SESAME STREET: ONCE UPON A MONSTER Review [XBox 360 Kinect]

rating:4

Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster is as targeted a game as can be imagined - the immediate demographic of the show would surely transfer across to the game, thanks to the same blend of colourful, charming characters and a sense of humour that unifies the younger audience and their parents. The key for games like this is often cross-generational appeal: developers must always have one eye on the parents and babysitters/older siblings of their primary audience, because it is they who must navigate the more complex elements of the game, like set-up and the ins and outs of the Kinect. And even more crucially, it is they who will be pestered to play along with the youngsters. To that end, Once Upon a Monster succeeds admirably: yes the playtime is very short, at about three hours, and it is beyond easy for even the most casual of mature gamers but there is enough cartoonish humour and personality to make those factors palatable. But let's be honest, the game is aimed squarely at younger players (though not the very young), and as such should be reviewed predominantly in terms of what it offers its obvious demographic. Once Upon a Monster makes the inspired choice of relying on two of Sesame Street's most iconic staple characters to lead proceedings here: players spend the most time in the company of Cookie Monster and Elmo - though there are a host of recognisable faces from the Jim Henson gang. And there will be a lot of pleasure for younger players in both the comfort of that recognition and in the opportunity to interact directly with their favourite Sesame Street characters thanks to the Kinect's impressive, responsive technology. The game looks great - characters are well drawn and instantly recognisable and the storybook setting allows for a more colourful, fantastical element than sticking to Sesame Street would have allowed. Colours are vibrant and the environments are magically designed, with a hyper-real gloss that compromises slightly on realism, but which is injected with as much personality as the characters. The gameplay is simple, but engaging - broken up into easily digestible micro-morsels of episodes and mini-games, the variety of which is a major plus for keeping the game fresh and entertaining for less durable attention spans within the audience. Crucially for some of those younger players, the mechanics of the game are extremely simple, and are explained thoroughly throughout by the characters in a way that doesn't feel completely patronising. But that isn't to say that simplicity means limitation, because there is enough variety and enough immediate charming reward in each activity to make them all completely compelling. It's difficult to say anything derogatory about Once Upon a Monster from the right perspective - it's not exactly a demo-worthy example for the Kinect - but that's not really the point, because it is a hugely immersive, charismatic triumph of a game for kids. The set-up is simple, the gamplay charming and surprisingly immersive and the characters and storyline effortlessly moreish, and I would have no hesitation at all in recommending it as the ideal purchase for parents looking for an entertaining diversion that will encourage activity and creativity. Sesame Street: Once Upon A Monster is available to buy now on XBox 360.