Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter review

Carry on crayoning...

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Basic idea is still one of the best on DS

  • +

    New Action Drawing Tool

  • +

    Fun to create your own character

Cons

  • -

    Too similar to the first game

  • -

    Not-that-good platforming

  • -

    Might leave newcomers in the dark

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

A good idea is a good idea forever, isn’t it? Two years on from the first Drawn to Life, this sequel proves that there’s still mileage in the ‘draw your own hero and bits of the game’ concept. Unfortunately, The Next Chapter doesn’t do enough to improve the bits of the original that weren’t so great first time round.

The story follows on from the first game, so might leave newcomers in the dark, and there’s a lot of long-winded chat in the inter-level village hubs. The characters are endearing but they sure go on and on. Things pick up once you’ve designed your leading man/lady/unrecognisable blob using the in-game design palette. It doesn’t allow for much accuracy but there’s still something pleasantly incongruous about seeing your own wonky creation stumbling through smartly designed levels. And stumble he will. Your hero’s a pain to control, and the platforming is rather bland and simple. Is it worth sacrificing gameplay for a neat idea? The jury’s out…

The new Action Drawing Tool provides puzzle-based interludes in some levels and is the only real innovation here, but it’s not enough to counter the disappointing platforming. We still love the idea behind Drawn to Life, but the game needs to be as good as the concept.

Oct 27, 2009

More info

GenreAction
DescriptionThe D.I.Y. side-scroller is back, as you draw on the touch screen many times to make your way through the game. Despite the somewhat plain platforming, the creative fun outweighs it... most of the time.
Platform"DS","Wii"
US censor rating"Everyone","Everyone"
UK censor rating"3+","3+"
Release date1 January 1970 (US), 1 January 1970 (UK)
Less