Like most games based on licensed properties, video games starring the Simpsons haven't always been so great. In fact, a good majority of them were quite awful. Funny thing is, the latest Simpsons game ingeniously named The Simpsons Game knows its pedigree is lackluster. Furthermore, it seems very aware of its own shortcomings, often making it a point to halt gameplay to put a particular imperfection in the spotlight. In a lot of ways, highlighting these flaws takes some of the sting away from them, in a Billy Madison, if-peeing-your-pants-is-cool-consider-me-Miles-Davis sort of way.
This brand of self-depreciating humor wouldn't go over half as well if it weren't for the combination of the Simpsons license and the admittedly outlandish setting of the game that being the game literally is set in a game, if that makes any sense. With the support of the cast and writers of the show, The Simpsons Game explores a very Matrix-like world where the residents of Springfield have actually been living out their lives within a video game. The result is a game that's very self-referential and gives the fourth wall the old Ronald Reagan treatment.
The first few stages can be a little dull, but once the game really runs with the whole trapped-in-a-video-game idea, things start to pick up. The early levels are all accessed via a lavishly rendered Springfield that's set up a lot like the cities in Grand Theft Auto wandering around collecting hidden junk on the way to mission markers. The Springfield missions themselves are essentially the training wheels for the later stuff that's set within other games more on that later.
Taking care of business in The Simpsons Game usually involves controlling at least two characters, either by yourself or via drop-in-or-out co-op. Each of the four characters have unique powers that develop over the course of the game, and each are reliant on the others for solving puzzles. Bart is equipped with a slingshot and a Bartman costume for gliding purposes; Lisa has a saxophone for stunning enemies and can also use her meditative Buddhism powers yes, Buddhists have powers to lift heavy objects and attack enemies; Marge can use her megaphone to rally protestors, which actually ends up playing a lot like Pikmin; finally, fan-favorite Homer has the power to turn into a ball of enemy-crushing blubber, as well as the ability to morph into a slime-hurling gummy Homer. Yes, all of that is as weird as it sounds, but all of the characters end up being fun to play for different reasons, and it adds a lot of variety to the gameplay.
The game really takes off once it stops beating around the bush and starts dropping the Simpsons characters into beloved game scenarios. The levels span everything from Gauntlet to Medal of Honor to Grand Theft Auto, and each is riddled with the acute witticisms and observations that the Simspons are known for. The Grand Theft Scratchy level, for instance, contains a billboard advertising the services of Tom Jackson, a parody of a certain real-world, witch-hunting attorney. The Medal of Homer levels are full of blatantly racist, anti-French commentary that's sure to go over well in the red states. Sure, a lot of the jokes in The Simpsons Game are hit or miss, but in a lot of cases it ends up being funnier than the actual television show has been lately.
Not only does The Simpsons Game outdo the source material when it comes to laughs, but it also looks a bit better than the show, oddly enough. Cel-shading has come a long way since the days of Jet Grind Radio, and every Simpsons character looks exactly as you'd expect them to in 3D. Aside from objects in the far distance being reduced to vague approximations of their actual appearance, the visuals in The Simpsons Game represent the most believable 3D rendering of the license to date. Sometimes characters' facial animations can be a bit robotic, but the rest of the package is too convincing for it to really matter.
Unfortunately, no matter how much The Simpsons Game pokes fun at its flaws, it's ultimately still flawed. The camera, for instance, is guilty of committing atrocities that would make John Wayne Gacy blush. Be prepared to die often when the game just decides it doesn't want you to see where you're going. Couple that with the fact that the game's otherwise brawler-heavy gameplay is pockmarked with mediocre platforming, and you'll realize that there's only so much a couple of in-jokes can redeem.
Is The Simpsons Game a great game? The short answer is no. It can be both frustrating and downright boring unless played in co-op, and even then it's only really good for the often hilarious writing. But it's still worth playing for fans of the show, or for gamers who are just looking for a few quick laughs.
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6.5