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DOG'S LIFE (PS2)
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Publisher: Sony.
Developer: Frontier Developments. Released: October 2003 (Europe). Genre: 3D Platformer; Adventure. Posted 19th October 2020. By Tom Clare © 2020 |
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Let’s be honest, games featuring dogs (or indeed, animals in general) as central protagonists are few and far between, particularly if you remove pet management and Tamagotchi titles from the equation. There’s a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, it’s quite difficult. Developers are considerably more used to mapping human motion and mannerisms. The behaviours and movement of quadrupeds, particularly in a 3D platformer landscape, is a whole different ball game. Partly as a legacy of this, we’re lead to a second stumbling block: animals are often convenient flag-bearers for shovelware, an easy way to peddle low-end software into the gaping maw that is the casual and family-targetted market.
Having seen the less than inspiring box art, I was prepared for Dog’s Life to fit that unpromising assumption. I’m delighted to say however, that I was dead wrong. What I wasn’t expecting was one of the most consistently creative platforming experiences to have graced the PlayStation 2. Headed by David Braben of Elite fame, it’s perhaps no surprise that there’s a concerted focus on the gaming experience here. The result is a really good and refreshingly different platformer.
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Dog's Life is a very different place through the eyes of Jake: make sure you take advantage of his Smellovision to find all those bones!
Jake’s a dog living the good life out in the Clarksville countryside, until one day the love of his life, Daisy, is swiped from the streets by dog-catchers. For Jake, a tough journey awaits as he picks up the trail to a ski lodge and then the city. Along the way, he enlists the assistance of an eclectic range of dogs, helps a slew of hapless humans with their low-peril misfortunes and sets to work earning those all-important, tasty bones.
Dog’s Life isn’t as polished as Jak & Daxter or Ratchet & Clank. Its levels aren’t as slick, nor does it control quite as cleanly. Where it does trump its fellow PS2-exclusive 3D platformers however is in its variety and the wealth of nifty ideas it exhibits. Summarising the game is quite difficult, as there’s nothing quite like it. Think the life-affirming, animal on a journey tale of Babe, mixed with the humour of nineties cartoons. Take the relaxed, exploration-lead platforming of Spyro the Dragon, and then throw into the mix the micro-communities, cause-and-effect rewards and quick-fire collection quests of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series. Then add dogs.
Dog’s Life isn’t as polished as Jak & Daxter or Ratchet & Clank. Its levels aren’t as slick, nor does it control quite as cleanly. Where it does trump its fellow PS2-exclusive 3D platformers however is in its variety and the wealth of nifty ideas it exhibits. Summarising the game is quite difficult, as there’s nothing quite like it. Think the life-affirming, animal on a journey tale of Babe, mixed with the humour of nineties cartoons. Take the relaxed, exploration-lead platforming of Spyro the Dragon, and then throw into the mix the micro-communities, cause-and-effect rewards and quick-fire collection quests of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series. Then add dogs.
FOCAL POINT: A DIFFERENT BREED
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One of Dog’s Life’s masterstrokes is that, once Jake has accumulated enough bones to challenge a dog and assert his superiority, the player is given the chance to control that dog for a period of time within the environment in question. This isn’t just for show, however. Each of the fifteen different dogs has an ability, skill or attribute that Jake does not, and with their help, he can secure more bones. In the case of the first dog you meet, the Chihuahua Lopez, his diminutive stature allows him to sneak through a cat flap to find a bone within an otherwise-inaccessible house. Jake meets a Bullmastiff with the strength to move boxes, a Border Collie whose job is to round up sheep into a pen and a Dalmatian whose superior swimming skills can help ward off a pesky goose.
The adventure is awash with smart ideas, of which Smell-o-vision is the most impressive. In effect, it allows you to see the world through Jake’s eyes. Dogs rely less on eyesight, as the first-person view indicates in its landscapes taking on a slightly less defined, less colourful form. Instead, it emphasises a kaleidoscope of colourful smells. This adds enormously to the adventuring. Jake can collect groups of smells to earn bones, whilst they also indicate dig spots, the presence of humans and animals, even footprint trails that help our plucky protagonist track a criminal to their hideout, or to a coat that’s been stolen on the slopes of the ski resort.
