With just a handful of days left before Steven Spielberg's Tintin hits the big screen, Android users and more importantly, Xperia Play users can get a taste of things to come. Based on the original comics by Belgian artist Georges Rémi, The Adventures of Tintin for the Android uses the film and also the book, The Secret of the Unicorn to give gamers a thoroughly enjoyable adventure game experience. It's old school gaming with a twist.

Best of all, Gameloft have ensured that all facets of the unique control system of the Xperia are catered for that includes the PlayStation controls, motion controls and even the touch screen. At it's heart, the Adventures of Tintin is a classic adventure game that requires the player to embark on a variety of missions and quests in order to solve the mystery. Find objects, move objects and investigate a strange number of puzzles.

The story of Tintin begins with our intrepid hero purchasing a mysterious model ship from a local market, however he soon loses the ship when he is assaulted. From here, it's up to Tintin and his loyal dog Snowy to recover the ship and uncover the greater mystery that surrounds our hero. It's now up to the player!

Another interesting aspect of Tintin is that apart from controlling Tintin, players also get to control Snowy which opens up the game to some fun elements from start to finish. It's quite amusing controlling this white little dog and I love the cinemas that include him in it. Without spoiling the story, you even get to play as Captain Haddock and another classic character from the Tintin mythology.

The controls work well on the Xperia, especially using the thumb pad to control your characters and engaging in a variety of mini-games and quick-time events. Tintin even uses the motion controls of the Xperia which adds another element of strategy into the gameplay and I love the use of this feature with the lithographs that are used to progress the story.

Quick-time events flash on the screen such as requiring the player to tap the screen or swipe their finger from right to left. For the majority of the time, the thumb pad and the traditional PlayStation button are your main control options. Apart from moving boxes, climbing windows and fighting with swords, piloting planes and even riding camels, stealth plays a key element to the Adventure of Tintin. It's a little reminiscent of the Tom Clancy Splinter Cell series as you sneak around guards in order to complete some Tintin objective. Fortunately if you do mess up a section, you simply restarted from the last checkpoint. Gameloft have really perfected the Smartphone gaming here.

Graphics and Audio

Graphically, the Adventures of Tintin is easily one of the most impressive games on the Xperia, thanks to its HD graphics. The world that you explore is quite rich and diverse and all the characters look like they have been plucked from the Tintin comic itself. With beautiful lighting and realistic 3D graphics, Smartphone gaming doesn't get any better than this. Equally as good is the soundtrack, voice acting and the sound effects that come together perfectly in this title.

Final Level

This game is fun! Whether you're a casual gamer or a hardcore gamer, the Adventures of Tintin contains an engaging story, flawless gameplay and some clever use of the Xperia and Android systems. Any issues? None whatsoever! This games comes highly recommended and will keep you deleted for hours upon hours!