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