G-Force Preview

The Pig is mightier than the Saber.

Guinea pig, that is—with “Saber” being the name of the evil billionaire bent on sudden, sweeping, global conquest-by-household-appliance...and teched-out, deep-cover, special-op guinea pigs are the world's only hope. That's the plot-setup in G-Force, the forthcoming Disney action-comedy whompapalooza produced by Jerry Bruckheimer (who evidently still has time for the occasional big-budget side project even as he valiantly strives to save the beloved Pirates of the Caribbean franchise from the smoking wreckage that was the second half of the third movie). Like any halfway-serious military strike, G-Force will have multiple simultaneous landings—on basically every platform known to gamerkind—just days before the film's release.

G-Force is a third-person action-platformer, light in mood but heavy on gadgetry and combat. Players take the role of the titular gizmoed-up guinea pigs from the movie, running and gunning--and occasionally jetpacking--their way through sprawling (and admirably polished-looking) levels while battling armies of weaponized toasters, irons, fans, alarm clocks and other household appliances gone seriously bad as you can see in the video to the right.

The rogue, animate, evil appliances look as malevolent and wrong as the guinea-pig good guys do cute and furry; some electronics move with a tottering, insectile gait that brings to mind the Bugs from Starship Troopers,while others hover in a threatening, somehow oily slow motion, like jellyfish with evil on their minds..

The player's G-Force operative isn't left wanting in terms of hardware: In addition to the aforementioned jetpack (which can also be used for hovering and for short bursts of speed while running on the ground), there's a long-ranged blaster, an “electro-lash” melee weapon (that functions rather like a light-saber in whip form), and a device--apparently called a “Saberlizer”--that provides data on anything it's pointed at. In addition to identifying common objects such as vending machines, it can help less-experienced gamers by offering clues on a targeted enemy's potential weak spots.

Another weapon in the G-Force arsenal—I can't really call it an 'item,' at least not without hurting its feelings—is Mooch the housefly. He serves as a sort of scout/sidekick and Predator drone for reaching otherwise-inaccessible places, and while utilizing him the player can trigger a bullet-time-style slowdown of time. As players collect computer chips and data disks, they use those vending machines I mentioned earlier to purchase new gadgets, ammo and tech upgrades, and additional health. There's even a vehicle in the game-- imagine something rather like one of those plastic hamster-balls, except with a military-spec loadout that James Bond's colleague Q would appreciate.

One additional note: It seems like just about any big-budget animated film these days can go the 3D route, and G-Force is no exception. To this end, the 360 and PS3 versions of the game feature an anaglyph-based stereoscopic mode, and will in fact come with their own 3D glasses right in the box—headaches optional.

“Movie-license game” has become something of a dirty word over the years—and rightfully so—but G-Force certainly looks meatier and quite a bit more polished than the typical slapdash half-assery that game publishers seem to crank out every time a marginally promisingly major motion picture crops up [the radar arrays on the roof of the GR compound slowly swing, in unison, in THQ's direction]. G-Force promises to fuse a goofy, kid-friendly approach and cast with the tech, stealth and flash of a gear-happy spy thriller.

(That's gear, not Gere. That would be another game entirely).

Look for G-Force to sneak into stores on July 21st for all current-generation platforms and handhelds. (As well as the Jerry Bruckheimer movie in theatres July 24th.)