Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs Review for Xbox 360

System: X360, DS, PS3, PC, Wii, PS2	Review Rating Legend
Dev: Activision	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: Activision	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: June 30, 2009	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 1-2	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

On top of the single-player platforming mode, there are also quite a few mini-game style multiplayer modes as well. Although they aren’t incredibly deep, there are some fun competitive modes like Sloth Says (which is a variation on Simon Says) and Sloth Barge, which challenges you to knock off a small iceberg using snowballs. In addition to these, there are six other multiplayer modes (each limited to two players). However, the game does not give you these multiplayer modes automatically, and you will have to purchase them in-game, or unlock them by completing advanced levels.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs screenshot

As far as graphics are concerned, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs fares pretty well. The character models do a good job of recreating the look of the familiar faces from the movie, and I was surprised at the level of detail on some of the characters. The animation was also very impressive, and the game’s cutscenes featured a consistent framerate and smooth textures. However, even though these aspects looked good, I couldn’t help notice that the background visuals were a little bit lacking, and the environments didn’t have much variation. Still, the game does look decent overall, especially considering it is based on a kids’ movie.

One aspect of this title that was quite surprising was the quality of the sound. Anyone who has played a number of movie-inspired titles knows that voiceovers generally consist of a number of sound-alikes standing in for the actors from the original movie. However, I was impressed to learn that many of the actors from the actual film, including Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, and John Leguizamo reprised their roles for the game. However, even though the voiceover is nice, the background music is a little lacking and very repetitive.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, like the movie of the same name, it won’t win any awards for breaking the mold or taking any gameplay risks. But the game accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do, and I can’t really complain about that. There are plenty of fun movie-inspired platforming levels, and the unlockable multiplayer modes certainly add some replay value. If you or someone you know loves the Ice Age franchise, then this game will certainly please fans without giving them too much of a challenge.

By Amanda L. Kondolojy
CCC Staff Contributor

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

3.8

Graphics
Character designs are very polished, but levels are a little basic-looking.

3.5

Control
Controls are very basic and should be easy for most kids to understand.

3.9

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Background music is a little on the repetitive side, but the voiceover (which features some of the original talent from the movie) is top-notch.

3.6

Play Value
The story mode is long enough for a kid-targeted game, and the two-player modes are a lot of fun.

3.5

Overall Rating - Good
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

Join Ice Age’s unlikely herd of prehistoric pals for their wildest, wackiest, most exciting adventure yet!

For the first time, play as six beloved Ice Age characters as they embark on a rescue mission across melting snow to the mysterious Dinosaur World – an all-new, fur-raising jungle of carnivorous plants, lush foliage and fierce dinosaurs.

Based on the highly anticipated Fox film Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, it’s a rollicking ride of mammoth proportions!