The Adventures of Tintin is one of the most beloved classic comic book series of the 20th century and beyond. Created by Georges Remi , better known by his pen name Hergé , the comics eventually spread out of Belgium and have been translated from the original French into over 50 languages.
The series is known for its wealth of story and adventure where Tintin , a young reporter, sets out to find a newsworthy story that almost always leads him to exotic locales where he faces many dangers and unravels the nefarious plots of conspiring criminals.
A movie adaptation of the comics, directed by Steven Spielberg, utilized computer-generated imagery to render the characters onto the big screen while retaining the look and feel of the series.
Of course, the film has led to a tie-in video game. The Adventures of Tintin : The Game tries and partly succeeds in capturing the look and feel of the comics and film.
The largest issue in the game is an overall lack of challenge in the game’s puzzles, platforming and combat. Tintin encountered many exciting, yet perilous moments in the comics, but that sense of danger is somewhat lost or simply absent in this family-oriented game.
Enemies themselves are little more than minor obstacles Tintin must face in addition to the platforming . The violence is toned down with cartoony ragdoll physics as Tintin knocks enemies out with flying kicks and inflatable beach balls.
This often leaves enemies lying in comical positions with stars flying around their heads. This does manage to stay within the spirit of the Tintin comics, though.
A major plus for the game is that it actually features a hefty amount of story for a movie tie-in game. This is a nice treat for fans of the in-depth narratives of the comics.
Included with the single player campaign is a “Tintin & Haddock” cooperative mode that emphasizes teamwork to navigate through labyrinths of platforming sections.
This co-op mode is highly reminiscent of Traveller’s Tales LEGO games. Two players are required to work together using different characters with different abilities in order to reach new goals. Fortunately, the platforming never becomes too frustrating, which is often seen in family games that require players to make tricky jumps with fiddly controls.
Captain Haddock has always stolen the spotlight from Tintin , in both the comics and movies, with his loud and crazy antics. However, other supporting characters from the colorful and memorable cast make an appearance here as well.
The characters are definitely charming and likable, and the story is there for those willing to pay attention and invest in it. This is great for those who love the Tintin franchise, even if the gameplay doesn’t reach the same heights as Tintin and Haddock did in the comics.
The game’s graphics look quite good with slick visuals that draw from the movie, which in turn retains the clean and attractive ligne claire style that Hergé made famous. The game’s controls are also smooth, and are responsive enough to avoid too much frustration when controlling the characters.
The Adventures of Tintin is a gold mine of story and adventure that easily rivals that of Indiana Jones. While the uninitiated will find the game to be often repetitive and overly simple, it does manage to somewhat capture the feel of Tintin and Haddock’s adventures.
Despite some shortcomings, the game is still great for fans of the comics growing up as well as newer, younger audiences. Older fans that can overlook some of the more kid-oriented game design will find a well-made game that is fun to play.
