The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer Preview

The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer picks up right where the film left off, where The Underminer comes up from the ground and starts tearing up the city streets.

Mr. Incredible and Frozone take center stage as the stars of this game. One has enough strength to defeat enemies single-handedly; the other has enough ice power to make his foes smile and say, “Freeze!” If the demo represents the completed version, you’ll never have to battle alone. Co-op lets two players tackle the game together, punching, throwing and freezing enemies with quick taps and button holds.

Play the single-player quest on your own and you’ll have full control over Mr. Incredible and Frozone. This is where the game gets a little strategic, with moments where you’ll have to turn a rabid robot into ice, and then have Mr. Incredible step in to destroy it. Basic commands may be assigned to the character you are not currently controlling: wait, follow close, and attack more aggressively. The attack more aggressively option doesn’t mean that Mr. Incredible will automatically turn icicles into enemy margaritas, which is why you have to switch between the two characters – to do things they won’t do on their own.

Bashing pavement and tossing around large objects is always a blast, but I really like how they’ve implemented Frozone’s freezing powers. The effect is great. While technically not an advanced technique, it’s unlike anything we’ve seen on the current generation of consoles. The ice slowly wraps around any object that it touches: cars, fences, walls, robots, garbage cans, etc. If you can see it chances are you can attempt to freeze it. At the very least it creates a cool display of icy polygons. The only thing that wasn’t affected by his ice was fire, which seemed to overpower him whenever he came in contact with it.

Aim is restricted to 360 degrees, so you can’t look up and shoot fly-by enemies (assuming there are some. None were found in the demo). Ice is shot out of Frozone’s hand for as long as you hold the circle button.

Frozone can also perform that sliding ice move that was inspired by classic comic book characters like Iceman. By pressing the square or circle button while falling, Frozone will form an icy bridge that he can slide down. It didn’t seem entirely necessary in the demo, though I’m guessing that will change as the game nears completion. I won’t object if it doesn’t – the move rocks!

General statistics (health and punching power) can be upgraded with points received from defeated enemies. Special attacks may be enhanced as well. The difference between this upgrade system and those featured in other games is that Mr. Incredible and Frozone grow extremely fast. By the end of one level I had nearly maxed out the stats of both characters! Granted, I destroyed a lot of enemies (40+), but quick upgrades are not the norm. This could mean that the developers want you to have maximum power as soon as possible, or that more upgrades are being implemented that we are unaware of.

Enemies are robots and they’ll do anything to capitalize on your human flaws. Their appearance is intentionally crude, looking like something a deviant kid developed in his garage using scrap metal. They don’t even have eyes!

One of the first robots you’ll encounter is made mostly of drills and spikes. Three drills rotate under his body for him to move; a big drill was placed on top for his head. His arms are attached to two oversized drills that have been affixed with spikes that are sure to inflict pain on anything they touch.

Trails of destruction are left behind the more dangerous robots. From torn up pavement to burnt marks that leave holes in the ground, these robots accomplish two things: they show off some impressive graphic effects that have never been or are rarely seen, and they show the player that they mean business.

This is a Disney game though, so you won’t see massive violence or anything out of the ordinary. The preview was kid-safe and I’m sure the final version will be as well. With this game the developers realized that you can make a game for all ages and still use enemies that look dangerous. That way when you defeat them you can feel truly incredible!

Gamers and moviegoers alike will recognize the music; the voice-overs, however, are not too spectacular. Since none of the actors are contracted to do an official sequel to the film, it would have been difficult (and costly) to get Hollywood talent on board for a new game. The Underminer is a close match, and while Mr. Incredible doesn’t sound too bad, Frozone is no match for Samuel L. Jackson.

Other than that The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer is turning out to be a great beat-‘em-up action game. It has already surpassed its predecessor in every conceivable way. Perfect for kids; a game they’ll enjoy playing by themselves, with friends, and with older siblings who don’t hog both controllers.