Apparently the live action movie of Asterix at the Olympic Games is European cinema’s most expensive ever film production. WTF? We had no idea the film was on its way until we got the game through the post, and even then we’d already started playing it before we realised that fact.

We’d clocked the real-life actors - none of whom we recognised - cleverly spliced into the game’s cutscenes, and thought it was a rather nice, if pointless touch. And we were a bit puzzled that a title featuring said games was coming out six months or so before the real Olympics were to take place. Turns out it’s a film tie-in, so there you go.

AATOG is an odd mix of platforming adventure and sports minigames. As you play through the game, exploring villages and settlements and the Olympic stadium, switching between Asterix and Obelisk as you go, you unlock sporting events to take part in. In the game’s multiplayer mode you’ll get to play these against a one lucky friend.

It’s all very colourful and everything, with nice touches of trademark Asterix humour (XXL’s Sam Schieffer, complete with Splinter Cell nightvision goggles, returns), but the disciplines on offer (track and field staples - sprints, javelin and so on) offer not much more than a mild diversion while the Roman swatting adventuring is frankly dull. There is a story (something about beating Caesar's son in the games), but it certainly doesn't make the tame button mashing seem any more purposeful. Fun in tiny doses and definitely one for extremely devoted Asterix fans. And possibly small children - everyone else will just be bored to death.

Feb 29, 2008