Game: Where the Wild Things Are
Developer/Publisher: Griptonite/Warner Brothers
Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS
Price: $50.00
Pros: Visuals, soundtrack, true to the spirit of the story
Cons: Relies on some cliche gameplay
Verdict: Buy It
Publisher Provided Review Copy for the XBox 360

To discover whether a game that is marketed for kids (and the young at heart) is any good at all, all one needs to do is the following:

• Find a seven year old boy. My son fits this demographic nicely.
• Place said boy in front of large TV screen, running an Xbox 360 and copy of said game.
• Place a controller in his hands (of course he already knows how to use it; he IS my son…)
• Start the game, while helping him navigate through menus that are too hard for him to read.
• Watch him play.

Throughout this process, data collection is essential. Two data points must be observed, and recorded. The first essential point is the length of time spent playing the game, with a secondary variable being the amount time spent asking to play the game, while the television or console is not on. This requesting process includes asking, normally in a plaintive voice, or outright manipulation in the form of hugs, kisses, and “you’re the best dad, ever” statements. The second key data point to be recorded is the incidence and volume of exclamatory statements and giggles while playing the game in question. If the experimenter can hear said statements and laughter from upstairs, then one can be assured of a positive result.

I have used this tried and true method on rental games to see if they are worthy of a purchase. I’m now utilizing this highly specialized system for you, dear reader, to help you decide whether this movie tie-in game is worth your hard earned money.

We all know that movie tie-in games typically suck. Under most circumstances they suck fairly hardcore, to be completely honest. The only one I’ve heard of being any good is a certain James Bond game from a generation or two ago. So, I approach any tie-in game with some trepidation. Our own staff has reviewed a few movie games in the past, *cough* Terminator Salvation *cough* and found them to be lacking.

My son, in his inimitable seven-year-old wisdom, has decided that Where The Wild Things Are: The Game, rates high on the KWPTG scale. In the Kid Will Play This Game Scale we can find a large number of loud exclamations of delight, joy, laughter, and happiness. In addition, we also found there to be an increase in the amount of hugs, smiles and snuggles from said experimental subject when the game itself was turned off and stowed.

In my own play-through, the game proves to be an engaging mix of platforming elements, engaging characterizations and story events, truly making it a pleasant way to spend time with the Wild Things. I found my inner child laughing and whooping it up, howling right along with Max and the Wild Things, as they jumped and ran their way through the events of the story. This is a game that encourages play, whether in the Village, which an in-between-story-missions location that houses both Max’s tent and the Wild Things’ nest-like chairs, or in the missions, where things like jumping, running, and sliding become crucial to completing the mission.

My son found the running missions to be his favorite, and I must admit, they seemed to convey the proper amount of speed and joy that any young child would experience while running through the woods and jumping over logs and roots. That Max is riding a giant Wild Thing, jumping over and sliding under logs, and leaping across rivers, only adds to the howling happiness of the activity.

This balances out my initial disappointment when I realized that yes, Max would have to use his scepter to hit and smash things while moving through the levels. I haven’t seen the movie, yet, but doubt that it includes much in the way of hitting large fireflies or bushes. That being said, though, smacking them does feel satisfying in a aurally tactile way.

The audio of the game was an integral part of the enjoyment that we found while playing it. The weight of these huge creatures is conveyed through their deep, resonant voices, the rumble of the controller and the satisfying smash when landing a particularly difficult jump. Also worth noting, the “Press Start” screen is one not to be ignored, as watching Max run through levels, or listening to the quirky and thrillingly subtle soundtrack, can be as entertaining as actually playing the game. Throughout the missions, the music does not feel repetitive, or overly orchestrated. The camera angles and delicate transitions between cut scene and game play help emphasize a measure of elegance not typically seen in video games at all, let alone movie tie-ins.

The platforming is simple, but not overly easy. My son needed my help on occasion to get past a particularly tricky jump or a hive full of fireflies, which actually burn or explode. Max collects various objects for the different Wild Things, starting with skulls for The Bull, and progressing through model houses for Carol and plants for SOMEBODY. It’s all fairly innocuous, but remains pleasant and never felt like a grind or busy work.

The story hits all the themes of friendship, even the not so nice ones, in a nod to the original source material. Not everyone who acts like a friend actually is a friend, and Max finds this out early on, after being taken on a long trek and abandoned by two of the less accepting Wild Things. When my son wasn’t watching, I threw rocks at the large bird-like Wild Thing and made him mad. He came after Max, hitting him. When Max’s health got too low, the bird actually ATE HIM. This is brilliant, because it drives home that fact that the Wild Things are actually wild. They aren’t meant to be reassuring at all, and I appreciate the game for not dumbing that down. It’s good to be a little afraid of them.

My only quibble with the game is the lack of any kind of any multiplayer mechanics. It sure would be great to control a Wild Thing while my son controls Max, or some sort of co-op mode where I could play along with him. I don’t need a whole online leader board system, but a simple local 2-player mode would have been the icing on an already tasty cake.

Overall, if you have a young child at home, boy OR girl, you owe it to yourself to pick this game up. If you are familiar with the book, or the movie, and want to extend that experience, this may be a perfect way to do so. If you are able to put aside the foolish things of adulthood and engage your inner howling wild thing, this game will serve you well. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to sneak back to my Xbox and run through a few more forests to collect fallen stars before my son wakes up and takes the console away.