What is Ben 10? Ben 10: Power Trip is a video game based on a popular cartoon series in which 10 year old Ben Tennyson (see how what they did there?) discovered a magical device which can turn him into ten different alien heroes, each with their own abilities.
Plot: The game starts with Ben, his sister and his grandfather on a trip when things kick off. Basically, alien thingies start terrorizing the park and Ben has to step up. While there is a plot, the game is more of an open world in which there are side quests and branching storylines. The first level is essentially a long playable instruction demo. You play around the park to learn the control and at the end, you get your first alien alter ego and the map opens up considerably.
Each quest is given via an animated character (my favorite being the Burgermeister). There are plenty of cheesy puns to keep you smiling and many of them are unrelated to the main plot (in one quest I needed to get potions to help beardless lumberjacks grow magnificent beards…because it’s that kind of game). The open world allows you to find items and collect coins that are used for upgrades and explore at your own pace. Many of the quests are the ‘find x number of these and bring them back’ variety. Luckily, you usually don’t have to go too far to collect them (I hate when games make you travel all the way across the map to pad the game).
Controls: For a game based on a cartoon, the controls work very well. Movement is smooth. The game largely avoids the ‘jump between platforms and any wrong move makes you fall’ trick that can lead to frustration. When you do fall, the game is pretty forgiving. You don’t die if you fall from high up and if you fall off the screen, you start where you left off. To move around faster in Ben form, you can use a scooter. I found the scooter a bit hard to steer, but once I got my second alien (whose power is speed), I found traveling to be a lot easier. Once you discover an area, you also unlock fast travel to it. Combat is pretty easy. You mash a few buttons and mix in a dodge occasionally and you are fine. There are also some light puzzles to figure out, but nothing that should stump experienced gamers.
Customization: After each level, you are given an upgrade point to level up one aspect of Ben. You also collect coins you can use to purchase items from a shopkeeper. I didn’t notice too much of a difference as I leveled my character up, but it does add a layer of thinking to what you do. While not really ‘customization’ it is fun to unlock more aliens, as they each have their own powers.
Who is it for: The game isn’t terribly difficult, making it a good game for the audience who likes the cartoon. It’s family friendly, with only mild violence and is easy enough to avoid frustrating younger games. While parents may not want to play this game on their own, there are enough silly puns to entertain them while they watch their kids play,
Reviewed on PS4
Thanks to Outright Games for the review copy!
Ben 10: Power Trip is now available for Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, Xbox One and PC via Steam!
Are you going to pick up the game? Have you already? Feel free to chat with me on Twitter or leave a comment below!
