Common Sense Media Review
By Erin Bell
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Tame but mediocre movie tie-in; best for fans.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
What's It About?
If your kids liked Disney's Enchanted, they might enjoy replaying some of the film's key moments. Princess Giselle's plan to marry 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 and his young daughter. 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. Giselle can collect items and make dresses with them, sing songs, and call on her animal friends to help her. Edward's levels are action-oriented; he battles trolls and other baddies with his sword as he searches for Giselle. Instead of pressing buttons to fight a monster you control Edward's movements by tracing and tapping symbols on the DS' lower screen.
Is It Any Good?
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.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
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?
Game Details
- Platform : Nintendo DS
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : Disney Interactive
- Release date : November 6, 2007
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : June 19, 2019
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