Welcome to a casual gamer’s review of Bluey: The Game. To save you time, here is the conclusion right away: the game is absolutely terrible.
We played on Xbox Series X, and it took us about an hour and 15 minutes to complete the entire game with four players (myself and my three kids). None of us enjoyed it. While there are a few positive aspects, the overall negative points justify this early conclusion and explain why the game isn’t receiving rave reviews online.
The game’s story mirrors a typical Bluey episode. The family discovers an old picture of Bandit (the dad) with a torn map on the back that he and his brothers made as kids. The goal is to find the missing map pieces, reassemble it, and discover the hidden treasure.
The art style and graphics are phenomenal. It genuinely looks like you are playing an actual, longer episode of the cartoon, featuring the same vibrant colours and fantastic animation styles. Furthermore, all the main characters and side characters are voiced by the original cast members, adding to the feeling of playing a real episode.
The major caveat, however, is the audio and lip syncing, which are often out of sync. During dialogue sequences, the characters’ speech does not match their mouth movements. This is extremely bizarre for a very linear game that only lasts about 75 minutes. Unlike a sprawling 70-hour RPG with branching dialogue options, this game has pre-selected, limited dialogue sequences, making the lip-syncing issue difficult to understand for a cartoon-animated game.
I have no issue with the story’s simplicity; it stays true to the Bluey cartoon, which I enjoy for its humour that often appeals more to adults.
I suspect the developers relied heavily on the Bluey brand recognition, knowing it would sell regardless of poor quality or negative reviews. I’m grateful I tested it via Xbox Game Pass before deciding against a purchase.
Another major problem is the game mechanics and numerous bugs, which is astonishing for such a short, non-complex game. The game, priced at $50 CAD (about $40 USD), is an utter ripoff. It’s so bad it should be a free-to-play mobile download.
My kids were profoundly disappointed. When the game ended, and I asked if they wanted to replay any part, they immediately said no and preferred to switch it off.
For example, in one segment, you must jump across obstacles as if the floor is lava. The flawed mechanics mean that even when you successfully land on an object, the game sometimes registers it as a ‘burn,’ forcing you back to the start. The sheer amount of bugs for a game with simple, cartoon-like animation styles is awful.
I frequently experienced game-breaking glitches, such as controlling Bandit and being able to walk or “teleport” through walls into unintended dimensions. I kept pushing the boundaries of this glitch until my kids insisted I stop.
This game is suitable only for three or four-year-olds, and even then, it’s not a good experience. It’s a terrible, overpriced ripoff that should be a free mobile download. Do not spend money on it; consumers should reject this product to show the developers and the Bluey studio that relying on brand power alone is unacceptable.
I hope this review helps you make an informed decision. You’ll find many other reviews across the internet confirming these issues.
