The Adventures of Tintin Review

Jaw-dropping and entertaining. Two words IGN used to describe the Tintin movie on which this game is based, and two words that at times apply equally here. The Adventures of Tintin: The Secrets of the Unicorn has moments of heart-stopping glee, brief glimpses that capture the energy and spectacle of Steven Spielberg's latest cinematic release. However, these moments are rare and while the movie was widely criticised for being little more than a series of action sequences strung together, this video game adaption is almost the polar opposite – a handful of exhilarating set-pieces interlinked by a functional rather than thrilling platform game.

The story follows that of the movie with the bequiffed boy reporter unravelling the secrets of the Unicorn in an adventure that takes him from mainland Europe to Morocco by air and sea. The result is a mishmash of gameplay styles, with lazy puzzles and predictable chase sequences punctuating the primary Prince of Persia-inspired 2D platform adventure. At times it feels like the game desperately wants to be Uncharted but it never quite reaches those dizzy heights, the desert car chase and escape from the capsizing boat proving little more than pale comparisons to those masterstrokes in Drake's Deception.

But when Tintin does its own thing, it does it extremely well. Strip away the forgettable interludes and you're left with a solid, enjoyable platformer, one that's tightly constructed and full of character. Swapping between Tintin and Snowy – and Captain Haddock among others if you're playing co-op – these side-scrolling levels form the meat on the game's bones. Despite his size Tintin is a formidable fighter, capable of knocking out goons by sneaking up and slam-dunking them on their heads or punching them to the ground. Snowy, meanwhile, can squeeze into areas his master cannot reach and together they're tasked with solving puzzles and taking down the sinister Sakharine's henchmen.

It's simple but enjoyable, the challenges evolving as the story unfolds to keep Tintin on his toes. Thugs get progressively tougher to defeat and players are encouraged to employ new tactics to bring them down, using the environment in different ways to get the upper hand. In fact that's one of the highlights of the game; on the surface it feels much like any other run and jump game, but many of the scenes almost feels like small, self-contained puzzles that require both brawn and brains to complete.


Captain Haddock is another highlight, the washed-up buffoon's penchant for gruff one-liners the best of the game's excellent voice work and characterisation. Ubisoft deserves applause for realising the world superbly and while the locations are generally little to get excited about, the characters – not just the stars of the show but even the throwaway goons Tintin goes toe-to-toe with – are brought to life with gusto, the Tom and Jerry-style cartoon violence complimenting the presentation further.

With such sterling character work evident throughout the game it's a shame Captain Haddock's flashbacks are such a missed opportunity. Scattered throughout the game, these glimpses of the captain's past serving as both a means of carrying along the story but also providing a welcome change in tempo, with players taken back through time and forced to fight for Haddock's honour. However, the swordplay is simplistic and unrewarding, with little skill or precision needed to the pin a pirate with your cutlass. Cutting through a wave of bandits feels more like a chore than proof of your swordsmanship, the clunky stick controls nothing short of archaic compared to recent swordplay successes like Skyrim and Skyward Sword's accuracy. Boss fights are equally as shallow – and therefore forgettable.


What Tintin does have in abundance though is charm. It's bursting with personality, from the bold, striking visuals to the wonderfully buoyant soundtrack that carries the action along apace. At times it really feels like a Spielberg production, a homage to the swashbucklers of old, but these highs can never quite escape the shadow of some of the less exciting other moments – the bike chases, the aerial dogfights – in the game.

Co-op is certainly a welcome addition and arguably it's a more enjoyable experience solving puzzles and taking out thugs with a friend. It's rewarding too, because there are a handful of characters from the movie to unlock, each of which has their own pros and cons; Tintin has a grappling hook and Haddock can move heavy objects, and each of the levels challenges you to work together to succeed. Like any great co-op game there's also an undercurrent of competition weaved throughout, with the draw of coins and swag often getting in the way of cooperation. Like the single-player it's littered with edge-of-the-seat moments, but again even these become repetitive all too soon.

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