature film, the Monsters vs. Aliens video game will put the fate of the planet in players’ hands as they lead a team of five misfit monsters on a mission to save the world.

The game will coincide with the movie's release in March 2009 and will allow fans to play as some of the characters from the film, including The Missing Link, the macho half-ape, half-fish; the gelatinous, indestructible and always hungry B.O.B.; and Ginormica, the 49-foot-11-inch tall woman and Insectosaurus, the 350-foot tall grub. Each character will have distinct strengths and abilities to battle giant alien robots that are wreaking havoc on earth.

Spanning across 12 levels, players will switch between characters to use their various skills to kill enemies and traverse the locations. Publisher, Activision has given us a sneak peek at the skills of some of the monsters:

• The Missing Link: Use skillful acrobatics to cling to and scale various surfaces. His agility and brut strength lets him take down enemies of all sizes.
• B.O.B.: The gelatinous B.O.B. can swallow and spit out enemies and objects, stretch, bounce, stick to walls and ceilings and seep through grates and cracks.
• Ginormica: Her enormous size allows players to race through the city using cars as rollerskates and her sheer strength comes in handy to lift heavy objects and brawl with the robot army.
• Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D.: As the brainiest of the group and the mission giver, Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D. is playable at any time in co-op mode to assist with slowing down enemies, overcoming obstacles and grabbing collectibles.
• Insectosaurus: Command this enormous 350-foot tall monster in epic battle sequences against giant robots. Insectosaurus shoots silk and has a piercing sonic scream that will have enemies running.

Some of the locations, which will be taken directly from the movie, will include the streets of San Francisco, Gallaxhar’s huge overcompensating mothership and the super secret government containment area.

There's also a co-op mode planned in which a second player can pick up a controller and drop in at anytime as Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D. As the most brilliant scientist in the world, players can blast and beam away enemies with tricky gadgets, plus reach hard to access places that only the smartest of cockroaches can get to.