Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this game will appeal primarily to fans of the Enchanted movie. Violence is mild and not bloody -- Edward waves his sword, and the baddies fall over and fade away. Fighting is done in a rather unique way; instead of pressing buttons to fight a monster directly, you control Edward's movements by tracing and tapping symbols on the DS' lower screen. There are some still photos from the movie, but no actual movie footage or voices. The age category of 7 and up is based on the difficulty of gameplay.
Families can talk about whether they prefer playing as Giselle or Edward. Kids: Do you like it when games let you play as more than one character, or would you prefer the story to stick with one point of view? Would you have enjoyed this game as much if it wasn't based on a popular movie? Why or why not?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Erin Bell
If your kids warmed to the charming fish-out-of-water love story of Disney's Enchanted, they might get a kick out of replaying some of the film's key moments in the video game version.
Princess Giselle's plan to marry the handsome Prince Edward is foiled by Edward's vindictive stepmother, who uses magic to whisk Giselle out of the animated fantasy land of Andalasia and into modern-day New York City, where she's befriended by a divorced lawyer named Robert and his young daughter, Morgan.
Players take turns controlling Giselle, Edward, and Giselle's chipmunk friend, Pip. Giselle's levels are exploration-based; some take place in New York, while others are set in Andalasia as flashbacks. As Giselle walks around, she can collect items and make dresses with them, sing special songs, and call on her animal friends to help her. For example, birds can retrieve items from hard-to-reach places while skunks spray enemies to immobilize them.
Edward's levels are action-oriented; he battles trolls and other baddies with his trusty sword as he searches for Giselle. Fighting is done in a rather unique way; instead of pressing buttons to fight a monster directly, you control Edward's movements by tracing and tapping symbols on the DS' lower screen. As for Pip, he can navigate narrow tunnels using his unique abilities to walk on walls and ceilings.
The platformer-style gameplay includes climbing walls, swinging on parallel bars, shimmying up poles, and leaping from one ledge to the next. There are several mini-games, too -- such as Edward riding his horse, or Giselle's dressmaking.
While the gameplay is more varied than in many movie tie-in games, Enchanted falls short because of control issues that make actions like grabbing poles and jumping off of them finicky to execute. Some missions are tricky to complete; others, like the one in which you have to find 15 dandelions, are repetitive and dull. Production values are only so-so, and sometimes it can be unclear where to go next.
Fans of the Enchanted movie should get a kick out of the game if they're willing to put up with these few foibles.
For other portable movie tie-ins, check out Flushed Away (Nintendo DS), Shrek the Third (Nintendo DS Version), and Open Season (DS Version).
Rate It!
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ViolenceEdward battles baddies like trolls, centaurs, and giant mushrooms. There's no blood -- Edward merely waves his sword, and the enemy falls down and disappears. |
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Social BehaviorThe queen is a stereotypical "wicked stepmother" who tries to break up Giselle and Edward, then tries to poison Giselle with a tainted apple. |
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CommercialismIt's a tie-in to Disney's hit Enchanted movie. |
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