A videogame of Family Guy is going to have something going for it that most TV/movie games don't; right from the get go, its huge cult following will eat the game up without hesitating. Furthermore, even if the gameplay is a bit bland, it has the chance to be hysterical, given that the show's writers were heavily involved with the project, which must count for something in the long run. Unfortunately that's exactly what has happened here...

There are a lot of things that the Family Guy video game has done right. First and foremost it's captured the look and feel of the TV show rather well, even if it does look a bit too 3D to feel like you're actually controlling an episode of the show. The writing is spot on, with the stuff we watch every week, and it's completely loaded with obscure references to not only pop-culture, but past moments from the show itself. Even the random non-sequitur cutaways present in every episode have made their way into the game, in the form of mini-games that pop up whenever you least expect it (not like random RPG battles though!)

Then there's the things Family Guy doesn't do so well - even though it even pokes fun at many problems with game design (such as having a mime stuck behind an invisible wall, which is hilarious), it still falls victim to some of them. The main flaw however is that it quickly gets very repetitive and frustrating. Peter's levels, for instance, are straightforward beat 'em up sections that include two attack buttons and limited combos, although various disguises change his attacks later in the game, such as the robot A.N.N.A. from Peter's version of The King And I or his various ancestors who are frequently referenced in the show. The problem with these sections is that there are no block or dodge moves, so you basically have to stand there and take a beating while you dish one out, and if you get knocked out first you'll have to revert back to a previous checkpoint and carry out all the repetitive fighting again.

Brian's sections of the game are all based on stealth, and again provide extreme frustration upon failure. It's about what you'd expect from a non-stealth game with stealth missions, which should be "not very good". There's no basis to go on as to what your enemies can hear or see, so it's very much based on trial and error - and sometimes the trial is just too long to enjoy the gamepla. Limited camera movement (slight scrolling to the sides and back and forth) throughout the entire game makes these parts particularly rough.

Stewie probably has the most enjoyable levels in the entire game; all of the infamous little Griffin's levels revolve around platform jumping and shooting. Stewie's blaster can even be upgraded later in the game. His levels also include some puzzle sections that make a good change of pace, and are creative at the same time. At one point during the game you even encounter a wave of enemies who come out and 'assume attack formation', forming lines and running in distinct patterns as you try to pick them off, Space Invaders style.

This type of humor is present throughout the entire game, but be warned - if you aren't into Family Guy or you don't enjoy crude humor then this game is definitely not for you. You assume control of Death and touch random people to kill them, you kick women, kids and babies while playing as Peter and you hear some truly questionable content used for laughs - including bestiality (guess which famous character is involved in this joke? Giggity!) While I personally don't have a problem with it - this is Family Guy after all - lots of people will, and I highly recommend that only those who don't mind twisted humor pick this up, along with any Family Guy fan. It's nearly impossible to enjoy this game if you don't enjoy the humor, because not only is that possibly the only redeeming feature, but it runs so rampant throughout the game that it's be impossible to ignore or let slide.

The game looks decent, with highly cel-shaded cartoon graphics doing a good job of recreating the look and feel of the show. You'll recognize numerous locations from the show and every character has been recreated perfectly. Some bits could have used a bit more polish, looking like a very early PS2 cel-shaded game, but overall it captures the show's style, which is all that matters. Unfortunately you'll run across dozens of enemies who look the same throughout each level, but hey, at least they're funny.

If you hadn't guessed already, the voice work is pretty good throughout most of the game. Featuring the entire cast of the show, you'll never know when a one liner is going to come out of one of the characters, or enemies, unless of course you've already heard them say it over and over, which is very likely. The music is composed by the same team that works on the show, so you can expect some very high quality orchestrated compositions that somehow seem completely out of place on paper, but fit perfectly when put with the game, just as it does with the show.

Any Family Guy fan will enjoy running through Quahog as one of their three favorite characters, especially considering how much like the show the game can look and sound at times. The humor and overall feel of the show is represented very well, applying the trademark humor and random gags to the gameplay in creative ways, but the gameplay itself is a huge downer. Sometimes it just doesn't seem worth it to replay the same drawn out punching and kicking brawl just to see the next joke or gag, but it's hard to resist, considering that there are numerous sections that will have you laughing your ass off. Family Guy is definitely worth a look for fans of the show, especially in between watching new episodes on TV, but if you aren't into the show then this is a big one to avoid. It's creative, witty and original in many regards, but unfortunately none of these attributes apply to the actual gameplay.

Reviewed by Christopher Martin for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).