Based on the Cartoon Network show, The Secret Saturdays: Beasts of the 5th Sun is an action-platformer that does little to stand out from the sea of mediocrity that plagues the Nintendo Wii’s game library. What starts out as a promising adventure unfortunately turns into a boring and frustrating mess that wouldn’t appeal to anyone but the biggest fans of the Secret Saturdays, who might still have a hard time finding a fun experience in Beasts of the 5th Sun.
From an aesthetic standpoint, Beasts of the 5th Sun is a decent looking game. The levels are at least quite distinctive with vibrant colors, even if they are the same types of levels we’ve been playing for years (there’s an ice level, a jungle level, a lava leve, and so on). The characters remain true to the show, and apparently have the same voice actors from the show too, which is a nice touch for fans. Unfortunately, it’s the gameplay where everything falls apart.
Beasts of the 5th Sun can’t seem to decide whether it wants to be a 2D or 3D action-platformer, but it controls terribly no matter what type of game it is. The jumping feels inaccurate and sloppy, and I fell from ledges constantly when I could swear I made a jump, or at least came close enough to grasp a ledge. Little annoyances like this can hold a game back or be easily looked over, but when I literally have to spend ten minutes trying to cross a gap unsuccessfully due to bad controls, then we have a problem.
Between the platforming parts, there are brief moments where the player must fight off a few waves of enemies or solve a puzzle. The combat in this game, if you want to call it that, is some of the blandest I’ve ever seen and never once tricked me into almost thinking I was having fun or being challenged. Enemies will stand still as you mindlessly beat them to death, and will occasionally decide to attack whether you are nearby or not. There is only one combat strategy here, and that is hit the attack button repeatedly until everything around you is dead. Sometimes, players can scan certain Cryptids (rare and mysterious animals that the Saturdays search for and study) that will allow you to play as them in battle situations, but it never comes close to being interesting or fun because they, like every other character you play as in the game, have the same basic moves that are constantly used.
The puzzles at least require a small amount of thinking compared to the combat, and usually involves the player taking control of another Cryptid to reach otherwise inaccessible areas and remove obstacles.
The sound is mixed bag with some really annoying music tracks (the worst probably being the main title screen) and average sound effects. But the voice acting is actually pretty good for a cartoon show-based videogame, with an appropriate level of cheesiness.
Beasts of the 5th Sun is a short game with ten levels that could be finished in a weekend and easily forgotten just as quickly. Gamers and fans of the show could easily pass this one up, and enjoy any of the countless other great games out this holiday season while sticking while sticking with the Cartoon Network for their doses of the Secret Saturdays.
