WALL-E Preview

May 21, 2008

Pixar is known for coming up with creative and endearing movies such as Toy Story, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille. By all accounts, its upcoming animated feature, WALL-E, will capture the same magic with the tale of a lonely robot left on Earth who soon discovers what his purpose is as he travels across the galaxy. Timed to release shortly before the movie hits theaters, Savage Entertainment and THQ are bringing an adaptation of the film to just about every single console. We were lucky enough to get our hands on an early preview build and five stages of the PSP version of the game to see where the diminutive droid's adventures will take him.

WALL-E is the tale of the last robot left on Earth, who is tasked with cleaning up the mess left behind by humanity after people literally covered the surface of the Earth with trash. Deployed by the Buy and Large Corporation, WALL-E is directed to compact and stack the piles of detritus into cubes until the entire planet is neatly arranged. Initially one of a large group of robots, only WALL-E has managed to survive the harsh rigors of the environmentally wrecked planet, such as gigantic sandstorms that threaten the safety of the small droid. To add a twist to the title, the developers added a variety of tasks in game levels, including some new areas and sections that won't be in the movie, to provide extra depth to the game.

The first stage that we checked out was entitled "Sandstorm Sprint," a fast-paced stage which gave WALL-E less than two minutes to navigate through a cube lined track filled with obstacles, such as chasms and falling crates. Fortunately for him, the little robot has a couple ways to avoid the perils of the environment, such as compressing himself into a block to smash his way through boxes or fences and using a laser cutter to slice through laser crates. Additionally, WALL-E can use his speed and momentum to glide or flip over gaps, and by rolling over ramps or other inclines found in the environment, he can float across pits that would otherwise damage him.

The next section was one called Work Day, a bittersweet stage where the lonely robot thinks that he sees another WALL-E unit atop a tall trash tower. However, to get to his fellow droid, WALL-E has to move through a large area solving environmental puzzles and clearing obstacles. For example, one ramp that he comes across at the beginning of the level is weighed down by a number of boxes. By gathering up debris into cubes, WALL-E can take aim and break these boxes, releasing the ramp and giving him access to new areas. Another puzzle involves defusing energy vortexes by breaking the containers trapped inside of them, releasing energy vials that WALL-E can then redeem at security checkpoints.

Not all of the puzzles are destructive, however. There are little color mini-games that you will sometimes need to play through, including pattern-matching locks and concentration-styled memory tests that will open doors and give you access to new items. Some of these items can be "artifacts" from the previous human occupants of Earth, such as binoculars, a telescope, or a plunger. These items will contribute to your overall score, which can be used to unlock additional content, such as concept art or film images.

While a majority of the game takes place in WALL-E's treads, you won't always control the little robot. In the third level, Taking Flight, we took over control of EVE, a small scout robot. Introducing herself to the droid, EVE and WALL-E quickly strike up a friendship which is threatened once again by a gigantic sandstorm. Instead of racing down a track, EVE gathers WALL-E up in her arms and flies off to safety. Unlike WALL-E, EVE can speed up or slow down to blast obstacles in her way with a laser pistol. This is particularly important because she flew through a series of cramped pipes and corridors, dodging steam vents and other hazards as she tried to get to WALL-E's base before time ran out.

Speaking of time running out, WALL-E features an extended chase and rescue sequence that we discovered for the last two stages. The first one was called EVE Pursuit and was a rather tragic moment between the two robots. After arriving on a spaceship, EVE and WALL-E are pulled apart by a set of droids; EVE is placed on a transport, while WALL-E is considered to be a foreign contaminant. Not entirely sure what's going on, but hoping to liberate his friend, WALL-E charges after the transport. The pursuit level takes place across a number of sections of the ship, and requires some rather quick reflexes to leap over energy draining gaps and other obstacles. At one point, this includes staying off the ground because WALL-E would be detected by Sentinel robots. However, on top of all of these hazards, WALL-E also has to keep the transport with EVE in sight. If he falls too far behind, he could lose her forever.

Once you manage to track the transport down successfully, WALL-E attempts to escape with EVE through the ship. However, this isn't as easy as it sounds, because a number of Sentinel robots are hot on their tails. WALL-E's only defense against the pursuing droids is to use his laser to shoot them before they can catch up to the escaping duo. Pitting up to five Sentinels at once against WALL-E, it's up to the player to aim carefully and blast through the attacking robot's armor to take them down. However, you'll need to keep an eye out for laser crates, which will replenish WALL-E's energy for his weapon and help him avoid capture.

While Sandstorm Sprint and Taking Flight were slightly similar because they were timed "race" sections, the five stages were unique enough to keep fans of the upcoming movie interested. The title appears to be combining exploration, racing sequences and even light combat sequences to make a rather intriguing movie game. We'll be keeping an eye on the title, and try to bring you additional info on WALL-E as it gets close to its late June release.