The Smurfs: Operation Vilhoja for Nintendo Switch
The Smurfs are back!
Today there is many animated series, but surely the most veteran players remember one of our childhood and that is none other than The Smurfs. It is a Belgian comic book franchise, centered around a fictional colony of little blue humanoid creatures that live in mushroom-shaped houses in the woods.
Will this new Smurfs adventure be worth it? Let’s check it out!
Argument
In a dusty grimoire, the witcher Gargamel has just come up with the formula for an evil plant: the Vilhoja . This plant produces seeds “ Viltrampa ”, which can attract and trap Smurfs … but these Viltrampa plants also pose a great danger to the forest, because are toxic , especially for sarsaparilla fields!
Papa Smurf decides to ask some of his Smurf friends to help him find the ingredients for a antidote made sick. Thank you to the , an invention of Handyman, we can embark on an adventure to find the ingredients, free our Smurf friends … and save the village!
Gameplay
The Smurfs Operation Vilhoja is a game of 3D platforms in which we can play as 4 iconic Smurfs: Philosopher , Cook, Smurfette and Hefty , in 5 different zones, each of which has different locations. Initially each of them will only be able to play at certain points of the adventure by default, but when we complete the title, we will be able to select the one we want of the four to play.
Our goal will be to use the Smurfette
to heal the plants contaminated by the Vilhoja, find a series of ingredients for an antidote and rescue others Smurfs on the way to Gargamel’s hut. And it is that this peculiar invention is the great cornerstone of the title, since thanks to it we will not only be able to cure contaminated plants, but it will also allow us to attack enemies and create different paths thanks to the plants that we are finding, among others. stuff.
Like any platform game worth its salt, we can jump, but we will also unlock new features such as a bomb jump, double jump, glide, sprint , I will aspirate and launch. All these actions will help us to overcome every obstacle that we encounter along the way, defeat our enemies and rescue other Smurfs. Unfortunately, the variety of enemies that we will find on our journey is quite scarce, so the mechanics to defeat them end up repeating constantly. And beyond some encounters that will lock us up with them and, therefore, we won’t be able to continue until we defeat them all; we won’t find any final boss.
On the other hand, the game also features an element of exploration, since in the different locations that we will visit there will be different collectibles.
Some will be in plain sight, but others will be quite hidden or it will be initially difficult to access them, so we will have to explore the scenarios in depth to discover all their secrets and thus get as many as we can. In addition, it should be noted that thanks to the objects that we find, we will be able to improve the Smurfette (increase life, storage, etc.), so it is interesting to spend some time reviewing each of the locations we visit.
As for the level of difficulty of this title, it is quite low and unless we get lost with the enemies or fall several times into the water or into the void, it will be difficult that we die. In any case, throughout the adventure there are a multitude of stones that will automatically save our progress, so if we die, we will simply continue from the last one we activated. In this sense, it is a title that is obviously designed for the youngest players in the house, but that does not mean that we adults can also enjoy it. Therefore, whoever looks for a challenge here, will not find it (beyond trying to get hold of all the collectibles).
On the other hand, the game also features a
cooperative mode
in which we can “enjoy” the adventure with another player. Unfortunately the way to implement it has not convinced me, since in this case, the second player controls the SAM robot (Motorized Aerial Sitemufo). This character can deal with pollution and villains, throw explosive seeds, and fly. Therefore, forget about controlling another Smurf, as simply the second player will basically serve as support, making the experience undoubtedly less rewarding.
Finally, it should be noted that this title, like most Switch games, can be played in laptop mode, desktop mode and TV mode . In addition, also Pro Controller and cloud data save
.
Graphics and sound
At the graphic level, we are facing a simple and colorful title , where the characters and settings we visit draw attention, which manage to convey the atmosphere of the series quite successfully. We will visit different places of the most varied as the Smurf Village, the forest, a castle, a swamp, etc. Each one of them has its own elements, but in all of them predominate very basic, popping (sudden appearance of items) and very simple textures that sometimes take time to load.
By Unfortunately the final product has not been as round as it should be. Regarding performance, the game is quite unstable , with constants falls of framerate . This has a negative effect on the gameplay, with hitches, which are somewhat annoying when they appear.
As for the sound section, the title stands out for being friendly and cheerful melodies, which become more dynamic in combat against enemies. On the other hand, the sound effects simply comply. Finally, it should be noted that the game has voices and texts in Spanish , which is always appreciated.
Duration
The Smurfs Operation Vilhoja is a fairly corot title, as it can be completed in a few 4-5 hours approximately. This duration can vary depending on multiple factors such as the level of difficulty in which we play, if we stop to explore to find all the objects, if we get stuck at some point, etc.
However, as always happens, the duration can be extended a few more hours if we intend to complete it 100%, since for this it will be essential not only to get all the objects in the game, but also to get all the Improve Smurfy Smurf and heal all plants contaminated by Vilhoja in each area.
- The Smurfs were created by the Belgian cartoonist Peyo in the cartoon The flute of the six smurfs ( La Flûte à Six Schtroumpfs ), from his series Johan and Pirlouit , for the weekly Le Journal de Spirou on October 23, 1958. Such was the success of these small blue creatures, equivalent to gnomes or benign goblins, who the following year began starring in their own comic series, as well as movies, cartoon series ani mados and videogames.
- There is more of 100 Smurf characters, and their names are based on adjectives that emphasize their characteristics such as “Joker Smurf,” who plays pranks on the other Smurfs.
- The Smurfs wear Phrygian hats, which came to represent freedom during the modern era.
- The Smurfs – Operation Vilhoja features a Collector’s Edition as follows: Smurf and 2 Sets of Stickers from the game.
Curiosities
Conclusion
The Smurfs – Operation Vilhoja is a nice 3D platform game that despite being entertaining, has graphic defects, performance problems and is very short. However, that does not mean that it can enchant players who simply want to have a good time.
The Smurfs – Operation Vilhoja is available from on November 5 in physical and digital format, through the eShop, at a price of € 39.99 (€ 54.99 for the Deluxe Edition). You must have a free space on your console of 14 GB to download it