Family Guy Uncensored Review

This weak licensed minigame collection isn't enjoyable for fans of the show...or anyone else.

The TV show Family Guy gets big ratings and has a rabid fanbase. It's built on a foundation of unusual characters, boundary-pushing jokes, and lots of non-sequiturs. But this mobile game is so tedious that you'd be better off leaving it behind and catching some reruns instead.

Some of the minigames, like this flying level, use tilt controls.
Some of the minigames, like this flying level, use tilt controls.

Family Guy Uncensored consists of a half-dozen minigames, which star characters from the show and are loosely linked together through a story mode that lasts about a half-hour. In the story, which is as unnecessary as it is forgettable, the power goes out around town and Peter Griffin decides to walk to the bar instead of watching TV. A new minigame launches each time he meets a new character on the way.

The minigames include a tilt-based flying shooter inside of Chris's sketchbook, a vine-swinging platformer from Quagmire's fantasy, and a Mega Man-esque action segment starring Stewie. Most of these minigames are of poor quality, and hindered by sloppy controls that are not well suited to the device. Frame rate slowdown is also an issue, even on a powerful handheld like the Motorola Droid.

In the Mega Man-inspired levels, for example, the controls on the Droid are split between the touchscreen and the keypad for moving, shooting, and jumping. You can't customize the controls to your liking, and playing with one hand on the screen and one on the keyboard is awkward. Since this is the only minigame with any real substance, these clumsy controls are especially disappointing.

If you're a regular viewer of the show you'll spot several Family Guy in-jokes, and these are the only reason to even consider buying the game. You get to control Peter in a fight against a giant chicken, and help Brian escape from Stewie when he's in violent loan shark mode, for example. While you can choose to replay these minigames with increased difficulty, they become even more tedious the second time around.

In the story mode, the town's power goes out and Peter is forced to stop watching TV.
In the story mode, the town's power goes out and Peter is forced to stop watching TV.

Whether or not you're a Family Guyfan, don't set yourself up for disappointment by buying this game. Family Guy Uncensored plays like a poor-quality cash-in with only a few glimmers of humor and creativity.

This review was provided by GameSpot mobile content partner SlideToPlay.com.

The Good

  • Decent artwork
  • Clever variety
  • In-jokes for fans of the show.

The Bad

  • Tedious minigames
  • Poor controls and performance
  • Humor falls flat.

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