Review: Ratatouille - Xbox 360, PS2 - Xbox 360 - HEXUS.net

I'm getting ratty now...

In Ratatouille, the mechanics of controlling the rat work well enough, but the simplicity of the controls and lack of options at your fingertips means that it would have been pretty hard for anyone to mess them up. With ‘X’ to jump, double ‘X’ to double jump and ‘B’ to grab onto objects or climb, there’s not much to get your brain working, but that does mean that any youngsters should be able to pick it up immediately.

Disappointingly, the Xbox 360 version feels inferior to the PS2 version and though both are plagued with some camera issues, the 360 game has small graphical improvements, plenty of glitches and blocky animation. The achievements also aren’t as easy as you’d think to pick up either and if you miss any out you’ll have to start the whole game from scratch. You really won't want to do that.

Ratatouille isn’t an awful game by any means, but it does fail miserably to present the story of the film effectively and is largely devoid of humour. When that film in question has been lauded by critics as being one of the best films this year and possibly Pixar’s greatest movie, it’s a huge shame that the developers haven’t put as much effort into creating the same masterpiece.

As it stands, Ratatouille does have its entertaining moments and kids will no doubt enjoy the rat-themed antics of Remy and his friends, but for everyone else it’s average platforming fodder. And, like a sewer-dwelling rat, if truth be told, it’s a bit of a stinker.

Pros
Easy, if simplistic, control system
Rat animation is excellent

Cons
What’s the movie about? Why did it get good reviews?
Frustrating camera problems
Lacks the fun factor
Poor array of mini-games

One for the kids! Should keep them entertained for an afternoon

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