VU Games announces Robots adaptation

Vivendi has announced plans to release console, PC and GBA titles based on Twentieth Century Fox's latest computer animated film, Robots. Eurocom will be handling the PS2, Xbox, Cube and PC versions, while Griptonite Games will work on the Game Boy Advance version. All are due out in Q1 2005, presumably in time to coincide with the film's cinematic debut on March 11th.

For those who haven't heard of Robots (which included us, actually), it's the next film from Chris Wedge, he of Ice Age fame, about robots. Set in a world composed (seemingly) entirely of robots, the film and game focus on the exploits of Rodney Copperbottom, who - along with his fellow robots - is out to prevent his world falling under the control of some sort of evil tyrant. The film boasts voice talent from the likes of Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry, Mel Brookes and Greg Kinnear.

Vivendi is inviting us to "hop on a train to a mechanical metropolis" where we can expect to meet an "unforgettable" cast of characters, 40 of which have been created specifically for the game, and battle evil machines. Judging by the shots and fact sheets we've seen, it's a 3D action-adventure with big free-roaming environments, incorporating general exploration, puzzle solving and combat. The screenshots remind us slightly of Ratchet & Clank, and it sounds like you'll be able to improve your characters over time in a similar sense, acquiring new mechanical gadgets, skill and upgrade parts.

Vivendi has enjoyed some success with its film adaptations lately. The Chronicles of Riddick, based on the Vin Diesel summer 'blockbuster' (which is due out in the UK at the end of August to our knowledge), has been widely acclaimed for the way it handles a tricky property - and should be one of the Xbox's most celebrated games of 2004. Somehow we doubt Robots will wind up on the end of similar plaudits, but Vivendi is at least working closely with the makers of the film, borrowing character graphics and animation.