Bee Movie Game

The buzz on the streets is that Barry B. Benson is the honey in everyone’s tea. After all, how many bees dream of a better life and then go out and do something about it? Barry did.

Getting straight B’s in college was not enough and he was always striving for something more.

That is what led him to heading outside to collect pollen with the flyboys and eventually to establishing a relationship with a human.

*Gasp! … a human ?!?*

Yep, and now Barry is a celebrity, top-of-the-hive and everyone’s favorite bee.

Activision and Dreamworks, along with Beenox (the aptly named dev team for this title) have partnered to bring along The Bee Movie Game to coincide with the animation motion picture of the same name. What the PC game is, though, is a collection of mini games based within the framework of the movie’s story. Barry is a hot topic and he is telling his tale on Hive TV. So in this regard, the game is played as a remembered story.

This means that while you might fail a section, you will replay it until you get it right, and as this is a game built for the younger crowd, getting it right comes in varying degrees of difficulty but they should be able to succeed.

The game, though, has some failings. The first comes in the form of the graphics. After being treated to some nice cut scene footage, the in-game graphics, particularly in the hive, sort of have a flat and almost bland look. Once you get outside and into the environments, the game begins to pick up graphically. The title also, though, switches control elements at odd times. At one point you are using the WASD keys to move Barry, with the arrow keys to manipulate the camera. Then, without any real warning, the game tosses in a few button mashing elements (pounding on a number key) to achieve a different effect. This was a bit surprising. Even a 13-year old, who was enthralled with the idea of playing the game, was lost when it initially came to pounding a key to achieve wing velocity for flight.

You begin the game with several levels that act as a tutorial. You start in the hive and can take on a variety of jobs, each with several levels. Each job appears at a certain time in the storyline and you have to achieve the first level of the job to unlock the second and third stage. Cut scenes carry players from one element to the next in a very guided fashion.

The game will have players driving cars, then collecting pollen and pollinating flowers, fending off the attacks of various other insects, amphibians, humans and animals, as well as other semi-entertaining elements like the tennis game. In the tennis game, Barry is stuck to the ball and must rotate the ball before the humans playing the game strike it with their racquets. This is to make certain he is on the other side of the ball when it is struck.

(No worry, parents, failing does not show a squashed Barry, but automatically pops back to the beginning of the game for a re-do.)

When it comes to the sound, the game features Jerry Seinfeld being … well … Jerry Seinfeld. His comedic delivery is recognizable and his asides are obvious and amusing. The music, though, can be repetitious and have players turning the sound down. You also get “guidance” in the form of radio-like messages that outline objectives during any particular level.

The Bee Movie Game is a title obviously built for the younger set. It has, at times, a forgiving and gentle learning curve. Seinfeld and crew throw in a few sides for older players, but this is a title that will have limited appeal for older gamers.

Gameplay: 7.0
This is a game that throws mini games into the overall story arc, and hopes to keep players entertained. The controls switch gears a couple of times with a heavy emphasis on the keyboard. However, while you can’t always steer with the mouse, it does come into play at certain times, like during flight, which is a boon.

Graphics: 7.8
This is a game obviously designed for a system with lower specs. The cut scenes look culled from the movie but the gameplay elements – in the hive, at any rate – lack a vibrancy that would make this game sing on the PC platform. PCs are capable of better graphics than this game shows off.

Sound: 8.0
Nice little asides that will tickle the funny bone of older players, but most of the humor is obvious and out there for kids.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium

Concept: 7.0
An overriding concept filled with mini games is not entirely new. The quick jump from one element to another may appeal to those with shorter attention spans.

Multiplayer: 7.0
The multiplayer is tied to the game’s mini games, only expanded for more than one player to try and top the score of his or her opponents. The first one, for example, that you unlock is the lap race in Chapter Two of the game.   

Overall: 7.0
The game will certainly have some charm for younger players, but there are a few challenges to overcome while playing it. Even a 13-year old was surprised and confused when the game changed control options, moving from WASD and arrow keys to numbers, during one section. And there is a fair amount of repetition to overcome. The game just seems to lack a cohesive element to make it truly a charming affair. This is a game best left to the younger crowd.