Joystiq first look: Bee Movie Game
Yes, we know, you've been thinking about it for months, internet speculation has been rampant, and people have been clamoring for it. Now, the wait is finally over, and you can read the details about the cleverly named Bee Movie Game. Just in case you weren't sure, it's the video game version of Bee Movie.
The movie stars Jerry Seinfeld as Barry B. Benson, a bee who finds himself outside of the hive and onto the dirty and gritty streets of New York City. However the game, at least at this point, stars a ... Jerry Seinfeld soundalike. What is it with people and these soundalikes? (Try to read that with a Seinfeld-esque voice in your head). According to Activision, "Jerry Seinfeld's participation in the game as the voice of his movie counterpart has yet to be determined."
You take control of Barry and pilot him through the dangers he encounters in NYC, which include car windshields, frisbees, rain (bees don't like the rain ... it hurts 'em!), and pests like dragonflies who will hunt you down. You can harvest pollen from flowers in order to spur the honey-making effort back home, and can also go into a sort of "Bee Time", which is a honey-fied version of bullet time.
The game looks like a lot like the trailer for the movie, replete with Pixar-quality (or better) CGI characters and artwork. Gameplay is cute and simple, with Barry walking or driving a car while he's in the town, and taking to the skies when he leaves the hive. If you've played the Surf's Up demo on Xbox Live, it's about the same depth of gameplay and involvement of the characters from the film. Not exactly groundbreaking, but a cute diversion.
