Those looking for something less violent than GTA, will mostly likely find it here.
- GTA style without violence gameplay is neat
- Impressive re-creation of Springfield
- Great variety of cars and items to unlock
Negative
- Some of the character models doesn't look that good
- Missions feel too linear at times
- Similar to GTA in a way or another
It's rarely that a TV show based game is that good. Even rarer that a GTA clone with a cartoon visual make appearance, but the Simpsons: Hit & Run has done just that; create the world of the Simpsons with the similar GTA gameplay but based on the Simpsons.
Hit and Run consist of a series of missions which you play with the Simpsons family. Though those who watch the TV show will be happy to see all of the people in the series. There are 5 playable characters, which are the Simpson family and other character. Each of them can drive a car, which their unique car. The story is stretched out in missions which are too linear at times and make the game feel rushed. This isn't a game that follows the series episodes, but throughout the game you'll find bees with camera, black vans and other weird things.
Gameplay will immediately feel familiar to those who played Grand Theft Auto. Why? Because it is. Though this is without all the violence, foul language and kills. Most of the time you will be driving cars and go to missions. You can get into a car, but the person inside remains there, unlike GTA where you throw him. Also people you hit won't die. Getting money by destroying stuff is easy, but you can unlock a lot of things with these, including buying cars, clothes and others. There are some races throughout the whole game which you must win in order to continue, and there are others optional. When you see a phone box, you can order cars you already have.
Possibly the best impressive thing around is the town of Springfield. The graphics are just brilliant and it is amazing how the game looks. Character models aren't that great on the other hand. Some have big heads, like Lisa. But not exactly horrible either. There are shops you can enter as well. The default controls aren't the best, but luckily you can change them. The camera still remains a problem since you use the numbers. Unlike GTA where you can use the mouse, you can't here. Missions feel too straightforward and easy at first.
The sound is normally good. The voice acting shines higher than the music, but a couple of repetitive voices from the character you are using lowers it. There aren't any dialogues here, so you will have to listen carefully but even if you skip, the game tells you where you have to go or what you have to do next. The game seems to be weighed down by simple design. To start missions go near the person in charge to give you the mission and press the left button on your mouse or the action button. To add something good, Hit & Run works excellently on most system, even older ones.
It maybe a GTA clone, but nonetheless The Simpsons: Hit & Run does a great job in capturing the feel and look of the TV show. A bit more work could have been done in the character models and in mission structure, but overall it's impressive all way round. It offers GTA gameplay without violence, a great recreation of Springfield with all the characters from the show, plus the game is a lot of dun even if you never watched the show. But if you hate the Simpsons, it's difficult to recommend.
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Graphics = 8.4
Springfield looks great, but some character models needed a bit more work.
Sound = 7.8
Voice acting from the characters is great and the music is good.
Presentation = 8.2
Load times are fast and the production values are surprisingly high, cutscenes could have looked better.
Gameplay = 8.3
Gets repetitive and the missions are too linear. But it's GTA, without guns, blood and kills. Missions are fun though and multiple playable characters help.
Camera = 7.2
Default camera controls aren't worth using. If you can change them, good luck to you.
Story = 7.5
The characters you use have different situation but these situation fit them perfectly. Not a long game. All the characters from the show are here.
Difficulty = Just Right
Easy at first, but the difficulty does rise and some missions can be tough
OVERALL = 7.9 / 10
If you love the Simpsons, you'll like this game probably. Good TV show games are rare, but this one is right at the top.