Reviews

Posted by: jkdmedia

Once upon a time, a game was made for Nintendo DS that allowed players to draw their own characters. It wasn’t a gimmick – using a template system that allowed players to draw within a predetermined area or a pre-made set of shapes, it was actually possible to make an original game character. That character would then become animated within the template – sort of like magic, but it had more to do with clever game design than something that came from a magician.

Two years later the Drawn to Life series has returned, ready for another round of mesmerizing children all over the globe. Amazingly – perhaps even magically – it lives up to the quality of the original, and supersedes it with superior level and gameplay design.

Capitalizing on the DS’ touch screen and a simple drawing/coloring tool, Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter isn’t all that different from its predecessor. The basic gameplay functions haven’t changed – upon exploring each stage, you’ll discover several objects (platforms, giant balls, weapons, large spheres that blast you across the screen, etc.) that must be drawn to life. Until the player arrives, these objects are nothing more than an outline waiting to be created. Once the object has been selected – simply touch the paint icon sitting next to it – you can draw whatever you want within the provided template space. The results are impressive, to say the least.

Kids could spend hours drawing with great intricacy, but the game never requires that you do so. You can scribble if you wish, or scratch out a few colored lines. It really doesn’t matter what you do, which is exactly what the developers wanted to create – a game that was deep enough for young artists to immerse themselves in, but not so restrictive that a five-year-old couldn’t enjoy it as well. And then, of course, there are gamers like myself who rarely has the patience of intricate drawing, and would rather scribble and get down to exploring and conquering the levels. But I have to say – this is the kind of game that makes me want to draw. It makes me want to produce characters that are worthy of the design tools the developers have given us.

Glancing at the levels for the first time, you might not think that Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter’s worlds are much of anything. But once you start exploring them you’ll see that the layout is very good. This is particularly true once the blob formation is introduced. As always, kids must first draw the blob of their dreams (there’s a sentence I never thought I’d say). Next, they can switch between the blob and any other form they currently possess. The beauty of the blob is being able to squeeze in and out of tight crevices, but that’s not the best part. Since the blob is sticky, it is possible to leap forward and push yourself into tight spots, gradually climbing up environments that are unreachable to other character formations. This also lets you avoid a lava trap that appears in one of the stages.

Speaking of lava, you can draw a platform that’s specifically designed to rest on top of a lava geyser. Better still, there are puzzles that give you a limited number of lines to draw (as platforms) to climb through an area that may be littered with spikes and other hazards, or merely involve one giant pitfall that could lead to certain doom.

In between stages, Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter is somewhat of an awkward RPG. The player is tasked with running around an isometric environment with two primary goals: talk to other characters and repaint colorless worlds to unlock them. The latter element is quit simple: locate the exclamation mark on the map, visit the area and tap that location when it comes onto the screen. This will trigger the unlock window, which shows how many paint items (which are collected pretty easily in each stage) are required. If you meet the requirement, you can cash them in and repaint the level by scratching the screen. While not exactly the most exciting way to disperse levels, it’s something a 10-year-old might appreciate. Six-year-olds, however, might be a little annoyed by all of the excess out-of-level gameplay.

All kids should definitely be aware of the story, which will only appeal to those who love to read mountains and mountains of text. Since most gamers don’t come to video-games for this purpose (that’s what novels are for), and since the story isn’t any good, Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter offers a handy skip function that lets you bypass nearly every sentence of dialogue. The format is a little weird though: character interactions are broken up into chunks, so you may have to pause the game and access the skip feature four or five (or more) times in between each stage. For those who want to get back to drawing and exploring portion of the game, this might be a tad annoying.

Gameplay: 7.9
Kids who love to draw (and don't mind reading through or skipping a bunch of mind-numbing text boxes) will have a great time playing Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter. Its levels are short and sweet and generally fast. Meanwhile, the drawing portions can last as long as kids desire.

Graphics: 8.0
The pre-generated visuals are nothing to praise, but the user-generated capabilities let you to create 2D characters, objects and items that are as detailed as your talents (and patience) will allow.

Sound: 7.0
Nothing too memorable.

Difficulty: Easy
The hardest part (for me) was trying to quickly draw something that didn't look hideous. But that's only because I'm a terrible artists. The actual levels, however, are quite easy.

Concept: 6.0
This sequel is big on fun, not on innovation. Every creative element The Next Chapter has to offer came from the first game.

Overall: 7.9
Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter will draw you into its immersive and colorful, kid-friendly world.