Over the Hedge Hands-On

Activision has had a better-than-average run of luck with its movie-based games over the past few years. The latest game to show promise is the upcoming Over the Hedge, a multiplatform action game based on the upcoming DreamWorks movie of the same name. We had the chance to try out the console games at an Activision press event last night and were impressed by how they're coming together.

For those who have fallen behind on their furry animal flicks, Over the Hedge is an upcoming CG film that follows the antics of a circle of animal friends who find themselves invading suburbia when housing construction brushes up against their wilderness home. The group is led by RJ the raccoon, a traveling con artist who knows a thing or two about digging around housing tracts for good stuff.

The game mirrors the movie plot, with some game-related dramatic license, and lets you take control of RJ, Verne the turtle, Hammy the squirrel, and Stella the skunk. Each member of the quartet has a set of unique abilities that come in handy during the course of the game. The game itself is a basic third-person action game. The objective-based levels are broken up into chapters that find you sneaking around suburbia, adventuring in your wilderness digs, and even logging some time on a train. Besides the standard objectives in each level, you'll find a host of collectibles that unlock different extras in the game. In the levels we tried, we picked up items that opened up music, concept art, film clips, and minigames. You'll also be able to collect an array of jaunty headwear in the form of different-themed hats, such as a chef's hat, that spruce up your animal's appearance temporarily. However, you'll lose your cool hat if you're hit while playing.

The levels we tried offered a sampling of the varied gameplay. A traditional platforming level had us sneaking around the exterior and interior of a house, a forced scrolling level had us avoiding the local exterminator and a surly bear, and a train level had us rescuing a pack of caged friends and fighting rats. You'll also find some quick diversions in the form of code-breaking segments that task you with matching button combos while trying to mess with security systems. The twist to the action is that Over the Hedge features a strong co-op mechanic so you can adventure with a second buddy in tow. When you're playing solo, your partner is controlled by the artificial intelligence, but a second player can hop in at any time and take active control.

While the AI seemed decent in single-player--with the occasional hitches that happen when a nonhuman character is in control--the game experience is a bit more appealing with a real person in the driver's seat. You'll find that you can perform co-op actions, such as having your partner jump on your shoulders so you can attack your foes in tandem (with the player on the bottom handling movement chores). You'll also find competitive split-screen action in the minigames you'll unlock over the course of the adventure. The games we saw appear to be racing based and will have you racing around in RC cars or engaging in a Destruction Derby-style competition called "bumper cars" in which you'll duke it out with friends in golf carts.

Control is simple and accessible for all the modes in the game. You'll move your character with the controller's analog stick and get yourself to new areas with the time-honored double jump. Melee and ranged attacks are your primary means of dealing with your foes, although each character will have a unique ability as well as a more powerful special attack. Onscreen button prompts will alert you to context-sensitive activities, such as picking up items, opening doors, or finagling security panels. This setup worked fine in the levels we played and felt pretty good overall.

The visuals are a colorful collection of imagery based on the look of the CG film. The main characters closely resemble their cinematic counterparts and animate reasonably well. The environments appear to be a mix of locales from the film, with some dramatic liberties taken to flesh them out to the size of a proper game level. The game's smooth performance holds up reasonably well, even in the split-screen multiplayer modes. The breakdown among the consoles is pretty much what you'd expect at this point. The Xbox stands as the best looking, with the GameCube and PlayStation 2 vying for second place.

The audio was a little tough to gauge in the demo area where the game was shown, but what we were able to hear was a fair approximation of the voice cast. The tunes also featured some of the familiar themes we've heard in the movie trailers. The authentic sounds are fleshed out by original music that's in the same vein as the film's score.

Based on what we played, the console versions of Over the Hedge seem to be engaging platformers with some solid gameplay mechanics. Though the source material is aimed squarely at kids, the cooperative gameplay is a smart hook to put in to ensure that the adults in the house come along for the ride. If Over the Hedge manages to maintain the bouncy pace of the levels we tried, it should shape up to be a movie game worth a look when it ships later this year.