Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals

Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals

A cool sci-fi theme, in-depth gameplay and scope for tactical versus battles should continue to bring Spectrobes the success it deserves.

Disney Interactive has struck creative gold with Spectrobes, introduced in 2007. Combining influences from the hugely popular Pokemon videogame with all the smarts of a Cartoon Network animated series, the adventures of an intergalactic fossil-finding duo is all original Disney IP, and so much the better for it.

Spectrobes Beyond the Portals comprises four basic elements, all richly developed: Fact-finding exploratory missions; digging for fossils; nurturing incredible creatures, then entering them into battle – in the story mode, or now versus friends via local or global Wi-Fi. The latter is a new addition to this second title in answer to one of the few criticisms of the original.

Comparisons with Pokemon are inevitable, even helpful, but not all that accurate. Spectrobes differs in that players can seek their own way to nurture and train the magical Spectrobe creatures, it’s not just about endless battles to gain enough experience. This emphasises research and excavation for resources to level-up the fantastical menagerie. In other words the game holds appeal for different types of player who prefer a more scientific approach. The excavation ‘mini-game’ is brilliantly devised too, a tricky process unto itself. You know when you’re onto something good because the tools required are more complex.

Combat is inevitable though and is a bit hit-and-miss, mainly because here the 3D style – which does look wonderful – interferes with the action itself. The camera angles are occasionally confusing, and some of the Spectrobes’ most impressive moves can be halted by a rival’s lesser technique simply because a little sting is quicker to execute than a great big swing. On the plus side this leads to some genuine tactics that owe a little bit of something to the 3D fighting games.

The self-contained Spectrobes Beyond the Portals experience is fascinating, and would score highly all by itself. However the Wi-Fi features are better than expected, uniting Spectrobes fans via an all-new Disney community service called DGamer when they’re not battling away. Achievements from the game are reflected in the player’s avatar within the online Spectrobes Community website (spectrobes.go.com).

We hope Disney continues to mine this deep vein of calculated creativity, and genuinely looking forward to seeing the Wii version when it arrives this autumn.

4 out of 5