Asterix & Obelix are a weird mystery to someone like myself. As a fan of comics and animation I’ve heard of the duo and can even point them out, but I’ve never had the chance to experience them in any form of media. I know they are massive overseas and have had dozens of comics, movies, games and even a damn theme park built. So, going into Asterix & Obelix XXL 2 I was ready to see what all the fuss was about with this dynamic duo.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”14″]Developer: OSome StudioPublisher: Microids
Genre: Action, Platformer
Platform: PC [reviewed] Switch, PS4, XB1
Release: Nov 28, 2018
Price: $29.99 [/perfectpullquote]
Asterix & Obelix XXL 2 is a remaster of an obscure PS2 game that originally dropped back sometime in 2006. Not all that old but still old enough to pre-date the release of the Xbox 360, if only just barely. What I came away with with this game, and my first time with the pair, was a charming 3D platformer that plays heavily on the silliness; a silliness that we don’t often see in games today.
Right from the opening cinematic, that thankfully is cropped and not stretched like it was in something like DeBlob keeping it look passable, the game keeps everything loose and fun. A bunch of druid gods (I assume they are) get together and talk about the Romans invading, only to be sold out to said Romans by one of these druids.
It just so happens that Mr. Druid dude is the one Asterix & Obelix stand with. The pair don’t believe his Vince McMahon heel turn and head to Rome to find out just what’s going, and to save him and his druid friends if needed. It’s not a complicated story but it gets the job done, and they way it’s presented lets you know the sort of silly game you are going to get.
From the moment Asterix & Obelix XXL 2 kicks off the gameplay, you’ll notice how different video games are handled today. The name of the game are the pop-culture jokes that surround you at every turn. Heck, the first enemy the game throws at you is Mario from Super Mario Sunshine, complete with FLUDD pack and moveset.
He’s Italian and everything, which is cute considering the setting of the game. It’s so striking that it’s a wonder that Nintendo didn’t sue the pants of the studio back when it was released. It should be noted that Europe has always had an “interesting” way with copyright in video games. You’ll also see bombs shaped as Bomberman’s head and walls made of Tetris blocks and all sorts of cameos.
These sorts of touches (the Space Invaders popping up in hieroglyphs is cute) are utterly charming. They are obvious and silly, and if you grew up with these things you’ll enjoy the small gags that are everywhere. What’s nice is as this is a cartoon inspired game everything still looks solid, especially in remastered form.
Having a very Loony Tunes style helps to not age the game where so many others from around this era don’t fare quite so well. Hyper-realistic games are always great in their respective ages, but when you look back on them you often see them through different and probably spoiled eyes.
Asterix & Obelix XXL 2 features tons of neat animations that turn both friends into miniature Stretch-Armstrong’s. Jumping and double-jumping will pull you like putty and the same can be said of the enemies. It’s like someone went into Gary’s Mod and started messing with everyone. It’s dumb, it’s silly and it makes for some laughs.
When you smack an enemy right out of there boots you’ll feel like Asterix & Obelix XXL 2 is the Looney Tunes game that we always wanted. To be fair, there weren’t any good 3D Looney Tunes games so the bar isn’t that high. But, still, it’s more competent than whatever the hell Loons: The Fight for Fame was.
Combat is pretty standard with with you being able to punch, grab, and butt-stomp on people. Using an enemy like a whip is always hilarious. And since Asterix & Obelix are always on-screen you can switch between the pair. The basics are the same for both characters but each has some unique abilities when it comes to how they interact in the world.
Environmental puzzles are the name of the game in terms of what’s really fun, and while none of these are a real challenge, they serve to mix up the stock combat. Seeing how Asterix & Obelix interact with the world is a real joy, and there are some instances that I’ve never seen implemented in other games of this nature.
Asterix can fit through small spaces, Obelix can break down tougher walls and crates and each can pull, push and move each other about when needed. One great segment that happens early on has Asterix climbing into a hanging cart and Obelix needing to drag him across several smalls sections while dealing with baddies. It just shows the developers really thought of some interesting ways of getting the pair to play off each other.
