Naughty Bear had great promise. People grew excited over a cartoon
Hitman, as did I. It failed on that front and although it pains me to say it, it didn’t really succeed on many other fronts either. You can tell
505 Games have but a lot of thought into
Naughty Bear, not that thought counts for much.
The presentation of this game is original and pretty, from the colourful menus to the genuinely nice box art. Even the marketing campaign surrounding the game was excellent, superior to a lot of higher-end titles that are released. It’s safe to say no amount of polished presentation can make up for a fairly woeful game.
You play as Naughty, an outcast bear who is persuaded by the narrator to slaughter the rest of the islands bear inhabitants. That’s pretty much the breadth of the story. Actually, that’s a generous description of the story.
The rampage starts out at a party then progresses through five more levels, each getting more difficult. The level design isn’t great, but there’s no getting lost. Then again there’s nothing that stands out: trees, houses and a few other tiny features dominate the levels. There’s practically no variety. Which is a great shame as what is there is very nice to look at. Not that you’ll notice much, as the games crippling gameplay will hold your full attention.
The idea of the game is to kill the bears in the most interesting ways possible. More points are rewarded depending on how you kill a bear or how scared they get. For example, maximum points are achieved if you drive a bear so insane that they kill themselves. Laying traps, sabotaging escape routes and a few other ‘naughty’ things can also boost your score but this will get old, fast.
The way you unlock levels is also frustrating, you must unlock a certain amount of in-game trophies before you can move on. This game is its own worst enemy. Each chapter is separated into five small levels which are all essentially the same. On some you may be timed or have the restriction of not being able to harm a bear. You’re playing an average game as it is, taking away the best parts is a very bad idea.
Multiplayer is basic, it’s fun enough, but there’s no lasting enjoyment whatsoever. It was clearly placed in the game for its own sake. Gameplay types are all standard efforts like deathmatch. That’s all the mention the multiplayer’s worth. It will leech all hope you have for the game.
However, there’s one aspect in which I feel
Naughty Bear is very deserving; the cut scenes. They are some of the most amusing I have seen in a long time. They are short skits that precede every level. Whether it be Naughty vs. Ninjas or him killing a fellow bear by toilet. They are extremely well done. The narrator of the game is also rather amusing his outbursts of “Total defluffication” and “Nasty!” all make you raise a smile once in a while; if only for a second.
Naughty Bear, like many games, had promise but failed to deliver; at all. It’s fun for a while but ages too fast, even for the brief moment you’re interested; there’s not a great deal going for it. If you’re into arcade style point scoring and cartoon violence then this is perfect for you. If you're not in that incredibly small niche, leave this well alone; for your sake.
