Despicable Me: The Game

Game review by Christopher Healy, Common Sense Media
Despicable Me: The Game Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 10+

Uneven game rewards you for being "despicable."

Nintendo Wii, PSP, PlayStation 2 2010
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Parents say

age 8+

Based on 2 reviews

Kids say

age 14+

Based on 1 review

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  • Despicable Me: The Game: Screenshot #1
  • Despicable Me: The Game: Screenshot #2
  • Despicable Me: The Game: Screenshot #3

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Despicable Me: The Game focuses on Gru, the movie's protagonist, as a cartoonishly evil villain who thrives on being bad. The more despicable your behavior in the game, the higher your score will be. You should also know that the game can be extremely difficult in parts, which is why the developers had to include a feature that lets you skip the parts you can't get past -- though not until you've tried and failed ten times or so.

Community Reviews

Lebron12James3
Lebron12James3 Adult
December 21, 2021
age 2+

In the loud house, in the loud house.

Hois
Hois Adult
October 7, 2019
age 14+

This is seriously a big no no

First and very plainly, every woman in the game is as scantily clad as possible compared to any other rendition in previous games with in your face cleavage and tight clothing cut to the limit of taste. Sex is not an issue per se but suggestion is so in your face that anyone with any qualms about attire will instantly notice the blatant exploitation. Although the game itself is well rounded with every charecter you can think of from classic DM aside a few bosses, . In retrospectthe The movie title is toned down to a tasteful level and the fatalities are replaced by less gory 'brutalities as finishers making it the least bloody DMtitle. I would recommend that one for the 13 and older crowd but not this one. This game is for shock value and gore, plain and simple. One nice addition is the tag team option of playing up to 4 players locally on the same screen which is a step up in the series for getting friends together in person rather than only 2 people or online. The online is present but not necessary. It is a smoother version of previous installments with everything HDed and detailed so the quality is there in gameplay and there are charecters with simpler moves for those who have a hard time remembering special maneuvers or just don't play as often. There is a story mode and unlockables but all in all it's the same gameplay with a different backdrop not matter what you do. You can take this game as a sexed up horror movie made into a fighting game and that will explain the overall content. If you're looking for a fighting game this one will probably offend you the most as that it what it is known for and exeeds in. Great for quality and horrendous on content.

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 2 parent reviews

What’s It About?

DESPICABLE ME: THE GAME follows part of the plot of the film it is based on. Gru is an evil genius who wants to outdo his supervillain rival, Vector, by pulling off the ultimate heist -- stealing the moon. To do this, he needs a rocket, so Gru (with the help of his little yellow minions) sets out to steal the various rocket parts he will need to construct his space vehicle. The game also features a multiplayer mini-game section with various aerial dogfight games. In these, two players attempt to shoot down one another's planes while flying through rings or scooping up minions.

Is It Any Good?

There's some real creativity in the use of the minions in Despicable Me: The Game. You can freeze minions in blocks of ice to use as floating platforms on water levels; you can inflate a minion with your air gun to make it float up and hit a switch on the ceiling; you can use a line of minions as a bridge to cross gaps; and so on. The game deserves some credit for that kind of originality. The platform-jumping parts, though, which make up the majority of the action, can be tedious -- and unbearably difficult. The developers obviously knew how hard the game was, because they included a feature that allows you to skip sections after you fail at them more than ten times. And it's not that the game starts easy and gets harder -- the simple and the difficult are sprinkled throughout. It's a very uneven playing experience. The all-puzzle DS game, Minion Mayhem is actually much better.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the way the game rewards bad behavior. It's obviously meant to be silly and cartoonish, but does that make it okay? What's the difference between satirical naughtiness and truly bad behvior.

  • If you've seen the movie, do you think the game focuses on the right aspects of the film? Would you have liked to see more of the three young girls who change Gru in the movie? Or do you think it was more fun to focus on Gru's villainy?

Game Details

Our Editors Recommend

For kids who love action/puzzle games

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