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One of the best movie games I've played in some time.

Monsters vs. Aliens is a far better game than I think people will give it credit for. I've not be all that impressed by previous efforts based on Dreamworks' animated films, but Monsters vs. Aliens does a pretty great job of giving you varied gameplay and levels based on the strengths of each monster, while still incorporating the story of the film into each section. Combine that with the interesting unlockable DNA system, and you've got a surprisingly well-put together game that should appeal to both kids and adults, much like the movie does.

As the game begins you're introduced to the basic outline of the story, that the government has gathered together a group of monsters that have come about because of freak scientific accidents, and they've basically dropped them into a big warehouse for "safe keeping". Obviously not a fan of being boarded up and locked away, the monsters group together to make an escape, and that's where the actual gameplay kicks in. You'll end up controlling the various cast members, usually one at a time through levels that are designed with their specific mechanics.

Second up, you've got B.O.B., which is a gelatinous ooze that can cling to walls and ceilings to overcome the different puzzles in his level, including the ability to swallow blocks and enemies that he can use as projectiles to hit switches or go across grates. B.O.B.'s levels remind me a bit of the gravity 2D spaces in Super Mario Galaxy, and while I don't think the level design is quite on par with SMG, it's really quite good, and certain stages open up a lot more than you might think.

Then there's the Missing Link, which is a half breed fish/ape creature, who probably has the most straightforward sections of the game, which is mostly combat/platform based. Missing Link has a variety of attacks, and he's also the most boring to play as in my opinion. However, there's a mini-game that you can unlock with him that involves manning a cannon and bombing away at waves of enemies as the progress towards you location, and that's actually one of the better mini-games available, so at least he has that going for him.

Finally, for unlockables, there's a series of mini-games that usually incorporate one specific aspect or ability for each monster. These are actually pretty varied, and there are quite a few of them to unlock. They're all based on a medal system, so there's bronze, silver, and gold medals to unlock. Some of them are fairly easy to overcome, but there are definitely some challenges as well.

Graphically, the game isn't going to be on par with the film, but it does look pretty good on the 360. It would have been interesting to see some type of 3D mechanic used to keep in line with one of the big draws from the film, but the game does look really nice the way it is, keeping intact all the character designs from the film. The VA work is solid and while not everyone makes it over from the film to the game, the stand in voices are really just about on par with what you see in the film.

All together, I found Monsters vs. Aliens to be a fun game, something that could easily appeal to adults and kids alike, whether you were a fan of the film or not. The gameplay is addictive, great to sit down and play in short bursts, and there's plenty of unlockable content to keep you busy after you've finished the main story. The game itself is even surprisingly lengthy, so it won't be something the kid's are going to toss on the shelf and never play again after a week. There are even co-op levels included to get two players in on the fun, along with specific abilities and powers designed to make use of those stages. Monsters vs. Aliens is definitely worth checking out, and I hope people are willing to give it a shot despite being a movie tie-in.