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Monsters vs. Aliens

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Monsters vs. Aliens
63
8.0 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 31 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 3 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Activision

Developer: Activision

Genre(s): Adventure

Players: 2

ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older)

Release Date: March 24, 2009

Summary

Based on the DreamWorks 3D feature film, Monsters vs. Aliens puts the fate of the planet in players' hands, to save the world as only a monster can. Bash, skate, and ooze as the macho half-ape, half-fish The Missing Link, the 49’11" tall woman, Ginormica, and the gelatinous, indestructible, and brainless B.O.B, with the help of the monstrous 350’ tall grub Insectosaurus. Plus, team up with the brilliant but insect-headed Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D. in co-op mode, to save the earth from the megalomaniacal alien Gallaxhar. Unleash unique powers as all your favorite monsters from the film - The Missing Link: Bash, bounce, swing, tail whip, and climb as this prehistoric brawler! B.O.B: Ooze through cracks, stick to ceilings, and absorb and spit out enemies as this gooey blob! Ginormica: Tower over the landscape, test your strength, and use cars as roller-skates as this battling behemoth. Battle through locations from the movie and beyond - Adventure across 20 distinct levels set in locations from the film and beyond, including the streets of San Francisco, Gallaxhar’s gargantuan spaceship, and the government’s super-secret monster containment facility. Play as a team in co-op mode - A second player can pick up a controller and drop in at anytime as Dr. Cockroach Ph.D. As the most brilliant scientist in the world, players can blast apart robots, toss away enemies, plus grab hard-to-reach upgrades and other rewards.

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

83

PGNx Media

Overall, Monsters vs. Aliens is a solid videogame adaptation from the movie. The combination of standard action-platforming, more traditional puzzle-based platforming and on-rails races that you’ll experience with the different characters provides just enough variety and challenge for the game’s target market. If your child is a fan of the movie, you’ll want to pick up the game.

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83

Gaming Age

All together, I found Monsters vs. Aliens to be a fun game, something that could easily appeal to adults and kids alike, whether you were a fan of the film or not. The gameplay is addictive, great to sit down and play in short bursts, and there's plenty of unlockable content to keep you busy after you've finished the main story.

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80

MS Xbox World

I've enjoyed the simplicity that is Monsters vs. Aliens, and with a story that's as far out as the aliens themselves has been easy to get into and easy to play.

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80

Game Chronicles

Activision and DreamWorks have another solid movie-licensed game ready for fans of the upcoming film.

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80

Cheat Code Central

I was very pleased with Monsters vs. Aliens. Although it does not feature the most challenging gameplay for a seasoned gamer, the puzzle-platforming style of gameplay recalled older titles like Crash Bandicoot, and it is fun to play for both kids and adults.

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80

GameFocus

With this game, Beenox is once again solidifying their reputation as a movie-licensed game developer and will surely continue to surprise us in the future. After giving one of my favourite games based off an animated movie (Bee Movie), Monsters vs. Aliens does it again and delivers a fun and satisfying experience that every member of the family will enjoy.

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80

DailyGame

The result is a game that should entertain fans of the movie, and even a few who haven't seen it, though there may be some disappointment in graphics that aren't as polished as THQ's WALL*E -- which released last year.

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75

GameZone

Monsters vs. Aliens turns out to be a game worthy of any child’s time. While it may not be a title that appeals to all ages, it is great title to pick up if you are parent searching for a game to occupy your child’s attention.

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75

Impulsegamer

Good gameplay, some frustrating levels, Monsters vs Aliens is definitely worth the entry price. Check it out!

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74

Da Gameboyz

Visually, Monsters vs. Aliens is a solid looking game and features some of the best looking Dreamworks animated characters experienced on a next-generation console to date.

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73

Team Xbox

The fact that Monsters vs. Aliens doesn’t miss the mark in every area already makes it better than over half of the movie games out there. You could do better for your action/platform dollar, but you probably wouldn’t make your kids as happy with the purchase of Prince of Persia as you would with a fifty-dollar copy of Monsters vs. Aliens.

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70

WonderwallWeb

Monsters vs. Aliens is a decent movie tie in which should at least keep the kids occupied for a few hours if nothing else.

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70

GameDaily

While not a deep or especially polished adventure, it'll keep you entertained for a weekend.

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70

Gamers.at

Monsters vs. Aliens is a good game for younger gamers, older and more experienced players however will get bored rather quickly.

