Growing up, I spent countless hours immersed in the wacky and wonderful worlds of Dav Pilkey’s books, namely the mischievous Captain Underpants. So when I heard Dog Man, a newer Pilkey hit, was getting his own video game, Dog Man: Mission Impawsible, I couldn’t resist digging in.
Developed by Floor 84 Studio, the game captures the series’ vibrant and quirky style with its colourful 2D platforming. However, despite my hopes, the gameplay left me underwhelmed; it’s clear Dog Man: Mission Impawsible is crafted with younger players in mind.
Digging Deep into Dog Man: Mission Impawsible
As the title suggests, Dog Man is part dog and part man and is the hero of this story bringing justice to those who have been wronged. Teaming up with his Supa Buddies — Lil’ Petey and 8D-HD — you have been tasked to retrieve the key to the city which has been stolen by the “Supa Bad Guys”. It’s your job to catch these crooks while returning the city to a more civilised state.
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Whilst catching these bad guys you can play as main character Dog Man, his feline friend Lil’ Petey, and the robotic 8D-HD. These friends will help you traverse the levels and solve puzzles to help you save the day.
Each district has it’s own boss that you would need to defeat to unlock the next one. These bosses do add some variety to the game and a small amount of challenge. Once completed a fun cut comic-style cutscene will play out showing your progress and how close you are to catching the Supa Bad Guys.
Gameplay
When imagining the world of Dav Pilkey and the comical fun it brings, the gameplay unfortunately falls flat. Dog Man: Mission Impawsible is as basic as it comes for the genre of platformers and the game is targeted at the younger generation of gamers The platformer would be a fun introduction to this style of video game for a young child or a fan of the franchise however for any seasoned gamer it’s very lacklustre.
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A few frustrating notes I found when playing was that even though I stopped with the controls, my character would take that one extra step which would cause an overestimate in manoeuvering and jumping. The puzzles were repetitive and all you needed to do was switch to one of the three rotating characters to clear.
The aim is to clear ten levels in each of the five districts of the map, collecting bones, comic book strips, and cogs along the way. When you have enough cogs you can unlock gadgets for each of your characters, which can be used to progress further.
Dog Man’s Dirt Proof Pants allow him to dig and Lil’ Petey’s Retractable Claws help him climb. While these gadgets are pretty easy to obtain, they’re essential to move forward in the story.
I found myself on auto-pilot, cruising through the levels with ease. I craved that modern platforming challenge was left disappointed.
Graphics and Audio
From the moment I booted up Dog Man, I was immersed in the colourful and recognisable art style of Dav Pilkey. The colours are vibrant and the animation stays true to the source material.
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Unfortunately, the audio in the game didn’t complement well with the graphics or the overall gameplay experience. It was not only repetitive but also overly loud, forcing me to turn the volume down — I ended up playing with the sound completely muted, as the constant loop felt like being trapped on hold when making a phone call.
While the music is stuck on loop, the game also lacks any significant sound effects or voice acting — a major misstep by the developers.
Should I buy Dog Man: Mission Impawsible?
Overall, Dog Man: Mission Impawsible offers a colourful and straightforward experience that might appeal to younger players or devoted fans of the series. However, its simplistic gameplay and poorly designed audio hold it back.
If you’re like me — a platformer enthusiast seeking a nostalgic thrill — you will find Mission Impawsible lacking. That said, for younger siblings or children curious about gaming, this could be an ideal entry point into gaming, offering charm and simplicity in equal measure.
Quest Daily scores Dog Man: Mission Impawsible:
5/10
Dog Man: Mission Impawsible is available on PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam.
A review copy of Dog Man: Mission Impawsible was supplied to Quest Daily for the purpose of this review.
