Garfield - Escape from Monday
Review
A simple game for a lazy cat
by William Thompson
reviewed on PC
A horrible mistake
The premise kicks off when Garfield eats a vegetable lasagna that Jon has left in the fridge which was inspired by Chef Monday's recipe. This causes our feline protagonist to fall into a deep, troubled sleep, descending into a slumber filled with vivid nightmares. These fever dreams feature attacking vegetables and the sinister TV chef - who is heavily reminiscent of the celebrity chef Auguste Gusteau from the film Ratatouille - acting as the main controller behind the entire nightmare sequence. As players progress through these surreal dreamscapes, all of your favourite Garfield characters make welcome appearances. Jon is on hand to help you along the way, Odie and Pookie pop in to show their support, and Garfield's enduring love interest Arlene also joins the cast of familiar faces.
Throughout each mission, players are tasked with collecting and eating cheese and Garfield's favourite snack foods, and searching out hidden lasagnas. Because the lasagne is frequently tucked away off the beaten path, finding them requires Garfield to stray from the main route and thoroughly explore every nook and cranny of the environment. In certain areas within the areas a variety of power-ups are available to help Garfield traverse the terrain. These power-ups inject some much-needed fun into the later stages of the game, which is a blessing since the basic running and jumping mechanics run the risk of growing a bit stale over the course of forty levels. It would have been nice to produce the power-ups at will (after unlocking them) though rather than having it show up at the required time.
Watch out Garfield
In addition to the hostile, deadly vegetables populating his dreams, Garfield also has to contend with a wide array of environmental hazards. Players must deftly dodge falling hammers, time their movements across moving platforms, and watch out for gigantic cheese graters and giant spiked fan blades, among other workplace and kitchen-themed dangers. The camera system does present an occasional issue though; from time to time, the view directly behind Garfield fails to reveal an enemy lurking on a lower platform, resulting in surprises when dropping down. Having said that, the game is decidedly on the easy side, so these minor camera hiccups rarely lead to major frustration. Indeed, the most genuinely difficult thing about Escape from Monday is not surviving the hazards, but rather tracking down every single piece of hidden lasagne on each level.
In terms of extras and unlockables, Garfield - Escape from Monday does not provide much, but it does include a neat incentive for completionists. Collecting all the lasagna and hitting specific collection thresholds for Garfield's snack food grants players various pieces of furniture that unlock in Jon's house. These decorative rewards do not add anything tangible to Garfield's performance or abilities in the game, meaning this system is clearly designed as a fun excuse to scour every level for hidden lasagne so that you can fully deck out Jon's living space.
Retro 3D platforming for a newer audience
Ultimately, Garfield - Escape from Monday is a title that will effortlessly appeal to younger players as well as older gamers who fondly remember the classic 3D platformers of the PlayStation era, such as Spyro the Dragon or Rayman 2. The difficulty level has clearly been tuned with a younger audience in mind, and the same can be said for its bright, vibrant colour scheme. It may not reinvent the platforming genre, but it provides a charming, lighthearted adventure that delivers a comfortable slice of nostalgic entertainment.
As always, follow Hooked Gamers on Instagram for news updates, reviews, competitions and more.
6.0
fun score
Pros
Bright visuals, simple controls
Cons
Some camera issues, not very challenging
