GTA: Ducktown? Not quite - but this is a game that is surprisingly deep for a game based on a kid's TV show.
User Rating: 8.3 | Sitting Ducks PC
Sitting Ducks is one of those impossible-to-not-like TV shows that appeals to all sorts of age groups. It's with little surprise then that the show has been turned into a computer game, but the really surprising thing is the way that they've chosen to do it. Rather than a horribly thrown-together "activity centre" or whatnot, developers Asobo Studio have chosen to make a Grand Theft Auto-style mission-based action game. The resulting game, while not without faults - big ones, either - turns out to be a really delightful romp through the Sitting Ducks universe. And a surprisingly deep one at that. For those unfamiliar with the TV show, the game (and show) centers on a duck named Bill, his dopey friends Ed, Oly and Waddle, town mother-figure Bev and the reformed alligator Aldo, and their adventures in and around the city of Ducktown. The game starts with some basic missions like following Ed, Oly and Waddle to the Cafe, escaping from Aldo, and finding items scattered around the city. The game areas really are the star of the show here - Ducktown itself is lovingly recreated and surprisingly well detailed. The place is swarming with ducks of all descriptions, some driving scooters or cars, and some merely walking around. No-one's particualrly clever though - they'll happily bump into you or anyone else in their way because they're not smart enough to get out of the way. While it's funny to watch the little accidents that happen on the road, it makes your job a lot harder when they crash into you, even more so when you consider you lose 3 feathers (the currency in this game) everytime you do. Graphically, the game is great, but very patchy in places. There are some problems with slowdown when there's a lot of ducks on screen, and the game is very "foggy" when it really doesn't need to be. All this tends to lead to some instability with the game as well, and it's a shame that a bit more work wasn't put in to make it right. Fans of the show will be pleased to hear that the original cast are present and correct for the voice acting, and as such the production is spot on. There's a few ropey moments when the lines don't match the captions, or lines are missed completely, but overall, everything is fine. While the main game is refreshingly deep, there's a surprising lack of game modes. There's no multiplayer and no minigames, either. A lesser man would dismiss the game there and then but luckily the main story mode is deep enough to carry the product on its own. To call this game GTA: Ducktown isn't quite right, because despite the large play area, you're not exactly free to do whatever you want whenever you want. You are allowed a certain amount of freedom to run around the city and play the game at your pace, but the story and certain parts of the city won't be unlocked or made available until you complete the main missions. That's not to say that there's nothing to do, though. You can earn feathers completing side missions or playing an impromtu game of water polo and so forth, or set out discovering 100 hidden flyers across the game, and buy stuff like disguises, maps or upgraded scooters. It's just a shame that there isn't more stuff to do, or it was all a bit more obvious. To be fair, this probably has more in common with The Simpsons: Hit & Run than GTA in terms of mission structure and graphical style. You don't have to fit the target age group to enjoy this game. If you're a fan of the show, you'll appreciate the due care and attention the product has been given, or if you're looking for GTA without the GTA and not featuring The Simpsons, you'll enjoy the semi-free structure the game offers. Hardcore gamers may be instantly put off by the game's inherent problems and "kiddy" look and feel, but there's actually a really good game under all that if you'll only look. It's worth a look at least, especially at the budget price. The game isn't perfect, but it really does capture the spirit of the TV show while providing an incredibly deep gameplay experience.
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