The original Joe Danger was released in 2010 and saw stuntman Joe completing several different objectives in a wide array of levels on a motorcycle. The sequel is now here and feels all too similar, as Hello Games has produced a game that plays it far too safe.
Joe Danger is now creating stunts for films, but it’s disappointing that this just feels like an excuse to add variety in what vehicles Joe Danger uses. Movie Mode acts like a career mode, which sees you play out levels in 5 different acts ( there is also a 6th one but this can only be unlocked by getting all other medals in the previous 5 acts). At first, each act appears to have a different theme to it but then digresses, for instance the 4th act is about dinosaurs, yet you will see yourself chasing a van in a city? Makes sense right? It feels like you’re just playing levels for the fun of it and not making one big movie scene, which is a slight disappointment. Seeing as this is based around movies, you will come across more variety in the level stages such as snow, jungle and cityscape levels, more importantly you have access to different types of vehicles like a snowmobile, skis, motorcycle, the most notable addition is the jetpack which in a way completely changes the way you play the game.
Along with Movie Mode there is also Deleted Scenes, which contain advanced tutorials like double jumping and the more difficult challenges. It’s odd that none of the techniques you learn in these levels are used in the Movie Mode, which could have added to the complexity of levels. However with both of these modes, they can be as easy or as hard as you like which is a great achievement in itself. If you just want to finish levels without completing the objectives, then it is going to be an easy game that will only last you a few hours, but if you want to earn all medals, especially the pro medals, which you can only earn by completing all objectives in a level in one go then not only are you looking for an elite challenge but it’s also going to last you quite some time to achieve this.
The game does feature multiplayer, unfortunately though it’s only offline, but it does support up to 4 players, still it’s nothing special and is not likely to keep you entertained for long especially as there are only 5 levels. There are two online functions, the first one is ghost replays, which basically works exactly the same way as Trials Evolution. You see how fast other players are on a level whilst you are racing to the finish. The other function is level sharing, just like the original you can create levels of your own, which is simple to do unlike a lot of other games such as Little Big Planet, this makes it more joyous and now you can share your levels with other players around the globe. It would be great to see the extent of creation that can be created when other players get their hands on it.
The greatest aspect of this game is in the presentation itself, the graphics are bright and gorgeous and the menus are a treat for the eye and makes navigating a breeze. There are nice little nods to films in the names of the levels, such as Total Freefall and JetPack To The Future.
Joe Danger 2: The Movie is a game that plays it far too safe. It’s also a game where you have to put your time in to it, in order to get the most from it. The inclusion of level sharing will help extend the replay value of the game, but this all depends on the extent of what other players can create with level creator. This is a fun game to play that offers depth if you want it, but whether you want to earn it is up to how much you enjoy the game.
Joe Danger 2: The Movie will be available to download on the 14th September and will cost 1200 Microsoft Points, a copy was provided for review.