Monsters, Inc.: Scare Island - PS2

Joining the series of Monsters Inc. video game releases is Scare Island on PlayStation 2. In a world where monsters are a reality and not a figment of a child's imagination, scarers Mike and Sully must uphold their reputation to keep their jobs. And although they very much dislike frightening the pants off children, they must do it to survive.

Developed for PlayStation 2, Monsters Inc. is far more sophisticated than its PSOne counterpart. Animation is smoother, the frame rate is much faster, and the overall level of presentation is, well, it’s just better. The adventure game also comes with smoother textures and polygon folding is almost non-existent. The Monsters Inc. story is told over 15 areas, themed authentically to meet the style of the film, and players can assume control of either Mike or Sully. Other members of the Monsters Inc group can be interacted with as you progress, and will often prove crucial to progress through the game. Playing with both characters simultaneously means you must adopt a co-operative method of gameplay to see yourself through to the next stage of the game. But this also means solving a variety of 3D puzzles, some of which are simple and some of which take many attempts. Salvaging many of Scare Island’s collectibles will make your task simpler and grant you several rewards – a diversion well worth taking.

Each environment has been rendered to match the theme of Disney’s cinema release of the franchise. Locations are often vast, and always colourful and atmospheric.

The controls are beautifully simple, and each of the lead characters has their own unique signature moves.

Scare Island is clearly aimed towards children, but it’s a game that anyone can enjoy playing. Now get scaring before you lose your job.
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