A Dog's Life - the PS2 game of canine capers

DOG'S LIFE Amazon.co.uk

Jake and Daisy are farm dogs in a small town. When Daisy is kidnapped by a pair of evil dognappers Jake sets off to find her, venturing out from the farm through a resort, a small town and finally the big city. On the way of course, he can always indulge his love of bones...

It's a fairly thin plot, but the gameplay is innovative, the characters simple but amusing and the puzzles different enough to hold player's interest. Jake is a typical dog - he barks, digs, raids litterbins and marks territory. There are a range of subgames throughout the game, (several in each level) and most need to be completed to complete the main game. These puzzles are normally simple, but there are one or two where it became frustrating trying to work out exactly what was required.

The game has several unusual aspects. One of the most interesting features is its switch between the third person "Jake" view and the first person "Smell-vision" which allows Jake to follow trails, find scents and locate buried bones. The second is that Jake can control other dogs he defeats in challenges, each of which have their own abilities (the St.Bernard is strong, the Greyhound fast etc.). The final standout feature is the ability to carry items between levels - a simple thing but one that too many games neglect.

Graphically the game is simple and slightly cartoony. The dogs are excellently modelled and the movements between the different types varies nicely. Although the game shows "Pedigree" logos, these are not as intrusive as in many other sponsored games and are shown only in logical settings (the dog parlors) and do not detract from the gameplay. Unfortunately there are some issues with clipping and the camera sometimes becomes lodged behind walls. The sounds fit in well with the game and are generally unobtrusive (although occassionally embarrassing). The controls are similarly simple and the paw indicator tells you what Jake will do in a situation. However, Jake and some of the other dogs can be difficult to control, especially for the precision required for one particular side quest.
Unfortunately the game's replay value is limited. It took about 8-10 hours to finish including completing all the subgames. As the race tracks and trails are not randomised, the game remains the same each time you play it. Also no new content is unlocked by completing it and there are no secrets to obtain.

Its target audience is definitely children, who may enjoy some of the toilet humour (and sub games) that occassionally crops up. However it is also great for older gamers looking for undemanding fun (or a break between long RPGs).

Overall this game is entertaining, not too demanding, and can be played by almost any age range. It is also one of the games that can be as much fun to watch as to play and an extra pair of eyes to locate stray scents can be useful. It is bright, fun and amusing, and if you can locate a copy on budget release it is definitely worth a look. Price-wise at about £10-£15 it is worth a look, but the lack of replay value means it is probably not worth paying more than that for.