Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

BonusStage

It follows the beloved storyline with a wonderful cinematic flair, top-notch audio design, colorful yet simple graphics and a basic set of gameplay mechanics. However, a lacking of innovation and overall gameplay and graphical polish stunt the game’s full potential and leave it as a just-above-average title only fans of the material and/or genre will find any value in.

GameZone

Charlie and the Boring Factory. It's hard to make a fun game based around these kinds of properties, but that doesn't justify bad gameplay, or a lack thereof.

Next Level Gaming

With all of the gameplay and control issues, the game simply isn’t any fun.

PSM Magazine

The surreal visuals occasionally impress and the voice acting is fair (no Depp though), but there's too little fun. [Oct 2005, p.94]

Play Magazine

A bare-bones run-of-the-mill 3D puzzle-actioner saturated with eye-bleeding color and overflowing with tired devices and clunky gameplay. [Sept 2005, p.56]

Game Informer

This has to be one of the worst games I've had the displeasure of playing in quite some time. [Sept 2005, p.100]

IC-Games

Started with brilliant presentation and gameplay and deteriorated from that point on. Although the novel twist of trying to save the ‘bad’ kids does add something for fans of the book, they’ll be advised to rent this title before the sugar sweet memories turn into a sour aftertaste after shelling out for this lacklustre platformer.

IGN

It could have played like a slimmed down version of Pikmin crossed with quirky, yet solid platformer elements. Unfortunately, bad control and poor execution ruin the experience.

Jolt Online Gaming UK

Budget release or no, this is a pretty disappointing effort and a waste of time for most.

GameSpot

This factory comes off more like a real industrial complex than the fantastic playground of a fop who makes candy with magical midgets.

AceGamez

Kids aren't going to want to rescue the bad guys of the movie, kids want to explore the factory, swim in the chocolate lakes and hijack cars.

DarkStation

One of the most celebrated children's tale turns out as a dreadful platformer, sporting way too many flaws to be a remotely fun game.

1UP

As I painfully maneuvered my Charlie from room to room, I grew more and more desperate in my attempt to find redeeming qualities in the game.

Cheat Code Central

Atrocious. And not "atrociously good fun" either. Simply atrocious. It's like biting into an Oh Henry and discovering that it is indeed, a big fat solid chunk of stanky human dung and undigested peanuts.

Gamestyle

The game play is too repetitive and a combination of poor controls and poor visuals make it frustrating to complete the levels. It's hard to imagine many people, whatever their ages, having the supreme patience to actually sit through more than a few hours of this game.

VideoGamesLife

It's clear that the game is aimed at a younger audience, but this is no excuse for repetitive levels, broken controls, lazy design and releasing a game that's so frustrating, it'll make you turn off the console in disgust.

Eurogamer

Even if you loved the film, even if gullible children are tearfully begging you to buy them this game, even if there's been a nuclear holocaust and the only games to survive are this and "Army Men: Green Rogue"; please, just say No.

Loaded Inc

Give this to your kids only if you hate them, or want them to stop gaming, or feel like being asked how to solve "the next bit" time and again. Life’s too short. Play something else.

Gaming Age

The product just feels unfinished, likely rushed to launch alongside the film, lacking the polish and additional development time that would have made this a worthwhile experience.

Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

Allowing your kid to play this game is considered child abuse in 29 states. [Oct 2005, p.102]

Gamers Europe

So to sum up – it looks like a homebrew net Yaroze demo, sounds worse than a knackered monophonic mobile phone with the Crazy Frog ring tone on it, moves with all the fluidity and beauty of a giraffe trying to control a pedalo and is so shatteringly tedious and yawn-inducing you could mistakenly think you’ve contracted narcolepsy while playing it.