Nov 14, 2007

Controlling Burning Earth’s characters feels like sloshing butter around a hot saucepan. But, really, that’s the least of the game's worries. Like last year’s original Avatar, this is a game of fixed paths, repeated button-mashing, insulting switch puzzles and cutscenes where people's mouths don’t move when they speak. The combat is tedious - and it only takes around 25 minutes to get so fed up you start running straight past enemies to the next door. No worries, though - 25 minutes means you’re already a sixth of the way through the entire game.

This sequel's new feature is cooperative play, à la LEGO Star Wars, and some of those you-scratch-my-back-I’ll-scratch-yours puzzles that inevitably involve lifts and big pushable blocks. You can imagine the excitement. None of it’s helped by your character freezing to the spot if you accidentally tilt the Wii Remote up so much as half a degree, or the hilariously shoddy animation. Just wait until enemies start clunkily crashing into your city path on what look like log flumes. It’s the funniest thing we've seen in ages.