Digital Entertainment NewsNews and reviews from the perspective of the average gamer.

Subscribe to DigNews

Dog’s Life

There is an unwritten law to the universe that any commercial writing about a product themed around or directly referencing dogs must be packed from end to end with the weakest puns ever to dribble out of the English language. The phrase “doggone good” must appear once. I just want to say that I’m not going to do it. I’m not going to sit here and beg for acknowledgement through petty verbal curios and wink wink silliness. It’s an insulting abuse of you, gentle reader, and I’m not going to rub your nose in the past messes that have gone before me, leaving you to howl bloody murder at my shameless pandering to the easy jokes over and over and rover and rover… and…

DAMN YOU, UNWRITTEN LAW OF THE UNIVERSE!

Moving on.

I’m going to tell you a little story about a game you’ve never heard of. It’s called Dog’s Life, and it’s quite possibly the greatest dog-themed collection-adventure game ever created. Frontier Developments and Hip Games have unleashed (gah!) this little budget gem for the PS2, and it is fully deserving of your attention.

You play as Jake, a simple country farm dog. The love of your life has been dognapped by a couple of thugs in a familiar plot that would have Disney lawyers shaking their fists and saying “Just you try it, you!” Yes, it’s a tragic loss. But look at all that countryside!

From the word go, the game is up to you. There’s plenty of lush terrain to explore, chickens to chase, horses to annoy, people to fetch things for. It swells and oozes serenity like no other game I’ve played. There is something about controlling the carefree life of this beautifully animated dog that appeals to a deeper level of gamer which I have not been in touch with for many a year.

I’ll say this outright: Parents, this is the game you’ve been looking for. It is Teen rated for some gross-out humor, directed entirely at the biological functions of dogs, but what kid doesn’t find poop funny? Yes, there are a lot of poop and fart jokes. What do you want? You’re a dog. And the game does have its audience firmly staked out. Language stays clean but for one utterance of “ass” that was inexplicably included into the final minutes of the game, but when a set of button presses finds you pinching one off in the yard, or waxing romantic on just what your farts smell like, you’ll know where the Teen rating came from. It’s really quite harmless and did make me chuckle a few times. I’m sure kids will get a kick out of it. There are a few scenarios in which Jake or one of the other dogs could be “killed” but it’s always played off with a whimper and waking up somewhere else. It’s a little odd.

As you roam the countryside you’ll complete little doggy-related quests in your constant search for the treasure that drives you on: bones. You like bones. They are your life’s blood. Bones make the world go round. They also establish dominance. While you don’t have to complete all the tasks in the game and are ultimately free to roam as you see fit, there are other dogs in the neighborhood who might be able to help you on your quest to find your lost love, and you’ve got to show them who’s top dog (argh!) to earn their respect. Competition is in order.

Upon laying the gauntlet before one of the other neighborhood dogs, you’ll square off in one of a few mini-games that, if won, will give you control over their bodies for a short time. Particularly useful if there’s a small space to get into and the local Chihuahua’s being snooty.

These challenges are set off by collecting scents. Yes, collecting scents. At any time you are one button-press away from entering smell-o-vision, a black and white dog’s-eye view of the world, where the scents of the world take on new life in vivid plumes of colored smoke. Strange scents in bright purple lurk around trees and fire hydrants, demanding your attention. People and dogs walk by, trailing their scents and possibly a footprint trail to follow, in case they’ve misplaced something and you need to go retracing their steps.

The smell-o-vision thing is great for two reasons. First, it’s contextually brilliant. Dropping to street level and seeing the world through Jake’s eyes just works for some reason. You get the impression as you play that this is actually a plausible way for a dog to see the world. Secondly, it takes the abstract collection gameplay and removes it completely from the rest of the game, leaving behind a real, living world to roam. No longer do you have to watch silly coins or bananas spin in the corner of the playing field. Instead, it’s two worlds – one in which you play the game, and one in which you just play.

Context is very important to Dog’s Life. So much of what goes on seems simple but relevant to the game world. Dog houses exist to save your game. Trash cans can be knocked over and mined for treats (keep your dog fed, or Jake will slow down and complain). You’ll learn tricks from local dogs to beg for food from friendly humans and, if they reject your advances, you’re free to pee on their leg. A dip in the lake and a good shake can clean the dirt off, or a trip to the groomers. You can – and this is very important fun-time here – chase down a cat, snatch it up in your jaws, and shake it until all of its fur falls off. It’s a howl. (geez!)

The game succeeds despite its engine. There are some weaknesses here, particularly some of the human animations. They look boxy and rigid, and cracks appear at the seams. The dogs themselves look great, and animate fantastically. Running, walking, turning, sitting or begging. Jake and crew look and move like dogs. There are some problems with jumping puzzles. Though simple and automated if you hit the right spot, that spot can be hard to find at times, and you’ll occasionally see Jake standing at odd angles to the floor or hillside. It’s a bit jarring when it happens.

Also, the camera has issues with confined spaces, of which there are a few. The camera controls are pretty simple, even if it does move quickly and bob a lot when in smell-o-vision mode. It wasn’t bothersome to me playing, but others watching had a hard time of it. Switching between camera modes can sometimes be confusing, particularly on some of the later stages as the camera tries to settle into a good vantage point.

The sounds are great, though they can play at odd times. The fade doesn’t always seem to work right, so sound cuts in at out at a particular range from whatever you are listening to, and on some occasions the music cuts in or out suddenly. Still, the barks, the whines, the voiceovers are perfectly suited for this game.

The music shines. It’s a great folksy guitar number, a little blues, some very good ambient music that sings to the theme of the game and accompanies a relaxing romp through the countryside perfectly. I was hooked on it at the main menu. The first time I put the game in I sat at the opening screen and listened for a few minutes. Good stuff.

Dog’s Life is a good way to spend $20 if you’ve got munchkins around the house or are simply looking for something to distance yourself from the bullets-flying action fare of other games. It lacks the frosting of higher-budget games, but it’s a tasty piece of cake.

[ Post the first comment | View related posts ]

Tags: Dog's Life

Posted by Brad on Sep 19th, 2004 and is filed under PS2 Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.

Enter your email address:

Related Posts

• Dollars For Dogs
• Dog's Life
• Dog's Life

Post a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.