In the interest of full disclosure, I was a member of "The Dukes of Hazzard" fanclub when I was younger. Go ahead -- check the records. It's true. I also own "The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General" game for the PS2. So needless to say, I had high expectations for the Runnin' From Rosco online game.
After playing the game for about 30 minutes, I decided to finally stop and write my opinion. Yes, it's repetitive. VERY repetitive. Yes, it's difficult. Yes, it gets annoying with the sound and music on. But the fact remains -- I (of the short attention span and high expectations) still played it for a half an hour. That's 30 minutes longer than I've paid attention to this latest reincarnation of the Duke boys altogether. I was challenged (or challenged myself) to beat my score over and over again, and scoured the web for codes to unlock the other vehicles -- including the "hidden" one.
There are still some things I would have liked to see in this game, though. There were no rewards for achieving certain scores. It would have been great to see scenes from the movie, more shots of Jessica Simpson, additional information about the characters, or more shots of Jessica Simpson.
Furthermore, after staring at that game screen for 30 minutes, I realized there was no release date information on the game itself. That was a lost opportunity to remind me that the movie was coming out this weekend.
All in all though, it's a fun little game, with a few missed marketing opportunities. But it works by keeping me thinking about the movie, and taking my mind off the real Cooter, Ben Jones, telling me not to go see it unless they "clean it up." I give it 3.5 out of five yee-hahs.
-- Ian Schafer, CEO, Deep Focus
Don't ya'll think it's a bit p'culiar that this game ain't featured on the 'fficial site? There's a section for games like "Pimp your Rod," but no driving game links. Dukes of Hazzard is screaming for a dirty car chase, so I am surprised that the "Runnin from Rosco" content isn't accessible from the film site.
This viral campaign is clearly intended to drive buzz by engaging a young male demographic. The cachet lies in a series of hidden codes which gain the user access to bigger, badder vee-hickels. However, it appears the top scores belong to the General Lee (the starter car), whereas the "Hints" section alludes to the secret codes unlocking a car that "might be able to jump farther." This doesn't quite make sense in terms of motivating a player to rack up codes and delve into the intrigue of Hazzard County; nonetheless, I wouldn't be surprised to see impressive time spent in the game, on average per user. The game is quick to gratify with an instant "feet jumped" count. It's hard to resist the challenge of a second and third try. It's a guilty pleasure. Even the scaled-back graphics hearken back to the '80s, while images of the talent remind us of the knockout cast. That said, this game is much more Luke than Daisy.
Whether particular vehicles display superior handling is unbeknownst to me, but the game is a winner.
-- Ktimene Gembol, manager, strategic alliances, Sony Pictures Digital
