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It’s been said before but bears repeating, paraphrased – the PS2 may be in the twilight of its lifespan as a viable console platform system, but at this stage it seems to be home to some of its best games, graphically speaking.

Arthur and the Invisibles certainly fall into that category.

While the game itself treads the usual path of a platform adventure, filled with puzzles, the graphics of the game are wonderful. It creates an atmosphere that will delight gamers of all ages while closely following the style of the film. There are even movie cutscenes inserted into the game’s presentation to keep the association strong.

The game’s plot follows the movie, and in neither case is the story unfamiliar. Arthur is a young boy of 10, who is staying with his grandparents when a ruthless developer – Davido – is making a move to take away the old couple’s home for a strip mall. They have a limited time frame in which to come up with a vast amount of money or their home is forfeited. Working in their favor is that the grandfather was once given a fabulous treasure, consisting of rubies. But working against them is that the grandfather hid the treasure so well in the backyard that he can’t find it; and even worse, he has disappeared, leaving Arthur and his wife to fend for themselves.

Now tossed into the mix is the Minimoys, a very tiny race living in the backyard. In his zeal to find the treasure, and perhaps his grandfather, Arthur manages to shrink himself down to the size of the Minimoys and begins the hunt for the treasure.

This is where the game begins. You are taught – in the tutorial – the control scheme and one thing is made readily apparent – you need the help of others to work through this game. There are several puzzles that require companions to unlock mechanisms to advance. The save points, flowers, will also require more than Arthur to activate. This is all a precursor to the fact that while Arthur is the focus of the story, he will encounter others and the game will become a party-driven title.

The tutorial will have players work towards a ceremony, but the ceremony with the king is interrupted by a gang of mosquitoes that must be defeated. This is when the party concept comes into play; gamers take control of Arthur, Selenia and Betameche, and together they have to overcome the enemy hordes, find the key to open the gate to the next level and move along the game path. This is a gameplay element repeated often. Each of the members of the heroes has special skills, and players can jump from one to another. As the manual states, working together is a key ingredient.

The game’s AI is rather good, keeping the game a challenge.

The game pulls from the film in the audio department, and the sound is a very solid adjunct to the game’s graphics, which are truly wonderful. The first time the game was displayed on a 26-inch HDTV, one of the younger gamers nearby asked if it was a PS3 game – that is how polished this game is. The animations are also first rate, though some of the elements can be a swamp of repeated actions. The puzzles, in particular, seem to draw from a limited supply of templates. Once you have figured out the handful, or so, employed, you can pull from that knowledge base to work through most of the rest of the game.

However, the monsters do provide a fighting challenge, and do move well enough to keep players on their toes. While the game has its leaping moments, and the majority of it takes place on the ground, there are also moments when you will have to hop on the back of a mosquito and fly through the air

The camera can be problematic at some times, but generally does not interfere with the game.

If there was one drawback to this game, it would be in the repetition. But still Arthur and the Invisibles does a fine job of presenting the story in a compelling manner and then supporting it with truly terrific graphics and characters you will come to enjoy and even, dare it be said, care about.

While the gameplay elements are nothing new, the game still succeeds and will prove a delight to players of all ages.

Review Scoring Details for Arthur and the Invisibles

Gameplay: 7.8The essential elements are repeated throughout the levels, but the game does manage to mix it up nicely to keep the experience from being bogged down.

Graphics: 9.0Truly stellar graphics for the PS2. The game has a very entertaining look.

Sound: 8.0It follows the film and does have that cinematic feel to it.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 7.0If the story sounds familiar it is because the plot borrows from a tried-and-true formula.

Overall: 8.0The game is relatively short, but still is a delight for the eyes. The story is familiar but presented very well, and has broad appeal – just like the characters. This is a platformer, with a finite set of puzzles to solve, but manages to be a title that is very entertaining and a treat for players of almost any age. Atari scores with this title.