Alex Rider Stormbreaker

SCORE: 70

Alex Rider Stormbreaker on the Gameboy Advance is based on the big-screen debut of 14-year old special agent Alex Rider. The movie is based on the Alex Rider books that have sold 10 million copies worldwide. Alex is a rather normal teenager who lives with his uncle (who was a boring bank manager). Ian Rider dies in mysterious circumstances, and Alex finds out that his uncle was actually a spy who was murdered. MI6 recruits Alex Rider to be the replacement for his uncle. The gameplay consists of combat, stealth, vehicles, and the usage of gadgets. Do you have what it takes to save Britain? This version of the game is rated ‘E10+’ for Mild Violence by the ESRB.

Graphically Alex Rider Stormbreaker is very much like Metal Gear Solid on the 8-bit NES (that brings back some serious old school gaming memories). The viewpoint is a lot like it, and many of the areas also look like it. There are a few areas that have some brightness and color to them, but most of the levels are pretty dark. The details are really good in some parts (like the pictures in the cut scenes, and Alex Rider’s picture), but get pretty repetitive in the game play levels. There is a lot of fighting your way out of situations, or maybe the WMG is not that great at stealth. Bodies do vanish after they have been taken down. Alex does get a tool to stun the enemies, and then he can (if fast enough) avoid violence all together. The WMG could almost always tell what things were thanks to some decent details.

The sounds in Alex Rider Stormbreaker on the GBA are also some hit, and some miss. The music is totally, completely, and utterly majestic. The WMG could sit and just listen to the music, and enjoy it. Since there is so much fighting going on, there are a lot of hitting sounds. The WMG started cringing at those sounds after awhile. All of these sounds are very crisp, and clear.

This game is really a one time shot. After beating all of the levels there is little to absolutely no reason to go back and replay through any of them. There are hidden things in Alex Rider Stormbreaker, but they are health items. The WMG was able to polish this game off in a few short hours. Each of the levels were linear so no comparison to Metal Gear Solid there.

The controls in Alex Rider Stormbreaker work really well, and the design of those controls also work well. The majority of the levels are running around the area looking for a key. Whenever the player runs into a guard punch, kick, or hip toss them around until they vanish. Open the door, and look for the next key. The fighting mechanics, and the looking for keys grew really old really quick. There were a few vehicle levels that shook things up, but they were over real fast.

There are a couple of different ways this game can be taken. It is great that Alex Rider takes a stand to make the world a better place. It is troublesome that he fixates on revenge. Revenge never makes the person feel better. The WMG thinks that only hardcore fans of Alex Rider may take an interest in this game. It may look like Metal Gear Solid, but it is not. Don’t be fooled.
- Working Man Gamer

Graphics: 78%
Sound: 81%
Replay/Extras: 64%
Gameplay: 72%
Family Friendly Factor: 66%
System: Gameboy Advance
Publisher: THQ
Rating: 'E10+' for Everyone 10+
{Mild Violence}

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