Family Guy (2006) (VG)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Writer:

Steve Callaghan (co-written by)

Release Date:

3 October 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy

Tagline:

Grab your joystick and release your inner Peter!

Plot Keywords:

Animal That Acts Human | Animal As Human | Anthropomorphic Animal | Anthropomorphism | Talking Baby

Cast

Seth MacFarlane	...	Stewie Griffin / Peter Griffin / Brian Griffin / Glen Quagmire / Tom Tucker (voice)
Alex Borstein	...	Lois Griffin (voice)
Mila Kunis	...	Meg Griffin (voice)
Seth Green	...	Chris Griffin (voice)
Mike Henry	...	Cleveland Brown (voice)
Patrick Warburton	...	Joe Swanson (voice)
Lori Alan	...	Diane Simmons (voice)
Jennifer Tilly	...	Bonnie Swanson (voice)
Adam West	...	Himself - Mayor (voice)
Phil LaMarr	...	Ollie Williams / Various (voice)
Rachael MacFarlane	...	Various (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Steve Callaghan	...	Various (voice)
Andy Cobb	...	Justin Undertooth (2005) (scenes deleted)
Kat Foster	...	Carolyn
Mark Hentemann	...	Opie
Aaron Krebs	...	Wala (voice)
Anne-Michelle Seiler	...	Bimbo

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:M | Australia:M

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Quotes:

Brian Griffin: [reading a video game magazine] Huh... hidden pornographic scene viewable by pressing up, up, down, down, left.
[pauses, then continues reading]
Brian Griffin: Horny gamers believe anything.

Movie Connections:

References "Mr. Belvedere: Stranger in the Night (#1.1)" (1985)

For fans of the show, it's pretty freakin' sweet.

Let's be clear about one thing up front: If you're buying this game (or reading this review, for that matter), it's because you're a fan of the Family Guy TV show. There are plenty of action/platform games available on the market -- and many that offer far better gameplay experiences than most of what you'll find here -- so unless you're a fan of the brilliant animated series, it's probably best to stop reading this and carry on; this review is not for you. The Family Guy game is largely fan service and is mostly based on inside jokes and comedy that's clearly an acquired taste. If you love the show, though, this review should be right up your alley -- and thankfully, so should the game.

Family Guy has three things immediately going for it. One, it has the involvement of Seth MacFarlane and the rest of the Family Guy writing staff and voice talent. Obviously, since Seth himself provides much of the show's voices, this was pretty key to pulling off such a game -- but the entire team's involvement is pretty evident throughout. The writers provided scenario ideas and humor bits, and almost every major character, from Evil Monkey to Greased-Up Deaf Guy, makes an appearance at one point or another. At times, it really does feel like an interactive version of an episode of the show. Which segues into: Two, it's rated M for Mature. This allowed the gamemakers to keep all of the show's humor intact and afforded them the right to throw any political correctness straight out the window. Family Guy is a funny video game, and frankly, that's a major accomplishment in its own right -- let's face it, outside of a few guys like Tim Schafer, game designers just aren't concerned with comedy. When's the last time you got a laugh from a video game? Three, Family Guy comes at a budget price of $30. It's cheaper than a season of the show on DVD and it'll likely have you even more entertained.

But Family Guy doesn't just get by on its humor -- the game mechanics are pretty solid, too. The three characters that you play as -- Brian, Peter, and Stewie -- each offer their own gameplay styles. Stewie's missions are largely run-and-gun (like, say, a Ratchet & Clank), as you ultimately become miniaturized and blast your way through Peter's innards to take on your evil nemesis Bertram. Peter's missions are essentially beat-'em-up clones (similar to a Final Fight or a Double Dragon) as you literally bash everyone in sight under the assumption that they're being controlled by Mr. Belvedere (long story). And Brian's are all stealth-based riffs on games like Metal Gear Solid or Splinter Cell, as he sneaks out of jail and through various other situations without being noticed. All three work well, and it's great to have that gameplay diversity, though Brian's are the weakest of the bunch, often suffering from unclear objectives and situations seemingly designed to frustrate.

What's most impressive is the way a lot of humor is injected into the actual gameplay. What the Family Guy TV show has is a great sense of timing. On the show, when Peter falls down, it's never a slow collapse -- it's an abrupt face-plant. The game often nails this sort of timing perfectly. For example, there's endless humor to be had in running around as Peter, kicking little kids on the playground -- his goofy leg motions send them flying across the screen. It just feels funny. Family Guy also doesn't take itself seriously, and has no reservations about parodying or mocking other games. For example, with no explanation, it will shamelessly break into a version of Space Invaders, with enemies running at you in formation down a corridor. Then there are the non sequiturs that the show has become so known for -- in the game, these are accomplished via minigames. Some of them offer actual rewarding gameplay, while others are just there for their humor value (such as the recreation of Stewie playing Marco Polo with Helen Keller -- which, as you know, is pointless). Unfortunately, these sequences are so few and far between, making each one feel a tad out of place when triggered.

Family Guy does have its fair share of annoyances, though. Several stages become quite repetitive, placing you in essentially identical situations, with identical characters, over and over. There's also the problem of hearing the same exact lines repeated again and again by characters that you run into as you replay sections of the game. Plus, you'll definitely run across some uneven difficulty and areas that lack polish.

But as long as you go into Family Guy not expecting gameplay excellence, you'll be fine -- there's so much else here that easily makes up for the blemishes. For hardcore fans of the show, especially at the $30 price, it's still pretty freakin' sweet.