We usually see a ton of family-friendly games from Outright in September/October, but DC League of Super-Pets: The Adventures of Krypto and Ace is releasing a bit earlier to coincide with the major movie release based on the same franchise. It’s out now for all major systems – we played the PlayStation 4 version.
Despite the timing, DC League of Super-Pets: The Adventures of Krypto and Ace is only loosely based on the movie that’s launching at roughly the same time. It features a standalone story with familiar heroes – Superman’s loyal dog Krypto and Batman’s four-legged friend Ace. They’re hoping to save a bunch of missing animals from the clutches of Lex Luthor across fifteen levels that are loosely connected to a central storyline.
Surprisingly, DC League of Super-Pets: The Adventures of Krypto and Ace doesn’t follow the template that was laid out in other Outright games like Paw Patrol – which for the most part focused on traditional platforming mechanics. The fact that these are superhero dogs who can fly is a big part of the experience here, and developer PHL Collective (who were also behind the Addams Family game) has opted for an approach not too unlike classic arcade titles like After Burner and Space Harrier, where you view the action from behind as you fly through a level and shoot stuff. Within the family friendly genre, it’s certainly a style we haven’t come across yet.
Depending on whether you pick Krypto or Ace, you’ll fire laser beams or batarangs at the enemies that occupy the skies above Metropolis, while also charging up special abilities with each hit. While both dogs have super attacks, you also get ‘ally abilities’, which invoke the temporary help of a few other DC League of Super-Pets characters, like Wonder Woman’s pig PB. You’ll also run into QTE opportunities, which trigger mini cutscenes that look flashy as you beat a few enemies at once – and the kids seem to enjoy them.
The action itself is rather formulaic, with regular checkpoints, a few collectibles and plenty of cannon fodder. It’s a shame that enemy types and level designs repeat too often though – a bit more diversity would have certainly been welcome, at least in the visual sense. In between levels, there’s a minigame you can play with very a mild puzzle element, where you try to pair animals with prospective new owners based on character traits. It’s not too exciting from a gameplay perspective, but it’s still heartwarming to give animals a new home – and it’s a path towards potential upgrades too.
Across the campaign you’ll also face off against Lex Luthor three times in short boss fights. This is a game that’s primarily directed at kids though, so don’t expect complex mechanics – as an adult the action will likely wear thin. DC League of Super-Pets: The Adventures of Krypto and Ace certainly looks the part though, with excellent character models and a few flashy animations that are certainly going to please younger fans of the franchise. If they’re big fans of Krypto and Ace, then the score below should probably be one or two points higher – this is a proper superhero game for kids.
Score: 6.6/10
Press Play Media 