I know what you're thinking "Oh, great, another game based off of a summer blockbuster movie". And you're correct, Thor: God of Thunder is centered around a certain protagonist that just happens to also have a movie out by Marvel Studios that you can find in theaters now. Coincidence? Of course not.
Since the dawn of video games, coinciding with the theatrical debut of many movies there has almost always been a movie license game released along side the film. Usually nothing more than a simple cash in, riding on the hype of said film. Since not much care is usually put into these games, for the most part they, well, kinda suck. Because of that, all movie license games are plagued with this stigma that not one has been able to seemingly shake off its back. But what about a God?
Thor: God of Thunder for the Wii is developed by Red Fly Studios and published by Sega. It features both Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston from the film, respectively reprising their roles in the form of voice actors in the game. It's a third-person action game slash beat 'em up akin to the likes of God of War, albeit slightly more mindless in execution. The plot is exactly what you'd expect it to be, with Loki tricking Thor into attacking different planets, with even more chaos and turmoil appearing as a result of that.
The fact that Thor is so easily duped into being a tool makes it seem as though his character itself isn't much more than a mindless ogre, and the repetitiveness of the gameplay almost furthers that notion. During the 10 or so hours it took me to beat the game, the majority of it was spent having Thor aimlessly running around smashing everything in sight. I may be a mere mortal, but I thought the term "God" implied being a higher being in all aspects.
Once in a while the game would try to switch things up by presenting me with an on rail shooter level. Think Sin & Punishment or Star Fox. However, it feels like these levels were simply thrown in in an attempt to try to distract from the repetitiveness that are the regular levels, and, as such, makes them feel way too forced.
To be fair, however, isn't the purpose of the game to be mindless fun, much like it's cinema cousin? A nice departure from anything involving critical thinking for the young and young at heart to play and feel like, well, a badass. If that's what Thor: God of Thunder is aiming to be, then, by all accounts, it succeeds. Not only that, but the run and smash, then run and smash some more fundamentals that make up the gameplay aren't quite always the shallow button mashing they may appear to be.
I mean, yes, if you choose to just mash buttons you will manage to destroy most of the enemies, but you'll also eventually end up dead as well. Allow me to elaborate. Believe it or not, in addition to having his trusty Mjollnir (That's his hammer's name) Thor can also command thunder. Not only that, but Thor can also combine magic with his hammer, which opens up a dizzying array of possibilities.
All of this brings me to the game's controls. If the game were to fail at everything else, the controls alone would be enough to make it enjoyable. Easily my favorite part about the game during the time I spent with Thor: God of Thunder, the game uses the WiiMote and NunChuk, and it simply wouldn't control as good as it does any other way. Movement is done with the analog stick while the Z button blocks, and the C button causes Thor to hold his hammer above his head, allowing you to then spear it at enemies like a javelin.
On the other side of things, the B button on the WiiMote allows Thor to jump, and the A button acts as Thor's light melee attacks while smashing down with the WiiMote like an actual hammer are his heavy melee attacks. Flick the WiiMote left or right, however, and Thor will throw his hammer, making it circle around him and pick off any enemies that might be in range.
The IR pointer, in conjunction with the - button allows the player the simply point and make it rain lightning wherever he or she so pleases. And the + buttons allows players to unleash a cyclone that will temporarily trap enemies in their tracks. Dashing is done with the up, left, and right buttons on the directional pad, while pressing down on the directional pad then either flicking the WiiMote down, or to either side will allow Thor to pull off different special abilities. In theory these moves might sound a little complicated, but in practice they couldn't be more natural.
As you can see, the game's combat is pretty diverse, and it doesn't stop there. As you destroy baddies throughout the game, you collect what are essentially experience points. Everytime you fill the experience bar you collect one coin. This coin can be used to purchase different upgrades, such as increasing the size of your health or magic bar as well as different power-ups and new special moves. Is all of this really necessary? Of course not, but it adds diversity to what seems to be a nothing but repetitive game. As I've said previously, variety is never a bad thing, and all this variety adds a layer of strategy to the game, as it in some ways allows the player to tailor suit Thor to their playing style and play the game the way they want to. Not to mention, hidden throughout the levels are other unlockables such as art galleries, extra costumes, and runes, which serve as an additional form of power-up.
Unfortunately, the diversity of the combat system is short lived, as the level design couldn't be blander or more monotonous. Throughout most of the levels you'll find yourself running down tunnel after tunnel to what seems to be no end. You'll fight in locales that bear different themes, such as fire or ice, but due to the predictable mechanics of the level design it ultimately leaves you feeling as though you're just playing through the same levels and fighting the same enemies over and over, with the only change being a different coat of paint on it all. The sound also wasn't memorable, as I really don't remember in the slightest. Considering how badly the sound and music could have turned out, I'll mark not even noticing it down as a good thing.
The worst part of all about Thor: God of Thunder, however, goes to the horrible animations and consistently choppy framerate. As a departure from the HD console versions, the Wii version of the game sports a comic book inspired, almost cell-shaded look. Usually stylized graphics works in favor of the Wii's limited hardware capabilities, but not this time. The animations are awkward and stiff, and the framerate is almost always constantly fluctuating between 5 and 30 fps for what seems to be no reason. I believe the framerate and animation issues could have been ironed out with a little more care and polish, which leaves me feeling that the Wii version of the game was released prematurely.
Conclusion:
Overall, while Thor: God of Thunder for the Wii doesn't completely segregate itself from the dreaded depths of despair that many movie license games fall victim to, it does manage to save itself from the purgatory destined to it's HD console brethrens. With a little more time and polish Thor: God of Thunder could have really stood out. But as it is there is still fun to be had, just don't take it too seriously.
Thor: God of Thunder [Wii] gets a 6.5 out of 10
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