Thor: God Of Thunder 3DS

Like the rising of the moon, it is inevitable that video game developers will try and cash in on the next biggest movie blockbuster. The year so far has spawned games such as Thor, Captain America, The Green Lantern and the list goes on. Most are lack-lustre and are missing the element of time it has taken the movie producer to create a genius work of art. SEGA have been at it again with the latest effort – Thor: God Of Thunder. Hold on, this seems a little familiar.

In some what of a brilliant tactic, SEGA have timed the Nintendo 3DS version of Thor to be released in line with the Blu-Ray release of the Marvel picture. This gave the developers – Red Fly Studios an extra six months to make a handheld game that people would choose over the home console versions. But was the extra time that was given used in such a game that left an impression more than the average console version?

Thor: God Of Thunder 3DS certainly makes an impression right from the moment the cartridge enters the system. Unfortunately, it is not the best start to the proceedings. After pressing the A button to bring up the start menu, tapping the bottom screen to choose a profile is a problem. As far as navigating the menus are concerned, the touchscreen is redundant. After nearly 8 years of playing Nintendo DS this is a feature most will have gotten used to. Surprisingly its hard to get used to!

After this small oversight, the game starts with a two dimensional cinematic sequence outlines the plot for the game. Using the same story as God Of Thunder on the Xbox 360: the war to save Asgard has begun and it is up to Thor, to make sure it does not fall. To do so, the Norsk God must battle his way through hoards of enemies using Mjölnir – his big hammer. Although only played in two dimensions, the game starts by throwing Thor head first into battle.

Guiding Thor through the relentless enemies of Asgard is simple enough as the camera is behind the God himself. This eliminates the shoddy camera issues experienced on the console version and with the camera following Thor through the world, the 3D effects never blur and remain consistent. When fighting in big open spaces however, the camera is an issue due to the fact it does not pull back to view the entire area. This means that enemies are often off screen and it is hard to judge how many are left.

Camera improvements aren’t the only thing that SEGA have added to the game. The last six months have seen the battle system heavily overhauled. This time, its not just a case of bashing the same button to defeat the bad guys. The use of two buttons is implemented: one for quick and light attacks, the other is for slower heavy attacks. Providing more of a challenge, it takes longer to break and shatter the pesky ice demons that litter Asgard. They have also brought purpose to the multiplier that is earned by killing the beasts.

Special power-ups are picked up during the game are given extra power if multiplier combo reaches a high enough level. Activated by the touchscreen, and depending on which one used will have a different effect – usually resulting in more power for Thor and more pain for the enemies on the wrong side of the hammer. Valour points are once again used to give Thor his abilities and are gained either by killing large enemies or smashing the environments.

For the Nintendo 3DS, Thor: God Of Thunder looks like a condensed Wii version. Character models are defined, distinguishable and smooth running, however they do not interact well with the surroundings. Too many times has Thor jumped through ledges when trying to climb on them or appeared to be floating above the ground. The 3D in the main game is effective throughout with the exception of the cutscenes where it is missed completely. The sound in the game is not a problem at all. The addition of full voice acting from the stars of the film is a welcome addition and is used as a perfect narration to direct the story.

Thor: God Of Thunder 3DS is much like the console version in terms of plot lines and it’s graphical style. Camera fixes and a hugely improved combat system make the game a slicker version of what was seen only six months ago. Niggles such as not using the touchscreen in menus and the lack of 3D cutscenes is a step back for a console that has two main selling points – a touchscreen and the ability to produce 3D.

The charm of the game can be seen in the character himself, by his very appearance when people see Thor, they know exactly what to expect – no masquerade, no hidden depths just a blonde haired brute with a gigantic hammer and a cape. It is in no way perfect, but it is an improvement on what we saw six months ago. The game still gets repetitive and and some points frustrating due to enemies attacking off screen, however what Thor has against it is slightly outweighed by positive aspects that have been improved on.

Thor: God of Thunder

Movie to Game Tie-ins have been a tradition since video gaming hit the mainstream. They have a reputation of being hashed together quickly, follow the same story as the film and are generally sub-par. SEGA have decided with THOR: God Of Thunder to change tact slightly.

Written by the Thor (comic) writer Matt Fraction who also lent his talent to the story of Iron Man 2 The Videogame, is more of an alternative take on the comic book series. This also features the voices talents of Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston who play Thor and Loki in the film, which is a welcome change. The game has a short introduction to the surrounds of Asgard and then plunges hammer-first into the first battle against the evil Frost Giants of Jotunheim.

While the exciting opening throws Thor straight into the heart of battle, frustratingly the game insists on teaching all of the “basic” combination attacks and magic spells, which involve pressing the X button a set number of times then finishing the combo with Y. This detracts from the excitement and puts a dampener on the battle.

Progressing through the first level, the God of Thunder is quickly trained on aspects of the combat system, such as grappling foes, flying, the rage meter and most importantly – Valor points. Grappling enemies and flying are used as action points and can only be used in certain circumstances. For instance when a large area needs to be covered or when a Frost Giant has it’s armour broken.

The Rage meter is again only used in certain points, primarily when there are an exceptional number of bad guys and a sub-boss is following straight after. The meter is built up by killing enemies and once unleashed causes an electrical storm to attack the remaining squadron.

Valor however is a different kettle of fish. Valor points act like experience points in a RPG. They are earned by seeing off the bigger enemies. These can be spent on upgrading Thor’s powers, be it increasing HP or by upgrading the spell set. This system is basic and is very easily completed. It lacks any challenge to complete all of the upgrades.

As the game progresses, it quickly becomes that God of Thunder it is just one button bashing battle after another with a minimal plot to follow. Each level is played out like the last, with different background scenery to keep interest. Granted that there is some movement, but that is only to link the fights. Playing through this does become tedious as it is very repetitive in nature. Also while in combat if the camera is disturbed in anyway it tends to auto centre to the screen as opposed to Thor himself. This means Thor can spend sometime looking back through the TV screen rather than facing the enemy trying to kill him.

The boss battles are a refreshing change of pace. Button bashing the controller won’t see off the big bad guys. This time well timed attacks and looking out for that all important grapple icon will win the day. However because of the temperamental fighting system/camera angle there will be a few uncalled for deaths.

Graphically the game is a mediocre looking by today’s standards. It looks like it was ported directly from the Wii with blurry textures and the occassional invisible wall that appears every so often. SEGA didn’t seem to make use of the High Definition functionality that the Xbox 360 produces. The game music and sound effects are ample however apart from the two main characters being who they are, nothing that truly stands out.

This is a shame as SEGA had the right ingredients to break the curse of the movie tie-in, a Marvel writer, voices from the actors in the film and a story that wasn’t ripped straight from the movie. There are little gems to be found in the game such as 3D capabilities when played through a 3D TV and random facts from the Thor comics on the loading screens. The game feels like it was rushed in quite a lazy way.

The game is good up until the realisation sets in that button bashing is what is going to happen until the very end. Unfortunately this happens very early on around level 3. Thor: God of Thunder isn’t a terrible game but with it becoming repetitive quickly and with the camera issues, substandard graphics and lack of story means it is forgettable. The game will rest in the realms of limbo rather than being sitting in the chamber of kings which it easily could have been!