As a general rule of thumb, video games based on film licenses often fall in the category of shoddy to below average. Well, let’s skip the formal introductions of the thousand or so reasons that a developer credits to their game failing to meet quality standards and address Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, the third film and game in the series, stands head and toe above its competition in the genre.

Playing through Dawn of the Dinosaurs, using one of the six characters from the film franchise, the game is an entertaining and light-hearted affair. When you first start out, you’ll be collecting crystals for Ellie with her two “brothers” Crash and Eddie. Controlling Sid, the game gives players a chance to get a grasp of the controls of the platforming aspects within the first level. If you are a veteran to the platforming genre, Dawn of the Dinosaurs will be a walk in the park; the difficulty is somewhere in the park of a cool summer day’s breeze on a hot summer day.

An aspect that helps out the replay value of Dawn of the Dinosaurs is the fruit that players can collect that will unlock mini-games and upgrades. Not all of the fruit collected will be used as the in-game currency; the strawberries scattered about the levels will replenish your health. Back on track though, the store to buy these items can be accessed by pressing the Y button when you see Fast Tony, the armadillo con-man, who will sell anything your heart desires. With the ability to unlock items, and with so many strawberries at your ready, the replay value of Dawn of the Dinosaurs is much better than expected.

The variety of levels is a tremendous help to the longevity of the game. Players who normally enjoy platforming and adventure titles should find a nice home with Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. From Sid running from a Tyrannosaurus Rex (who is looking to get her eggs back) to Buck’s action-platforming and rail-riding (better yet, sliding down the necks of dinosaurs) levels, the title has enough diversity to keep the player guessing. Solving puzzles and jumping to new heights, the humor in Dawn of the Dinosaurs isn’t always on spot nor was the storyline that is fairly straightforward.

The sound is light and easy on the ears. The effects aren’t grating and, most importantly, the voice-acting is great. Not all of the voice-cast from the film have made the transition to the video game as Denis Leary and Simon Pegg (Star Trek in his case) both had prior commitments to attend to. Outside of the two comedians, a majority of the cast has lent their voices to the video game including: Queen Latifah, Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, and Josh Peck.

For an adaptation of a film, the graphics are fantastic. They aren’t exact representations of their film counterparts, but the characters look superb in comparison to many other film-based titles. The environments could’ve been improved though – they aren’t the most detailed levels you’ll encounter. At least the cut scenes capture the essence of the film.

In conclusion, there’s even a multiplayer component that allows for offline mini-games to be played with friends. The replay value of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is much higher than expected, so if you are looking for a new family game to purchase, put Dawn of the Dinosaurs on your shopping list the next time you visit your local electronics store.

Gameplay: 8.0
Of the six playable characters, Scrat is the best of the lot with humorous escapades. 

Graphics: 8.3
For its genre, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is a well-defined looking title.

Sound: 8.6
It’s too bad Denis Leary and Simon Pegg weren’t on the voice cast, because if they were, it would’ve rounded out a stellar cast.

Difficulty: Easy 

Concept: 7.2
It’s not a vastly unique idea to create a video game based on a film, but Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is an improvement over previous Ice Age related games. 

Multiplayer: 6.0
It’s limited to offline mini-games. 

Overall: 7.9
There’s a lot going for Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs that works. The main reason why a gamer should invest in purchasing Dawn of the Dinosaurs is that it’s a great adaptation that looks and plays well.