I’m going to start this review of the latest licensed Garfield game with a blisteringly hot take that I hope my fellow platformer freaks don’t crucify me for - Garfield: Escape From Monday has better core movement mechanics than Astro Bot. The fat cat’s roly-poly move that lets you zip and dive around levels combines with a gravity-defying air attack that provides a shocking amount of expressive free-form platforming. That’s right, Escape From Monday has schmoovement, the one thing anyone could ever criticise Astro Bot for lacking.
That sobering and somewhat left-field comparison to one of the most beloved platformers in recent memory popped into my head early in my playthrough, and refused to leave even as I hit credits a surprising amount of time later. I really didn’t expect much from a Garfield game, which left plenty of room for Escape From Monday’s to impress me.
Don’t get me wrong, most other aspects of Garfield’s latest gaming outing don’t hold a candle to pretty much any other 3D platformer (let alone Astro Bot), and it ends up as a good, but not great, overall package. But the strengths that do emerge and show a surprising understanding of what makes a platformer tick still ensure Escape From Monday is easily the best Garfield game out there. A low bar, I know, but it’s true.
Garfield: Escape From Monday sees the painfully real orange tabby stuck in a nightmare world of vegetables and healthy food after but a taste of Chef Monday’s low-key kinda nice-sounding spinach lasagne. It’s a typically simple platforming setup, but one that lets Garfield jump around some fun food-themed worlds and interact with a bunch of series staples, from Jon and Liz to Nermal and Arlene.
As a lifelong reader of Jim Davis’ comics, there’s a clear understanding of the series’ vibes that shines through in the sardonic, dry, and referential dialogue, with Garf and friends somehow knowing he’s stuck in both a video game and a nightmare. There are also plenty of nods to Garfield tradition, from sarcastic signs to one of the core moves being the kick that Odie is all too familiar with.
Shout out to the third world in the game, which features Garfield-shaped minecarts that have to be referencing the infamous washed-up phones.
Escape From Monday is so close to hitting a home run in the Garfield aura department, but falls short when it comes to a very important part - the star of the show’s voice. Garfield is whiny, high-pitched, and uncharacteristically full of life, making most of his otherwise well-written dialogue sound flat-out wrong. It’s a shame, since everyone else, especially the GOAT Jon, is played well, but the one character who needed to be done justice is completely miscast. I know Frank Welker is tough to beat, but come on.
If you can get past Garfield’s voice sounding like nails on a chalkboard, Escape From Monday’s gameplay makes up for it. The nightmare is split into three food-themed worlds, each with its own set of main levels, optional challenge stages, and a bunch of hidden lasagne for Garfield to find and chow down on. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but it’s also a simple setup that feels right at home with the series,
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.thegamer.com/garfield-escape-from-monday-review/
