Previews

Posted by: jkdmedia

E3 2007 Preview

Jerry Seinfeld is entering the video-game business … well, in a way. There is a pending animation film from Dreamworks called The Bee Movie. It is the product of Seinfeld’s fertile imagination and comedic wit. It follows the story of Barry Bee Benson, a bee that aspires to become one of the elite – one of the honey collectors.

The world presents a new view of life inside the hive, complete with the drool humor that marked Seinfeld’s popular television show.

And like any good animated film, there has to be a game in it somewhere. Activision is bringing that game to life with The Bee Movie Game, but the game promises to be a little more than what is presented in the movie.

As Mike Ward, executive producer on the title, stated: “ Race, chase and fly through an adventure that goes beyond the movie.”

But the game borrows a lot from the movies as well. For example, the color palettes used match the film. And other aspects will carry over as well. Bees have a hard time flying in the rain, so during Barry’s bee’s-eye view of New York City, he will be tasked with dodging the drops falling from the occasional rainburst. There are also other flying threats to engage in a bit of aerial combat. But never fear, developer Beenox (coincidence? Likely not) has a few tricks it is ready to share, including allowing players to pull back branches as they fly past to use as a weapon against pursuers. Yes, life outside the hive is fraught with peril, but it can also be quite entertaining as well.

While the hive sequences use more of a pastel shading, the images outside of the hive are bright and vibrant, presenting a visual contrast that will likely appeal to gamers. The game has its share of unlockables, collectibles and minigames and also – on some levels – allow a second player to plug in a controller for head-to-head competition.

The Bee Movie Game is releasing on all major consoles and the PC and should hit store shelves in the fall.  

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