Early in the game, Bart stumbles upon the instruction manual for The Simpsons Game. Once making this discovery he instantly concludes that he and the rest of the Simpsons clan are in fact video game characters and must have the same abilities that any video game character would rightfully have, namely the ability to double jump and shoot enemies. Coincidently, an alien invasion conquers Springfield and the Simpsons decide they are the only ones with the power to stop the intergalactic menace. Instead of fighting them head-on, however, they use their newfound powers and self-awareness to warp themselves from the comfort of their couch to the inner workings their world -- the game engine.
In this place, the family learns the brutal truth about life as a video game character. By saving their eight-bit counterparts, battling one of video games most respected designers, and serving their almighty creator, the Simpsons jump, punch and shoot their way through a thoughtful, and, most importantly, funny storyline; a rare feat for any videogame, least of all one based on an existing property.
Of course, an fixture of pop culture for the past twenty years, the Simpsons are not new to videogames; several Simpsons titles past have faired from mediocre to modestly entertaining. This detail is, in fact, one of the most important and introspective points of the game. The use of self-aware game characters focuses the game writers' satirical lens squarely on the videogame industry itself, and the culture. Through a series of parody levels and clichés, the game pokes fun at more than a few of the most revered game franchises of all time. With such high quality writing, it's a shame the developers couldn't come up with a gameplay equal to the story.
The Simpsons Game's biggest problem is that it's mostly just an average platform-hopping adventure. Even its better videogame take-offs are mostly carried by the dialog but, again, stymied by derivative gameplay. In a few moments of serendipity, the game takes the opportunity to reproduce several popular game franchises, lampooning them better than dialog ever could. These recreations are used sparingly, however, which is unfortunate, given how repetitive and largely uninteresting the rest of the game is to play. That said, you'll likely not toss the game aside as just-another cookie-cutter tie-in; you'll stick around because of the laughs.
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
