Garfield – Escape From Monday Review

If you are looking for a family-friendly title that’ll appeal to youngsters, Garfield – Escape From Monday has to be on your radar. However, if you are an older gamer wanting depth and challenging action, you may want to swerve this title. I love Garfield, but I found it a little tedious. My children, on the other hand, loved every colourful and silly moment.

OSome Studio has developed this vibrant 3D platformer. It is a single-player title that focuses on collectables, basic combat, simple boss encounters, and some surreal moments. The result is a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Furthermore, it’s a casual affair that can be tackled in bite-sized chunks.

Garfield – Escape From Monday tells a weird tale.

We’ve all had strange dreams that are vibrant and ultra-realistic. Sadly for Garfield, his dream turns into a nightmare! Jon has fed him a spinach-based lasagna using Chef Monday’s famous recipe. He isn’t happy and falls into a deep sleep. Unfortunately, his dreams are now laced with sugar-free snacks and healthy foods.

The story should be taken with a pinch of salt, as it is as deep as a puddle. However, the silly nature of the plot, the vibrant setting, and the non-offensive ideas are great for younger gamers. Furthermore, everything is aimed at pushing the action forward. This makes it the ideal option for your kids, as you won’t need to offer support repeatedly.

Simple mechanics.

There are over 40 stages to complete. Each level asks you to collect items to fill up your “Yum-meter”. Additionally, there are hidden lasagnas to find in each of the 3D worlds. These can be ignored, but if you want to find the furniture for Jon’s house, you’ll need to search every odd location.

Garfield – Escape From Monday asks you to undertake some basic combat with each of the little monsters. Moreover, there are some straightforward traversal elements. Jumping, running, and rolling are essential to avoid obstacles and overcome gaps. On top of this, you’ll find 3 special suits to execute special abilities.

There is a flying suit, a surfer outfit, and a cowboy attire. Each offers special powers to overcome that world’s main obstacles. The chicken outfit lets you leap across gaps, and the surfer outfit lets you ride a surfboard. Finally, you’ll use a lasso to traverse massive chasms.

Garfield – Escape From Monday is wickedly vivid.

Garfield – Escape From Monday is unbelievably vibrant, and I love the simple ideas, interesting worlds, and sneaky hiding spots. Although the action is relatively straightforward, there is enough secrecy to keep you entertained. Despite its child-focused design, it performs extremely well with limited bugs and problems. The audio is upbeat and fun in short bursts. It works perfectly with the family-oriented gameplay, and my kids loved it. I, though, found the soundbites to be horribly tedious. Garfield’s punchy one-liners are like fingers down a blackboard, and I hated them.

The controls are easy to understand and simple to master. The UI supports this approach, and my youngest, who is 8, was able to play this independently. Consequently, this is the ideal game for lovers of Garfield and children.  Each short stage can be completed in no time, and this makes it perfect for limited attention spans. My kids tackled a few levels at a time before they wanted to change games. Therefore, there is some replay value and longevity.

Garfield – Escape From Monday is fun for kids.

Garfield – Escape From Monday isn’t going to blow adults away. Although it is fun, colourful, and entertaining, it is repetitive, easy, and the soundbites are ridiculously annoying. However, it is enjoyable for kids. The stage design, limited violence, and easy to master action are perfect for younger gamers. Accordingly, it’s a family-friendly affair, and I recommend grabbing a copy from the Xbox Store!