2:28 PM
nokiac3
Rare are the times when I'll get excited about the prospect of playing a movie tie-in on mobile.
Games based on films have always been rather hit and miss whatever the format, with studios often zeroing in on the most banal element of a franchise and running with it.
Kung Fu Panda 2: Official Mobile Game makes no attempt to break the mould on this front. In fact, it sinks to new depths both in terms of scope – or, rather, the lack thereof – and design.
Lights, camera, no action
Though developer Kaboom has tried to present the game as one smooth linear experience (complete with the kind of rudimentary plotline that goes hand in hand with licensed lumber), Kung Fu Panda 2 actually comprises a series of fighting-based mini-games, with the film's lead Po naturally stealing most of the limelight.The main attack in most modes is assigned to the '5' key (the odd high or low attack mapped to '2' and '8' accordingly), with your introduction to the mini-game at hand coming via a tutorial.
Once you've been formally introduced, Kung Fu Panda 2 throws a couple of bona fide challenges in your direction. But as straightforward as that might sound, the setup is undermined by the absence of any enjoyment derived from the games themselves.
Kung Fu Panda 2's delivery and execution are deplorable: you're charged with honing your reaction times within an environment where a sense of timing is an alien concept.
