Disney's PK: Out of the Shadows

With other, more entertaining platforming titles currently on the market (read: Sly Cooper, Ratchet & Clank, Heck, even Maximo), there really isn’t a big incentive to lay down half a C-note for PK: Out of the Shadows. However, for the younger audience, particularly those who are fans of Donald Duck and don’t appreciate a challenge, this may be just the thing the doctor ordered. So in conclusion: rent, don’t buy, unless you are a pre-pubescent gamer who enjoys the Donald Duck personality so much that you dressed up as him for Halloween.

PK Out of the Shadows' plusses don't outweigh its minuses. The Disney name and the cel-shading are good, but the repetitive gameplay, lack of many goals, and the poor enemy AI drag it down. It also might have helped if someone in America actually knew who PK was. As it stands, someone should have pulled the plug on this energized duck.

C'est un jeu bien moyen que voilà. Plus on y joue plus on découvre ses limites et c'est bien dommage. Mais avec un gameplay aussi étriqué et une réalisation un peu juste, il est loin de pouvoir concurrencer son modèle. Et je ne parle même pas de Sly Cooper.

C'est un jeu bien moyen que voilà. Plus on y joue plus on découvre ses limites et c'est bien dommage. Mais avec un gameplay aussi étriqué et une réalisation un peu juste, il est loin de pouvoir concurrencer son modèle.

As a gift for a younger relative or sibling this would suit nicely. If you really like Donald Duck or Disney this is perfect. If you’re looking for a cheap thrill or a nice low impact workout you could do a lot worse than this. This game has beautiful graphics, decent game play, and enough variety to keep you at the console if you’ve got nothing better going or are just looking to relax from all those other worlds you’re trying to crush within your grip.

As you can see, Disney's PK: Out of the Shadows is not big on variety. There are different levels in this game, but they all play exactly the same! Sure, the level changes, but the mission does not. Run around, jump a few dozen times, shoot every enemy in sight, and when all is said and done, you get to do it all over again. And again. And yet again, until you're blue in the face.

The game feels as if the designers only wanted to put enough effort into the game to make it adequate and passable. The graphics look OK, but there are clipping problems and camera issues when you're in tight quarters or near corners. The cutscenes have a comic book look and use transitions that look like comic panels, but they are fuzzy and blurry as if you were playing a PS One game on your system. The music is a generic techno track that is slow and very repetitive. And you already know all about the level design... With so many good platformers available, pass on this one unless you really, really like Donald Duck or PK.

PK: Out of the Shadows is average, that doesn't try to do anything new. I found myself getting bored with it, while playing through the entire game. The game is just too repetitive and easy. This game will appease parents who are looking for a non-violent game for their children. If you do not fall into this category, I suggest you skip this game and go for something else. There are plenty of new action games that have been released, just in the past few months that will give players a better challenge, and more bang for their buck.

The icing on the proverbial cake of poo is that PK has only a few levels with overly linear layout, bland textures and sub-par cel shading.

In some sense, much of this is to be expected. This is a game based on a comic book, and the darker tone and shadowy look are consistent with those origins. Nevertheless, "Out of the Shadows" could have turned out better. While it's an entirely different game from "Goin' Quackers," anyone who played that game will find this one to be a source of dissatisfaction. And despite the developers' attempts to create a zany story, the game leaves you without a sense of purpose. If you're really thirsting for some Donald Duck platform action in your life, then "Out of the Shadows" will at least provide enough of a challenge to keep you on the jump. But if you're not a devotee and don't need to see PK make his videogame debut, then you can leave this one for the Evronians.

Disney's PK: Out of the Shadows is yet another title that proves the paradigm that videogames licensed from popular cartoons are destined to suck. The thought behind these games seems to be that there is money to be made by tacking a proven license onto crappy games. However, as this game features PK rather than a traditional Donald Duck, the license isn't exactly recognizable around the world. To add insult to injury they messed with a classic and beloved character, one that I have loved since childhood. If you are jonesing for a little Donald Duck in your game playing I have two words for you: Kingdom Hearts.

Playing Disney's PK was a rewarding experience in one way, at least -- I got a chance to find out who PK was, and in turn ponder the mystery of how a goofy-looking duck superhero would become such a big deal in Italian comicbooks. But the game itself did very little for me, and that would probably go for most of you as well. It's as generic as action games come today, and in such a crowded market, you don't have to settle for something like this.

PK just doesn't prove a worthwhile diversion for any serious gamer. Give it to a three-year-old kid who doesn't know his hand from his heiney and he'll be pleased as punch, but anyone who understands the intricacies of modern development will be most chagrined. There just isn't any polish here, or anything much that could be polished to a fine shine for that matter, because it's an obscure title made with minimal resources based on a license no American has even heard of. Let's see. Gameplay. Graphics. Replay value. One, two, yep … three strikes, yer outta here!

Playing Disney's PK was a rewarding experience in one way, at least -- I got a chance to find out who PK was, and in turn ponder the mystery of how a goofy-looking duck superhero would become such a big deal in Italian comicbooks. But the game itself did very little for me, and that would probably go for most of you as well. It's as generic as action games come today, and in such a crowded market, you don't have to settle for something like this.

Ultimately, Disney's PK: Out of the Shadows is a game that would have ended up being much better if more effort had been put into the overall design, but as it stands, it seems to have been thrown together just to be a product on the shelf. There are many other games in this genre that you'd be better off spending your time with. Unless playing poorly made games is your pastime, avoiding this game is highly suggested.

Ultimately, Disney's PK: Out of the Shadows is a game that would have ended up being much better if more effort had been put into the overall design, but as it stands, it seems to have been thrown together just to be a product on the shelf. There are many other games in this genre that you'd be better off spending your time with. Unless playing poorly made games is your pastime, avoiding this game is highly suggested.