Review: 'Family Guy' Game Much Lamer Than Show

The delusional mutterings of megalomaniacal infant Stewie Griffin are hilarious on the "Family Guy" animated television show — but they can get downright tiresome in the new video-game version.

That's not to say the twisted, often crude humor from the series isn't just as laugh-out-loud on the new M-rated, $29.99 Xbox, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable versions — it often is.

But players will have to wade through a lot of tedious, repetitive gameplay.

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The game version lets you play three main characters: the angry, football-headed Stewie; Brian, the alcoholic talking dog; and Peter, the overweight, often drunk New Englander with the intelligence of Homer Simpson but none of his witless charm.

Fans, take note: Chris, Lois, Megan, even the evil monkey are left on the sidelines this time.

The three characters you can move around go through the game differently.

Stewie's levels involve lots of running, jumping and shooting through levels that include a maternity ward.

The Brian levels are especially painful as you try to sneak around various occupied shower stalls and office buildings without being spotted.

Later on there are the Peter levels, where you get to fight as the pudgy family man from fictional Quahog, R.I.

There are plenty of "Family Guy"'s usual sight gags and tangential jokes along the way, but the controls aren't very good and the game just isn't much fun to play.

And one screw-up and you have to start levels over, something I had to do repeatedly, to the point of exhaustion.

Graphically, the game perfectly captures the look and feel of the animated show, and the voice work is done by the same people from the show, including "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane.

But there's just not enough variety or originality to make the interspersed comedic nuggets worth mining.

If you really want a different take on the show, go rent the made-for-DVD movie "Family Guy Presents: Stewie Griffin the Untold Story."

One and a half stars out of four.

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