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70

ZTGameDomain

Not quite the best licensed game, but still above and beyond most of the drivel currently out there.

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70

Worth Playing

But Monsters vs. Aliens does fulfill its modest promise: provide enjoyable entertainment that's suitable for children and best played with friends or family.

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65

MondoXbox

This game offers nothing new, but it succeeds in blending together different genders, offering a pleasant package for younger players, whom will find it very easy to learn. It's isn't clearly aimed to the hardcore gamer who won't find anything particularly interesting in it.

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65

Xbox360Achievements

Monsters vs. Aliens provides a perfectly decent, though mostly generic, way to pass the time. If not for the hit-and-miss nature of the dialogue and repetitious gameplay, Monsters vs. Aliens could have been one of the better licensed family games out there but instead, it just falls short.

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64

GamingTrend

That being said, the game is boring, lifeless, tedious, and a chore to slog through for veteran gamers.

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60

Level7.nu

Movie tie in games have had a long track record of really poor experiences, but this has begun to change recently and the Monsters vs. Aliens game is a pleasant example of this improvement. This experience is both fun an varied, and this very fact make the somewhat patchy presentation very unfortunate since it can make progression difficult at times. Despite this we can recommend this game to young and older gamers alike.

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60

Games Master UK

Not dreadful. [June 2009, p.80]

60

Official Xbox Magazine UK

A fun but brief monster mash. [June 2009, p.93]

60

Video Game Talk

There are elements of Monsters vs. Aliens that could be part of a really enjoyable game, but they are served up over and over again, and with an nonadjustable level of difficulty that's too easy for anyone who's graduated middle school, before becoming too difficult for the kids enjoying it.

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50

Totally360

A missed opportunity at what could have been a great game.

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50

Console Monster

Monsters vs. Aliens is your typical movie licensed title; it looks promising but repetitiveness, lack of replayability and poor development let it down.

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50

Official Xbox Magazine

Repetitious platforming may have cut the mustard back in the NES days, but today’s tech-savvy, multi-tasking kids won’t stand for it.

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50

IGN

Monsters vs. Aliens' biggest issue is just that it's so damned repetitive. What could have been entertaining in smaller doses instead drags on far too long, is recycled into tedium and ends up relegating the experience to the same bargain bin as just about every other licensed game.

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50

Gamer.nl

Monsters vs Aliens turned out to be a decent movie game. As always with movie games the looks are more than fine, but the game lacks challenge and often repeats itself. The nicely formed locations are a lust for the eye and you will probably have a laugh while watching the movie scenes. Too bad that the co-op mode is a total miss.

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50

Play Magazine

If drinking out of a giant-size Taco Bell cup that displays The Missing Link and his big sweet smile doesn’t sound like a completely humiliating experience to you, then MvA might make a decent addition to your game collection. But for the hardcore gamer - pass.

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40

X360 Magazine UK

Not atrocious but lacks any sense of originality and is far too tedious. [Issue#46, p.87]

34

Xbox World 360 Magazine UK

Okay, so it's a kid's game, but some element of challenge would have been nice. [July 2009, p.89]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.0 (out of 10) based on 3 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Fred B gave it a6:
Saw the movie and then bought the game on the same day... Seems the game is only loosely based on the movie. It is as if they stereotyped the characters from the movie- For example- The giant girl character who had one scene where she strapped cars on her feet to roller skate- in the game she always has roller car skates for all her levels. For a CGI movie game, it just doesn't look as good as it should, (Madagascar 2 looks 100 x's better) and the gameplay feels like a repetetive mini game collection. It doesn't feel like you are actually covering any new ground or exploring new places in the game, just three or four basic location types, including side scrolling puzzle missions, on rails skating missions, or walking on the outside of a robot that you must dissable by unscrewing bolts and dissabling circuits ad nauseum. An epic scene in the film set at the golden gate bridge that could have been awesome was a let down- in the movie there were hundreds of cars in danger of sliding off the bridge, but in the game the bridge is completely barren of any cars, and that is pretty much how the game is treated throughout. But the game is still fun so you might want to consider a rental if you have kids who liked the movie. I liked the puzzles with Bob- a gelatin blob character who can stick to the ceiling, or swallow enemies and use them as keys to open otherwise locked gates. I also enjoyed the simplicity of the game, something kids should be able to enjoy.

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