You are no doubt already aware, the French cinematographic event in January will be the return of Asterix to the cinema, for a third live film with an exceptional cast. For once, the video game comes out two months early. There are two probable reasons for this: it would be a shame to miss Christmas, and if the product takes up the theme and certain elements of the film, it is not a faithful transposition. Moreover, at first glance, we expect a simple title dedicated to multiplayer and composed of various sporting events. But the Strange Dragonflies, who know the license like the back of their hands, weren't satisfied with that.
From comics to film to games
Solo, Asterix at the Olympic Games is first and foremost an adventure/action game. We obviously embody the little Gaul and the fat Obelix, who have gone to Greece to take part in the Olympic Games to find a remedy for the mysterious illness that affects Panoramix: the poor Druid is reduced to the state of a drawing, as if he had been directly cut out from a comic! And by the way, our friendly duo will be able to help Alafolix win the games in order to conquer the heart of the pretty Irina, promised to the infamous Brutus, played by Benoît Poelvoorde in the film... and in the game! We indeed find not only his voice, but also the actor since the game has taken a rather original artistic direction by mixing several styles. 3D characters with designs inspired by comics, others inspired by film actors, video overlays, etc. A melting pot justified by a story of parallel worlds that collide. It's frankly surprising but it has the merit of being original. To believe that the Dragonflies, it is smoked! We therefore find ourselves in the shoes of Asterix and Obelix (their look is identical to previous episodes, and not digitized Clovis Cornillac and Gérard Depardieu), the two characters having to help each other to overcome certain obstacles. Nothing really revolutionary, it's about pushing buttons at the same time, fighting legions of Romans, climbing walls to reach new passages... Basically classic, but it's not unpleasant, and the youngest (but not too much anyway) will undoubtedly find their account there. We especially appreciate the permanent humor and the many references, such as the spy Sam Fisheure or certain situations and other winks. It's hard not to laugh when Asterix headbutts a Roman in the chest after he insulates his sister. Like the albums, the game gently taunts contemporary culture. It's always a pleasure !
There will be sport
Alas, a big problem seriously taints the pleasure that all this could give us. The management of the camera turns out to be quite simply missed, not to say catastrophic. When you can control it, it doesn't always move the way you want it to. However, there are also times when it's impossible to crop it, so gameplay suffers badly. It's not easy to accomplish certain delicate jumps or to keep a target in sight when the view is not well focused on the action! As much as we can forgive the game for its lack of originality, compensated by its universe and its humor, it's hard not to get angry when we lose because of a bad angle... Let's add to this that a duration very light life since one afternoon will be enough to see the end of it. But that's where the multiplayer part comes in.
You can invite a friend to challenge you on the nine events that you will unlock during your solo journey. On the menu: long jump, running, tug of war, crapball (you have to send as many toads as possible into the opponent's camp), king of the arena (we kill Romans in a chain), hammer throwing, javelin throwing, romanophone (you have to type colored romans in a specific order) and finally chariot racing. Quite amusing mini-games on the whole which of course often call upon the famous clubbing of buttons so popular in the genre. However, nine events is a bit tight anyway, especially since you can only play two. We would have appreciated a four-player mode for example. And even if the multiplayer may be fun, it is still very limited. It therefore remains to refer to the realization. Again, no particular shine. It must be recognized that it is relatively correct, given that we indeed find the engine of Asterix & Obelix XXL 2. On the other hand, we will grumble about the lack of variety of the decorations. There are a few jerks here and there, but nothing catastrophic, it runs quite well overall. On the sound side, it's always a pleasure to find the voice of Roger Carel, and the small interventions of Benoît Poelvoorde are not lacking in humor (if we admit that Brutus had a Belgian accent!). And for those who are impatiently awaiting the film, thanks to the helmets collected by killing Romans, you can buy short videos presenting the different actors in the skin of their character. Strangely, Alain Delon, who plays César, is missing. Don't want to be associated with a video game?
