For me, physics based games are hit or miss. While the segment from Portal 2 that uses your momentum to propel you around the room usingFor me, physics based games are hit or miss. While the segment from Portal 2 that uses your momentum to propel you around the room using nothing but the orange and blue oil slicks is still one of the most memorable sequences from the title, I can barely stand the thought of revisiting Trials or any of its sequels. Animal Super Squad falls somewhere in between.
The story of the game follows a chicken on his quest to save his other animal friends who have been trapped inside of bubbles across the game’s levels. There is very little text, and when there is it’s often in basic Spanish with no voice over, but there is a story present that features a few light jokes. Sure, it’s not much to write home about, but it answers the question as to "why the chicken crossed the road?"
Since chickens can't really fly, you'll roll through the levels until other forms of transportation are added. Once unlocked, you can select one of the wacky contraptions from the get-go (with my personal favorite being a toilet on wheels), or you can do so by entering various stations placed throughout the levels. Each mode of transport has special abilities that can be used regularly. These will range from boost, to flight, to making extremely long jumps, among others. Most of these work as intended and are fairly easy to control.
The vehicles have other functions as well. They work as an additional hit point, in the event you get hurt by one of the not so lethal traps the game throws at you. Additionally, the ruins of the machine can be used by the chicken to roll around. While this isn't nearly as effective as the full device, it does make traversing the level much easier. In the event you are left with just your feathered protagonist, many of the hazards will simply catch you on fire, and after a short time turn you into a bucket of fried chicken. Yes, you read that right. The good news is you can check the box for completing a level as a bucket of KFC extra crispy off of your bucket list.
The levels are well designed and feature a varied number of obstacles or traps which work as intended. My biggest gripe with the game is the fact that many of the levels feature a few areas that are difficult to get out of should you get stuck. The same can be said due to some ill placed checkpoints, which are placed after a long decline where momentum is needed to progress. Death after one of these areas will likely result in you having to start the entire level over, as making the necessary jump is near impossible without the boost the level provided prior to the checkpoint. In the event you do get stuck, you can reload the game by pressing the corresponding face button, but I feel like the game could have been polished a bit more to avoid these pitfalls.
The game lacks the option for co-op or racing, which I feel is a missed opportunity as the level design and cutesy characters would have made this title a go to for me and my young son. On the plus side, the game offers almost infinite replayability due to the level creator. While I found the controls in this mode to be a bit cumbersome, the community has created a number of well-designed levels, some of which were recreations of iconic levels from other franchises. Adding to the replay options are hidden areas, as well as different ratings for each of the story modes.
The game is decent and fans of the Trials series will likely love the game, but I found it hard to overlook the tedious nature of some of the levels that killed the joy I experienced when the game worked well. With its budget price point, if you are disappointed by it you'll likely still be able to find some enjoyment playing the community creations.… Expand
