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Barnyard
Score: 80%
ESRB: Everyone 10+
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Bluetongue
Media: DVD/1
Players: 1
Genre: Action/ Adventure

Graphics & Sound:
Barnyard comes to us from long-time publisher THQ and Australian developer Blue Tongue. In the case of this bovine-infested tale, that name strikes home even more. At first, I wasn’t sure what to think of this title. I vaguely recall it being based on a Nickelodeon movie released several months ago, but that’s where my end stopped. It obviously caters to the younger audience, but it had a few surprises in store for me as well. As a nice bonus, my fiancée absolutely loved it!

Visually, this game is pretty dang slick. I was almost second guessing I was playing on a PS2, as this one really squeezes out the best of the ‘ol rig. The character models are extremely crisp, smooth and animate well. They are in a cel-shaded/CG style commonly seen today. The environments also enjoy a lot of hand-crafted detail, and reminded me a lot of World of Warcraft with a lot of larger textures, with solid color patterns as far as the eye can see. There is minimal pop-up, and as you move about the landscape, mountains, hills, valleys and trees will unfold themselves before you, just fast enough to keep the frames steady and the visuals sharp. Much of the world is also interactive. You can bash and pick up boxes, crates, hay bales and more, along with squirting your milk any way you please, great for a chuckle or two from the adults in the room (especially when you are choose to be a male cow). You won’t see extremely high-end effects though, but this isn’t really the format to try and wow someone with flashy graphics.

Soundwise, there are also a lot of nice touches here as well. Throughout the game, a funky honky-tonk guitar/piano rhythm adds the backdrop to your daily adventures, and it changes for mini-games, at night time and so forth. There is also a decent chunk of dialogue, although it’s not lip synched quite perfectly, and - oddly enough - only for the first few lines. Many of the voices exude cuteness, humor and downright country charm, and fans of the movie should really delight at the official voices. Lastly, the sound effects do a workmanlike job of keeping things upbeat and fun, without crossing over into the dreaded annoying zone.


Gameplay:
You start out in Barnyard in a lovely farm, filled with humanoid-like chickens, cows, sheep and more, all wandering around having a good ‘ol time. You play a young cow, new to the area and looking to make a name for him or herself. From here, you are whisked through a series of mini-games, and simplified, WoW-like quests (complete with exclamation points and question marks). A handy cell phone helps you keep track of your various missions and goals, but does raise the question - where do you put it? You can sell your loot to Gopher for items to add to the barn nightclub, such things as a Salt Lick machine, various paintings, Whack-A-Weasel and more, that continue to attract more people to the club, in hopes of being named the top cow in the area. I was actually quite surprised at how much there was to do in a supposedly “shallow” kiddie game. While not as diverse or engrossing as say GTA, this is a fun little sandbox game. There are easily 10-12 hours of gameplay here, a very solid amount considering the intended audience.

The mini-games deserve more specific mention, because they do make up a good portion of the gameplay. Some will have you harassing a mailman, golfing, defending a bunch of vegetables from nefarious racoons, and more. For the most part, these are pretty engaging and downright cute (yes, I am secure enough to use that adjective), but sometimes cater to oversimplified designs. Getting around is handled rather well, I might add. Your handy bike allows for speedy transport, as well as some wicked cool stunts! Handy waypoints highlight new objectives, hot spots abound on the ingame map, and with most points accessible within a few minutes, the overall world is accessible, without being too small.

Lastly, there is no multiplayer to speak of, although I know many fans are crying out for some hot cattle-on-cattle action, full of milk-soaked studs and cows waltzing around, with a thumping banjo filled soundtrack driving the action.... oh yes...


Difficulty:
Barnyard is meant for pre-teen kids, so it isn’t terribly difficult to pick up and master. Most veteran gamers will find the various tasks rather juvenile, although they still retain a certain charm. As for the aforementioned teenie-boppers and young ‘uns, well they shouldn’t have many problems either. The cell phone feature helps guide you along swiftly, and along with the numerous hints and tips scattered about, helps to remind players how to interact in this cuddly world.

The manual isn’t so hot however, with some pretty sparse details crafted around a lot of pictures. I will also say that some of the mini-games can be a tad frustrating, especially the one where you have to guard the vegetable patch.... at times I wanted to go out and shoot real raccoons, but after a while, even the most thumb-challenged person can get a hang of it.


Game Mechanics:
The game presents you in a 3rd-person view, happily gliding along without many problems such as wonky angles, clipping and so forth. Along with the camera work, the controls are responsive and snappy, critical for such a platform/mini-game intensive title such as this. Remember too that the frames hold pretty steady throughout, no doubt cutting down on any embarrassing glitches. Really a well put together title from a presentation standpoint.

Ultimately, Barnyard is a fun little romp through a warm, inviting landscape. With sharp graphics, lots of goofy mini-games and diversions, and the chance to spray milk at any given moment, it just beckons for all to enjoy. Add to this the fanbase built from the movie, and you have a worthy title, good for a rental if you are older than 14, or a relatively inexpensive purchase for your kids to clamber over.


-Tybo, GameVortex Communications
AKA Tyler Whitney

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