System: X360, PS3, PC, Wii, PS2, Xbox, GC, PSP, DS
Dev: Heavy Iron Studios
Pub: THQ
Release: June 26, 2007
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: Everyone
Review by Maria Montoro

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Review Rating Legend
1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor
2.5 - 2.9 = Average
3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
3.5 - 3.9 = Good
4.0 - 4.4 = Great
4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
5.0 = The Best

For its own merit, I have to say the game looks good and sounds good. I was able to play Ratatouille on an HDTV and I have to admit the graphics were attractive and nicely done, with a decent amount of details in each level and large environments that didn't feel unfinished. With some reasonable limitations, of course, you can pretty much explore anything that comes across your eyes. The textures in the videogame are accurate and realistic. Again, not as much as they are on the movie, but I couldn't ask for more, after seeing Remy's cute furry skin and the life-like objects situated in each scenario. The animations are not as smooth as they could be, as characters move around in somewhat unnatural manners and their jumps and other moves seem a little abrupt.

The cast that lent their voices for the movie participated in the game as well, recording some funny scenes and several in-game comments that you will probably hear more frequently than you want to, especially if you get stuck repeating the same jump time and again. The music tracks are extracted from the movie, but there aren't as many tunes being played throughout the video game; a little more variety would have been nice, especially since they're keen on having us spend a good while in each level. Often times the game makes you start from the beginning of the level, even after a long and complicated platforming process. Yikes! If only they had been a bit more thoughtful with the players…

If you find the special Ratatouille icons throughout each stage you will unlock a few bonuses, like some beautiful artwork created for the movie, four Ratatouille videos, a teaser video for the upcoming Disney / Pixar movie WALL-E, and a couple other things. Nothing is so special that will make you want to play the game just for that, but it's always nice to be rewarded with some extras, I guess.

If you like to be tortured, you could just go to the store right now and pick up the game; you'll be very satisfied. However, something tells me that you and most people enjoy games that are fun to play, user-friendly, and engaging. If that's your case, there are plenty of games out there that will probably provide you with better gameplay and more fun for the whole family, from THQ's Tak series to others like Ubisoft's Rayman, Sony's Jak and Daxter, and EA's Ty, the Tasmanian Tiger, along with some other movie-based video games that were actually made with some love. Just keep looking; like I said at the beginning, you might have to look for cheese somewhere else…

By Maria Montoro
CCC Co-Site Director

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