Over The Hedge

Turn the town upside down!

NA release: 9th May 2006
EU release: 23rd June 2006
JP release: N/A
Developer: Edge of Reality
Publisher: Activision
NGC Magazine Score: 58%
Mods Used: Widescreen Hack

When it comes to video games based on films, I feel like you should have at least some understanding of the story and characters, even if you’ve never seen the film. Yet Over The Hedge starts you off in the climax of the film, with absolutely zero introduction over what is happening other than animals stealing food from a house. It does turn out that, after the tutorial (which kind of trivialises the ending of the film) the rest of the game is actually a sequel, but you still don’t know who anyone is.

The game is very much a LEGO style beat-em-up with absolutely none of the charm. Just hit some enemies, move forward, smash a few objects and repeat. The camera is static and is pretty terrible at letting you see what you need to actually see. The levels themselves are bland and there’s nothing to engage you in the game at all.

You do encounter a few minigames, such a basic dodgems game using golf buggies. It’s simple, but far more fun than the main game – perhaps they should have made a racing game instead. However, like everything else in the game, it often feels like nothing is quite working how it should be.

Poor

Thumbs up for the two-player co-operative system that’s perfect for mum or dad and the kids. But £40 for a game that never really evolves beyond the ‘fun’ of clobbering animals and making off with people’s cereal boxes? That’s daylight shrubbery.
Mark Green, NGamer Magazine #1

Remake or remaster?

Not for this.

Official Ways to get the game

There’s no official way to buy Over the Hedge.