Over the Hedge is an action game combining action, stealth and puzzle solving. The game is played from a top-down perspective and has you taking characters from the movie through levels loosely based on the movie. The game consists of long, boring levels that follow the same formulaic routine. You begin at “The Hedge”, which is the game’s main hub. Before getting to the actual level you must first navigate the woodland area that serves as the animals' home. You can spend some time talking to other characters, or proceed to the level. But, before getting to the level you must first travel through a wooded area pushing logs and rocks out of the way in order to clear a path to the level.
Once in a level, your goal is to get into people’s houses and steal the food that they conveniently leave laying on the ground. You begin by traveling down the street to the house, trying to avoid adult humans (the kids don’t seem to mind). Once at a house, you must combat animals (like dogs) and avoid traps as you make your way into the house. Then the game transitions back to the “stealth” elements found in the street level.
Though it is always good to see developers trying to mix elements from different games, none of the elements in Over the Hedge work all that well. The biggest problem is that each action is way too simple and sticks to the same routine over and over – leading to a boring experience.