I know I mentioned that the combat is basic, and it is in terms of today, but there are some interesting combo mechanics that are in play if you want to learn them. You’ll sometimes face enemies that have a present icon above them and these can be killed normally, or they can be bested via a combo for various bonuses.
These can be something as simple as a punch, grab and throw, while others are more involved and well happen across both characters. They aren’t required to beat the game but they are fun and will ingrain various combos into your brain. Plus, there nothing quite like a huge 8-button combo that throws an enemy between the pair like a WWE tag team.
What really helps the combat are the enemies you’ll face. As the game progresses you won’t face enemies that will really test your skill but you will come across humorous interpretations of characters from other games. Pac-Man might become a shield dude, Ryu from Street Fighter II may dragon punch you into next week, and the list goes on.
And then there are the boss battles that really pick up the game from mediocrity. These battles tend to be huge, almost God of War-like affairs in terms of size and design. You’ll often have to beat these bosses in a puzzle setting which is where the game really shines since the combat is stuck a few generations back.
And that’s the really problem with Asterix & Obelix XXL 2. The humor is fantastic, the remastered graphics are bright and colorful, the puzzles are fun and interesting, but the combat is from another age. This problem is only highlighted because of how good nearly every other part of the game is.
When you run into puzzles segments you’ll rejoice that your focus won’t be on beat up dozens of mindless enemy troops. And while you do have those neat combos, you’ll never really use them. It’s the issue of least resistance that games often deal with and separates good games from great ones.
You can have a move-set that’s pages long but if your basic attack is just as effective then the player won’t have any reason to dive deeper into the gameplay mechanics you’ve added. Why combo enemies when I can butt-stomp them dizzy and then grab them and whip them about taking everyone out.
This problem is only highlighted because the developers didn’t really know what to do with combat after a certain point, instead relying too heavily on closing off an area and throwing upwards of 100 enemies at you that you have to kill before the door to the next segment opens. This is fine in moderation, but when it happens multiple times per stage you’ll begin to hate it.
And there are sections where enemies will respawn endlessly which sort of breaks the game in a lot of ways. It makes exploring more of a chore, but also kills the money aspect of the game as they’ll continue to drop the game’s currency by the bucket load, letting you easily farm enough to pay for anything outright during a level.
During one section of the game I couldn’t enter a new area without paying a bouncer a fee of 500 helmets (the game’s currency). This would mean you’d have to do a little bit of farming or playing a different area to stock up, but when I was there I already had a few thousand helmets, and that’s even with buying out every store I came across.
But the last and most important issue is the music, which is some of the worst that I’ve every heard in a video game. Nothing that plays fits anywhere in the game in the slightest. You get techno and house music alongside random tracks that would better fit in any other title but this.
I dare anyone to have a friend listen to any given track in the game and ask them to tell you what sort of game it belongs to. There is no way that anyone would be able to pinpoint it as a 3D cartoon platformer set in ancient Rome. The music hear is so bad that I had to drop it down to 5% in the settings just so I didn’t lose my freaking mind.
Asterix & Obelix XXL 2 is such an interesting title. It’s a 3D platformer that straddles two different generations. The simple and repetitive gameplay or PS1 and N64 era games and more modern ideas in terms of puzzles and strong writing. There are three of these games in this particular series, so it says a lot that they decided to remaster the second one.
I want to love Asterix & Obelix XXL 2 because it’s a game right in my wheelhouse, but it does some annoying things that we’ve moved on from with 3D platformers. Still, if you are new to the series this is a fun title, especially for people that want a more relaxed and stress-free experience.
Those that grew up with this one are probably already playing it and digging it, but for everyone else I’d wait for a sale if you are on the fence as I can’t recommend it for $30. I did enjoy Asterix & Obelix XXL 2 and what it brings to the table as a remaster, especially of a game that’s new too me, I just don’t love the experience as a whole as it isn’t deep enough to keep you connected for all that long.
“Asterix & Obelix XXL 2 is a solid remaster of a really silly 3D platformer, but one that hasn’t aged all that well mechanically”
Final Score:
3/5
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