Home

 › 

Articles

 › 

Coraline Review for PlayStation 2 (PS2)

Coraline Review for PlayStation 2 (PS2)

Movie-based games tend to be bad, but we’ve seen quite a few lately that were able to keep players interested and even entertained. While the gaming industry continues to grow and games (even movie-based ones) continue to improve, some titles are still best left behind. When a game is made with low-quality standards but it’s being sold for 30 dollars, I have to make sure I do my job and let you know why it may be a waste of your time and money.

Coraline screenshot

Coraline is a unique and interesting, yet strange, tale written by Neil Gaiman. It’s a dark, kids’ novel about a girl who just moved into a new house with her parents and is bored out of her mind. Her parents often neglect her due to their busy jobs as writers, and she can’t help it but be curious about everything that surrounds her. This leads her to meet her wacky neighbors. The one upstairs, Mr. Bobinski, is an eccentric circus acrobat who trains mice for circus performances. The neighbors downstairs, Miss Forcible and Miss Spink, are retired actresses with a strange affinity for Highland Terriers. As if these people weren’t odd enough, Coraline ends up finding a secret gate to “the other side” in her very own home! There, she’ll meet her “other mom,” her “other dad,” and also alternate versions of her own neighbors and her friend Wybie. These new versions of the people she’s familiar with are very friendly and extremely fun, though they all seem to have something in common that Coraline doesn’t quite understand. Their eyes… they’re just button eyes, sewn with thread and a sharp needle!

The rest you’ll figure out by yourself if you read the book, watch the movie, or… play the game. Unfortunately, I assure you the latter option is the least fulfilling of the three; this game hasn’t been made with much love (or so it seems). I have played several movie-based games in the past few months and I found this one to be the most boring of them all. The game starts on the right foot with the cool opening cinematic also seen in the movie, but, as soon as you start, you’ll notice the visuals are not as appealing as they are in the film and, as you delve deeper into it, you’ll see the story is not quite as revealing. In fact, you’ll be a little lost if you didn’t watch it first or read the novel.

Even though the game is based on a gorgeous animated movie, the fluid animations and characters’ moves haven’t been translated properly for the video game. The game looks similar to the movie, but Coraline is slow as can be, and performing any kind of task with her feels like a real chore, whether it’s moving newspapers out of the way, climbing on top of a box, or pushing stuff around. Subtle details that were so amazing in the film also leave a lot to be desired in the game. I noticed the ugly reflection of the dad’s face on his computer screen, and that was one of the first clues about the overall quality of the video game. In the movie, the reflection looked crystal-clear, and it mimicked the dad’s moves. In the game, it looks static and very artificial.

Coraline screenshot

The gameplay will take you right back to the 90s, due to its limited controls and overly simplistic “scavenger hunt-style” missions. You can only do one thing consistently: moving Coraline around – for the rest of actions like jumping, opening doors, etc. you’ll have to wait for on-screen prompts to hit a certain button, which is quite annoying. Gameplay consists of finding things in the house and completing puzzles. There are also a few mini-game challenges here and there, which are based on matching pieces, following the rhythm, and such. This sounds okay for a kids’ game in theory; the problem is most of the tasks are not fun at all, and the level of difficulty is so varied that players will lose interest in no time. Sometimes it almost feels like a Dora the Explorer kind of game, while other times it will challenge players with ridiculous timed mini-games that will drive anyone crazy.

What’s more – this game is rated E10+, probably due to its eerie theme, so it’s not appropriate for the younger ones, who might be the only ones interested in the title. Those who are 10 and up will most likely feel boredom, frustration, and indifference before they find any kind of entertainment in it. So, who’s the actual target audience for the game? We can’t really tell. The unbalanced gameplay is definitely one of the biggest problems with it – developer Papaya Studios doesn’t seem to have thought this one through.

Coraline screenshot

The controls are also unbalanced and not very practical. We know the PS2 will have to use the DualShock controller with its control stick and face buttons, but the Wii controls are not that different. Everything, including the slingshot challenge, is handled with the Nunchuk control stick and buttons, as well as a few buttons on the Wii Remote. Point-and-click is not used, and very few motion controls are involved. In a way, this is nice; it allows players to sit and relax, and it doesn’t force you to do unnecessary moves that will end up getting annoying. However, there were many occasions in which the controls could have been implemented more efficiently, allowing for more engaging gameplay.

Coraline screenshot

This is especially true with the mini-games. Using rare button combinations instead of motion controls is a poor choice. For example, there’s a rhythm-based challenge where you have to hit buttons at the right time. This doesn’t work well, and it’s been used so much lately that it’s getting old. Trying to remember where each button is and doing it at the right time will never be as fun as executing a few fun moves like those in Rayman Raving Rabbids. They could have definitely taken advantage of the motion controls on the Wii version, and they would have probably obtained better results.

In addition, there’s a problem with the camera. It’s completely independent and handled by the game’s engine. It follows you around as you move Coraline, and it turns when it feels it has to, sometimes abruptly, and other times after a noticeable delay – you may run into a wall in the meantime. I found myself wanting to change the camera on my own many times, and not being able to do it was frustrating. To top it off, the game ended up giving me some serious motion sickness. This happens to me often while playing first-person shooters (not third-person), but it had never happened to me while playing a kids’ game. Had I been able to control the camera, this wouldn’t have happened. Of course, I know this may not happen to most people, but still… if you’re sensitive to camera changes, Coraline will give you a hard time.

It’s too bad the game ended up being a poor movie tie-in, because it had all the movie licenses and even original voices from actors like Dakota Fanning and Robert Bailey Jr. The music is equally great, though it doesn’t come through like it does in the movie, due mainly to the overall low-budget feel of the game.

Other than the three or four hours of play you’ll get out of Coraline, there isn’t much left to be done. You can play the mini-games individually, and some of them are fun enough to entertain you for a while. But, truth be told, you’re better off playing another game or nothing at all. Although Coraline was developed by a studio that created quality games such as Medal of Honor: Airborne, this one doesn’t seem to fit the bill.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 3.0 Graphics
Even though the game does portray most elements of the movie, the graphics look outdated, and the in-game animations are choppy sometimes. 2.3 Control
Controls are outdated as well. You’re only allowed to perform most actions after you’ve been given a button prompt on the screen, and the camera is so bad it may give you or your kid motion sickness. 3.9 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The voice over work is the best part of the game, and it’s comparable to the movie. The soundtrack is also enjoyable. 1.5 Play Value
The game is very short and doesn’t seem suitable for any ages. It’s too boring and easy for early teens and adults, and it’s too difficult and scary for children. 2.5 Overall Rating – Average
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • Play as Coraline and interact with all the colorful characters in this fantastical interactive adventure.
  • Explore two distinct, fully interactive worlds like never before: the brooding Normal World and the mesmerizing Other World.
  • Graphic style and tone inspired by the amazing stop-motion animated film and the eerie storyline.
  • Earn buttons as currency through unique and engaging mini-games.
  • Collectable items galore: find unique outfits to customize Coraline’s look, fill your scrapbook with photos, and unlock artwork and stills from the movie.

  • To top