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CHICKEN RUN (DC)
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Publisher: Eidos Interactive.
Developer: Blitz Games. Released: November 2000. Genre: Stealth Adventure. Other versions: PS; PC; GBC. Posted 8th May 2022. By Shane Battams © 2022 |
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Despite a brilliant movie behind it, the Chicken Run video game would sadly prove more middling tie-in fare. It’s not short on ideas, taking cues from Metal Gear Solid of all things and avoiding the trope of adapting kids’ animated pictures into generic 3D platformers like so many before it. Unfortunately for Blitz Games, time clearly was not on their side, as the mechanics and level design feel unrefined, the mini-games are tedious and a blisteringly short length leaving a lot to be desired. Dreamcast owners looking to expand their collection would find this hardly worth the money. It’s a paltry game in more ways than one.
Like the film, Chicken Run follows the exploits of a farm of poultry trying to escape as their owners look to turn them into pies due to declining profits. Ginger leads this expedition, coming up with a raft of escape plans and contraptions, while the arrival of an American rooster Rocky could be the key to their escape. The story is fully voiced and while the big names of the film don’t reprise their roles, you won’t notice their absence too much. The repetitive cut-scenes aren’t exactly flattering, but they get the job done.
Like the film, Chicken Run follows the exploits of a farm of poultry trying to escape as their owners look to turn them into pies due to declining profits. Ginger leads this expedition, coming up with a raft of escape plans and contraptions, while the arrival of an American rooster Rocky could be the key to their escape. The story is fully voiced and while the big names of the film don’t reprise their roles, you won’t notice their absence too much. The repetitive cut-scenes aren’t exactly flattering, but they get the job done.
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Chicken Run takes inspiration from Metal Gear Solid, but frustrating level design limits the enjoyment
Taking inspiration from stealth games of the time, navigating the farm requires avoiding the attentions of guard dogs and the two farm owners. Getting caught doesn’t result in a battle to death, but rather you being sent back to the beginning of an area. Stealth isn’t terrible, but a restrictive camera that often cannot be adjusted and awkward movement lead to some cheap detections. As you move between chicken pens and locations around the land, you’ll be tasked with acquiring items that aid in building machinery to fuel your escape. This is where frustration can set in, as sneaking back to the hut where the plan is unfolding requires you stay undetected – lest you lose your items and are forced to backtrack to where you found them. While the earlier acts aren’t too bad, the final chapter sees you needing to repeat an egg-collecting mini-game to pay off two business-savvy rodents. Losing a key item due to detection requires you to repeat several steps all over again. It proves a highly tedious structure.
The other half of Chicken Run consists of mini-games. Once you build said contraptions, most have to be tested out in quick-fire challenges that see you bashing buttons, a memory QTE game, or shooting ranges where you propel escaping poultry through windows. They range wildly in quality. Some are inoffensive, such as a button-masher where you feed chickens and then catch the eggs they lay (though get ready to replay that one several times for the aforementioned final act). Others are tedious, such as a late-game instance that forces you to bash buttons to power an engine while keeping Rocky happy with bubbles in his bath. A medal can be earned on every game, depending on your performance, and a special ending is unlocked if you get a Gold on all of them.
The other half of Chicken Run consists of mini-games. Once you build said contraptions, most have to be tested out in quick-fire challenges that see you bashing buttons, a memory QTE game, or shooting ranges where you propel escaping poultry through windows. They range wildly in quality. Some are inoffensive, such as a button-masher where you feed chickens and then catch the eggs they lay (though get ready to replay that one several times for the aforementioned final act). Others are tedious, such as a late-game instance that forces you to bash buttons to power an engine while keeping Rocky happy with bubbles in his bath. A medal can be earned on every game, depending on your performance, and a special ending is unlocked if you get a Gold on all of them.
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Perhaps due to this focus on mini-games, it’s a very short game. You could blast through all three acts in a single sitting, depending on the extent to which you become unstuck with the stealth, or whether you go for gold on all the challenges. There’s also collectible stills and clips to discover around the farm, though these are hardly anything memorable. The game becomes trite long before you reach the end.
Releasing at the same time as the other versions, Chicken Run certainly doesn’t push the Dreamcast, but the simplistic style fits the film’s animation at least. The characters look rather basic and the environments don’t push too many polygons. However, the colourful look and smooth performance are a plus. The audio is better, with decent voice work and catchy music that will have your toes tapping. The only bummer is the sound effects, which haven’t received a significant overhaul over the PlayStation version, retaining a slightly crushed tone.
Releasing at the same time as the other versions, Chicken Run certainly doesn’t push the Dreamcast, but the simplistic style fits the film’s animation at least. The characters look rather basic and the environments don’t push too many polygons. However, the colourful look and smooth performance are a plus. The audio is better, with decent voice work and catchy music that will have your toes tapping. The only bummer is the sound effects, which haven’t received a significant overhaul over the PlayStation version, retaining a slightly crushed tone.
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Chicken Run offers a host of mini-games that vary considerably in terms of enjoyment
Chicken Run isn’t the worst movie tie-in, but it’s short on refinement, content and (perhaps most damningly of all) fun. The stealth concepts are unique, but the level design descends into frustration pretty quickly. The mini-games range from inoffensive to tedious and it results in a brisk game that can be smashed through in a single sitting. The beloved film could have made for a break from the norm, but unfortunately for Blitz Games, their ideas were clearly not given enough time to mature.
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VERDICT
"Chicken Run’s stealth concepts are unique, but the level design descends into frustration. The game is short on refinement, content and perhaps most damningly of all, fun." OVERALL: 5/10 |