Urinating contests. Obedience training mini-games. Stealing snacks from the local convenience store. Defecating, and lobbing the offending article at an infuriated butcher. It’s all the things you wish you could have done in Grand Theft Auto, except you were never a dog. In all seriousness though, Dog’s Life doesn’t have a mean streak, but it does have a fun sense of humour and the range of activities Jake can partake in is truly impressive. The difficulty curve is geared ideally towards younger gamers, with plenty to tax logic and platforming skills, but a generally relaxed pace and without excessive punishments or frustrations.
Movement controls have a bit of weight to them and it’s clear a lot of thought has gone into the manner in which dogs leap and land. Manoeuvring is slightly easier in the first-person view, as from the standard third-person position, things can become a little muddled, with Jake somewhat susceptible to getting wedged in the scenery.
Urinating contests. Obedience training mini-games. Stealing snacks from the local convenience store. Defecating, and lobbing the offending article at an infuriated butcher. It’s all the things you wish you could have done in Grand Theft Auto, except you were never a dog. In all seriousness though, Dog’s Life doesn’t have a mean streak, but it does have a fun sense of humour and the range of activities Jake can partake in is truly impressive. The difficulty curve is geared ideally towards younger gamers, with plenty to tax logic and platforming skills, but a generally relaxed pace and without excessive punishments or frustrations.
Movement controls have a bit of weight to them and it’s clear a lot of thought has gone into the manner in which dogs leap and land. Manoeuvring is slightly easier in the first-person view, as from the standard third-person position, things can become a little muddled, with Jake somewhat susceptible to getting wedged in the scenery.
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Dogs and humans pose a range of challenges, often with the reward of tasty bones.
Dog’s Life’s graphics look relatively simplistic, but there’s just enough colour and activity that it isn’t too noticeable. Whilst human models look lacklustre, the dogs’ animations prove a considerable highlight, both in terms of the general movement and the myriad little mannerisms they exhibit. The developers clearly had a lot of fun with scripting and voicing. It’s daft and over-the-top, with a number of humorous asides and double entendres, whilst Jake’s observations often raise a smile.
The need to accrue 90 bones to reach the final level ensures there’s plenty of mileage, and you’ll find revisiting earlier levels is no chore at all due to the variety of landscapes and challenges. Jake’s journey becomes tougher as he moves towards busier, more intimidating urban surrounds, with the peacefulness of the countryside replaced by loud motors, horns, screeching tyres, a greater confusion of scents and more hostile scenarios.
Each of the fifteen levels offers a little world of its own, each a slightly different tone, pace and feel to the last. Frontier did a fantastic job of capturing the playfulness of a dog’s existence, whilst building an extensive, varied and impressive platformer around it. There are prettier platformers out there, and ones with slightly cleaner presentation, but few can match a Dog’s Life for originality and heart. A real treat for platforming fans.
The need to accrue 90 bones to reach the final level ensures there’s plenty of mileage, and you’ll find revisiting earlier levels is no chore at all due to the variety of landscapes and challenges. Jake’s journey becomes tougher as he moves towards busier, more intimidating urban surrounds, with the peacefulness of the countryside replaced by loud motors, horns, screeching tyres, a greater confusion of scents and more hostile scenarios.
Each of the fifteen levels offers a little world of its own, each a slightly different tone, pace and feel to the last. Frontier did a fantastic job of capturing the playfulness of a dog’s existence, whilst building an extensive, varied and impressive platformer around it. There are prettier platformers out there, and ones with slightly cleaner presentation, but few can match a Dog’s Life for originality and heart. A real treat for platforming fans.
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VERDICT
"There are prettier platformers out there, and ones with slightly cleaner presentation, but few can match a Dog’s Life for originality and heart. A real treat for platforming fans." OVERALL: 7/10 |