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" Also available on: PS3, PC, Wii, 3DS Developer: Ubisoft Montpelier Publisher: Ubisoft Genre: Action/adventure The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn arrives to accompany Steven Spielberg&amp;#039;s big-screen adaptation of the famous ginger-quiffed reporter, off on another fantastic globetrotting adventure. But it is Ubisoft that has taken on the biggest adventure in trying to make a video game based on a movie that isn&amp;#039;t a complete shambles. It just about avoids this fate, although it&amp;#039;s not quite a resounding success either. The game design is weak beneath the many coats of paint, yet these splashings of cinematic gloss are just enough to make it bright, accessible and fun to play, particularly in the magnificent co-op challenges. Ultimately, the game manages to reach out to its target younger audience by staying true to the buccaneering spirit of Herg\u00E9&amp;#039;s magnificent comic book series.  The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn mixes platforming with a smattering of vehicle sequences, sword-fighting and simple puzzle-solving in single player or co-op. The game&amp;#039;s story campaign runs &amp;quot;as close as possible&amp;quot; to the movie narrative (a mix of three Tintin books - The Crab with the Golden Claws, Secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackham&amp;#039;s Treasure), but with a variety of extra missions to extend the length. Essentially, the game is at heart a 2D, side-scrolling platformer that uses a fixed camera to frame the action, shifting the view as the player moves around the various environments.  Most of the time you will be exploring the side-scrolling levels along a set path - everything is highly linear and straightforward, meaning that there is really no room for exploration or user choices. The level design is very generic, with the same ideas trotted out again and again, yet somehow it rarely becomes repetitive or boring. You will move through the levels at a good pace, but there is enough balance between challenge and progression to keep you gripped. Whether it is exploring the crypts under the famous Marlinspike Hall, escaping a sinking ship or fighting pirates on a galleon, the game mixes up the action competently.  Tintin can jump up ledges, crawl through tunnels and move around the environment in action similar to download game Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. He must battle an army of enemies in the game using non-lethal weapons, some of them being quite bizarre. Its feels a bit odd knocking a man out with a beach ball, or laying banana skins for people to slip on, but it also fits with the ethos of the series.  There are also options for silent takedowns and good old-fashioned punches if you get in a tight spot. Objects can be picked up and thrown (with a highlighted trajectory) to tackle enemies, but also to advance through simple environmental puzzles. Kinect and PlayStation Move support covers sword fights, warplane dogfights and other vehicle sections. It&amp;#039;s all pretty well thought-out, although any section away from the main platforming can feel like a bit of an unnecessary diversion from the quest. Graphically, the game fits with the feel of the movie - a mix of CGI and comic book flourishes. The recreation of Tintin and his unique universe has been done with care and attention, but there are some downloadable games that could easily rival the 2D side scrolling levels in terms of presentation. However, the voice acting is decent, the character animation superb and an Ubisoft orchestra has provided a suitably rousing score. The story mode is fully geared for co-op, playing as Tintin or Captain Haddock, but there are also a series of challenges that can be tackled after you&amp;#039;ve finished the pretty short campaign. These non-narrative based levels are really where the game comes alive, providing extra hours of fun playing alone or with a friend or family member.  Co-op levels use a variety of different combinations of Tintin characters and tap into Herg\u00E9&amp;#039;s love of psychoanalysis and Surrealism. These otherworldly places have a series of environmental puzzles, platforming challenges and combat which really adds another dimension to the gameplay. Each character has their own little gameplay quirks, such as the Thompson twins using their walking sticks to interact with the environment, or Snowy digging into the ground to find hidden items. Aside from the co-op levels, there are separate arcade-style modes allowing the player to replay things that they enjoyed in the campaign, such as sidecar driving, sword fighting and plane battles. The history of movie video game tie-ins is littered with disappointments, and The Adventures of Tintin is far from a shining light. However, Ubisoft Montreal has paid close attention to both the Tintin licence and its target market, meaning the game actually just about works. The action is hugely linear and the level design basic, yet the campaign is also engaging to play through, mixing platforming, combat and vehicle sections in a reasonably decent narrative. Things get even better in the co-op challenges, which are innovative and fun. The Adventures of Tintin is highly unlikely to eclipse the well-received movie on which it is based, but younger Tintin fans will find a lot to love in this particular adventure.  &amp;gt; What do you think of the game? Share your views "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/review/a347620/the-adventures-of-tintin-the-secret-of-the-unicorn-review-360/>