X360A writes: "Movie tie-ins had a rough year in 2009, so we can only hope that they go out with a bang. Sadly though, thanks to SEGA's Planet 51, it seems like we may well be stuck with the whimper sound effect to end a year of tie-ins we just want to forget. Planet 51 is the latest in a long line of games that's intended to cash in on a successful film's hype and imprint themselves on the minds of parents during the festive rush for presents. Unfortunately as the film itself got a bit of a critical hammering, the game really has to stand on its own two feet. No doubt you can see where this is heading... over the waterfall my friends."
El33tonline writes:
"Aliens. Ooh, scary! We read about mysterious aliens coming to earth, searching for intelligent life and failing to find it in the US. We read how they kidnap poor trailer trash hillbillies and do all sorts of nasty probes. We see movies of the little green men using ray guns to vaporise everything and everyone in their way. We listen to music that sometimes sounds like the artists are from another planet. And finally we play games about aliens coming to our planet and scaring babies. But in Planet 51, the whole concept has been turned on its head."
PSX Extreme writes: "Video games based on movies have increased in quality this generation. We've actually seen a few pretty decent efforts already; The Bourne Conspiracy and Kung Fu Panda have been solid and worthwhile, which is why I go into such reviews with an open mind. Unfortunately, Planet 51 is a step backwards due to somewhat sluggish controls, a style of gameplay that forces the player to complete trivial and extremely boring "missions," and an overall lack of immersion."
Planet 51 is an okay way to kill a few hours, if you're really so time-rich you can afford to waste your precious life driving very slowly around a dull alien planet. It's not horrendous, but it's light-years away from great.
