Metacritic Games

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (Xbox)

Based on the unfortunately successful book series and the feature film starring Jim Carrey, this is the tale of Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire, whose parents perish in a fire. Soon after, they are sent to live with their sinister uncle, Count Olaf, in a most cavernous mansion. Great tragedy becomes greater misfortune as Olaf's despicable plans are revealed and the siblings must combine forces to prevent the Count and his henchmen from seizing their immense family fortune. Switch among the Baudelaire orphans and utilize their special skills as you journey through 15 perilous missions, from the deep catacombs beneath Olaf’s mansion to the gloomy shores of Lake Lachrymose. Collect household items with Violet, the intrepid inventor, and assemble them into cool contraptions for puzzle-solving and combat. Wield those items with Klaus, the brave intellect, to battle Olaf’s minions. And mind the tottering toddler, Sunny, as she chomps valiantly through obstacles in the orphans’ path with her 4 very sharp teeth. Should you emerge victorious in your attempt to foil Count Olaf's wicked plans, rest assured your success will be temporary, as only woe awaits you in A Series of Unfortunate Events. [Activision]

Activision
Action, Adventure, Platform
Players: 1
E (Everyone)
Developer: Amaze Entertainment
Released November 9, 2004

Overall Metascore

This is a weighted, normalized average of all individual scores given by critics, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

67 / 100

Critic Reviews

90 GamingTrend
The game features an original storyline, fantastic voice work, and is a fun game for fans of the books and newcomers to the series alike.
85 XGP Gaming
Between the solid controls, the insightful humor, the storybook presentation and the excellent voice-overs, I could find no real reason not to highly recommend this game.
83 Cinescape
That's the big thing this title has going for it. It's fun to experience this amazing world, and if there was something focused on during the game design it was making sure that the world was a good place to go play in.
80 GameZone
While the gameplay is fairly light and simple, the game does a great job of retaining the atmosphere of the books and upcoming film on which it's based.
80 PGNx Media
The gameplay is pretty undemanding but fundamentally sound; the different characters manage the spice the game up a bit, as well. The game would be rated higher if the length was a touch longer; it clocks in at just over 5 hours.
79 Game Chronicles
This is certainly one game that every child should play, even if you have to rent it. I'm also betting that more than a few adults are going to get hooked on the simple old-school adventure gameplay that oozes with charm and a unique vision that mirrors the movie and the novels that inspired them both.
77 Gamer's Hell
A pleasant, if overly simple, adventure/platformer. Despite the presence of familiar characters and settings, it isn't very true to the original story.
76 Next Level Gaming
Despite an interesting story and what should have been a solid puzzle solving game engine, it just turns out to be too easy and to be honest a little on the boring side for me.
76 Warcry
The biggest unfortunate event this film-based title runs into is a severe case of brevity. However, for that brief time, you'll certainly be entertained.
72 Pelit (Finland)
A standard movie game for kids. What a pity, the movie promised more. [Mar. 05]
71 IGN
A faithful rendition of the books and should please young fans. The gameplay at times feels a bit too dumbed down, but is overall an excellent example of what can be done with a game designed specifically for children.
70 Xequted
If you loved "Beyond Good and Evil," with it's original and engaging 3D worlds, then you'll pleasantly surprised by A Series of Unfortunate Events. But as a downside you might find yourself playing this game until completion and then never returning to the magical world.
70 DarkStation
A good looking game but not great. It does just enough to make this fantasy world come alive in the video game.
70 AceGamez
The game as a whole is very forgiving - too forgiving in fact. If you're an experienced gamer, or even an adult who plays occasionally, you shouldn't find the puzzles, bad guys, bosses or exploration too much of a hindrance and will probably complete the game in about 10 hours.
70 DailyGame
It captures the atmosphere of the children’s novels and movie, but it doesn’t break any new ground in the genre. Still, it does help dispel the belief that all movie games are junk.
70 Official Xbox Magazine
Younger gamers will find the switch-throwing, crate-pushing gameplay incrementally rewarding. [Jan 2005, p.80]
66 TeamXbox
Occasional camera problems, an overall lack of puzzles, and very short gameplay hamper the end product.
65 Xbox World Australia
A faithful book-movie-game transfer, Lemony Snicket’s is actually quite a solid title in its own right, especially for youngsters. Older, more experienced gamers will find it far too brief and simple to enjoy.
63 Game Informer
The wry subtlety of the novels' text pops up once in a while, but not nearly enough, which leaves only a derivative and dull game where there could have been a humorous midadventure. [Jan 2005, p.119]
60 G4 TV
All the timed events, amusing physics-based puzzles, likeable characters, and strange contraptions will be a treat for fans of the books and movie.
54 My Gamer
Categorizing Unfortunate Events as an action game is a grotesque stretch of gaming imagination.
50 Sydney Morning Herald
The difficulty level is accommodating for youngsters, although the controls can be unwieldy. Sadly, the fun is short-lived, with no multi-player modes or replay appeal.
47 VGPub
It's too bad the better-than-expected graphics and voice acting could not make up for the ridiculously easy difficulty and short length of the game.
42 Gaming Age
Simply a boring, run of the mill adventure that likely would not have turned out much different if there were six months tacked onto the development time or another developer was at the helm.
40 Xbox Nation Magazine
It's an unsatisfying parade of dull fetch quests. [Feb 2005, p.95]

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