12DOVE Verdict
Pros
- +
Clever concept
- +
"Old-school" gameplay
- +
At least tries to be funny
Cons
- -
Not even remotely amusing
- -
Charmless
- -
by-the-numbers platforming
- -
Lives? Really?
Why you can trust 12DOVE Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.
What if a crash test dummy got tired of plowing his head through windshields and longed to explore the wider world? It’s a good concept that’s been squandered in CID The Dummy.
The biggest problem is it’s not even remotely amusing, despite lame efforts to entertain. The identikit hero and bad guys have stepped straight off the assembly line and into one of the most charmless, by-the-numbers platformers of recent years. Stealth sections and ‘light puzzles’? Check. Constant frustration? Check, and underlined three times. The reason for this is because CID The Dummy has lives.
You know, old-fashioned lives that throw you back to the start of the level – checkpoints erased – once depleted. That wouldn’t be a bad thing if the game didn’t play in an unhelpful, side-on perspective, making depth perception a nightmare. By the end you’ll want to unbuckle CID’s seatbelt and drive him into the nearest brick wall.
Jun 12, 2009
More info
| Genre | Action |
| Description | CID makes his debut in this side-scrolling 3D platformer where it's as much fun dishing out the pain as it is making this crash test dummy take it. |
| Platform | DS, PC, Wii, PS2, PSP |
| US censor rating | Everyone 10+ |
| UK censor rating | 7+ |
| Release date | 1 January 1970 (US), 1 January 1970 (UK) |
Persona and Metaphor: ReFantazio composer's new JRPG gets a Steam Next Fest demo, and it's basically a turn-based Metal Gear Solid
Avowed is nothing like Bethesda's RPGs, but The Elder Scrolls 6 should take inspiration from its combat
Doom: The Dark Ages developers go back to the OG 1993 FPS for inspiration: "Every time you look at it, you learn something new"
