Futurama

A confession is in order here: I loved Futurama the television show. That is only a problem because, clearly, Futurama the game is only really going to appeal to fans of the show. As an action title, it is just decent. As a platformer, it is hopelessly flawed. As a reflection of the brilliant humor of the television show, it is really on the money.

Futurama follows the adventures of the four central characters of the television show, time traveling delivery boy Fry, one-eyed pilot Leela, criminal robot Bender, and kooky Dr. Zoidberg. Playing as each of the characters is noticeably different, and the personalities of the characters really shine through. The use of the actual voice talents from the show and the fact that the game’s script was written by the show’s writers makes the whole experience feel really authentic.

The graphics aren’t bad. They are simply the same cartoony, cell-shaded (well, kind of) characters we’ve seen in so many other games based on cartoons, but they capture the world of Futurama well. I especially liked the architecture. It was fun to run around the familiar locales from the show and interact with the denizens.

ridiculously amateur camera make even the combat heavy levels frustrating. The camera is really the biggest problem as it is often impossible to get a quick look at the level, which allows enemies to fire at will from behind or above the character.

And if the action-focused levels seem difficult, wait to you try the platforming. Every element that makes the shooting difficult makes the platforming really annoying. Often players are asked to simply jump blindly into the void in hope of landing on something stable. The worst case is in one of the early levels. The spot that Fry needs to get to is around a corner and to get to it, he must jump out into space and, through the magic of cartoon physics, change direction in mid-air and zip around the corner. Only when he lands on the other side can the camera be turned to reveal a valve that must be turned to advance in the level. I can’t imagine what was going on in the developer’s head when this particular “puzzle” was designed, but regardless it is stupid and frustrating.

Levels alternate between fighting heavy and platforming heavy with nothing in the way of innovative game play to be found. If it weren’t for the wonderful use of the Futurama setting, the game would be hard to stand—about on par with the dozens of crappy Disney platformers that have been released over the years.

But, oh that Futurama universe. The writers of the show and the voice actors do a wonderful job making the game feel like an episode of the television show. It is funny, satirical, and as goofy as it could possibly be. I haven’t laughed this hard at a game since I watched my twelve-year old niece beating the crap out of little old ladies in Grand Theft Auto 3 (but, that’s just me). The humor almost makes the game worth a purchase; it definitely makes it worth a rental.

- Tolen Dante