When I was a kid, Ben 10 was one of my favorite cartoon heroes. The way he could transform into different aliens using his high-tech watch just blew my mind and even today I think it’s one of the more original heroes ever created. Since he’s still popular, it’s no surprise Outright Games decided to publish another game in the Ben 10 universe. This one has nothing to do with the previously released Ben 10 games so it’s the perfect entry point for the younger gamers.

Not the best first impression

First things first, I totally understand that this game is marketed towards a younger audience and I will judge the game with that in mind. But, the first moment you start playing Ben 10: Power Trip, you’ll most likely be disappointed. The previous Ben 10 games never looked stellar but Power Trip looks like something that should have been released a generation ago. The cartoony cel-shaded look can’t save it from looking and sounding mediocre. It’s clear that the developers lacked the budget to really make their dreams come to life, some extra added details would have done wonders. On top of that comes the vague story of Ben destroying some crystals in a strange European town all while the gameplay itself isn’t the best out there. The reason for this bad first impression is the open-world gameplay.

Unlike previous Ben 10 games, the team decided to create an open world for you to explore, all set in the iconic Ben 10 setting. It’s a brave decision if you’re working on a smaller budget and during the game’s better moments, it really works well. Exploring the city and unlocking new secrets while switching between your alien forms is fun and always offers something new and surprising. But at the beginning of the game, you’ll have to power through some repetitive missions first. It all starts with some regular open-world inspired missions, similar to how the open-world LEGO games work, combined with the occasional side-quest. Nothing really innovating and you’re basically doing the same thing over and over again, which can become boring rather quickly. The more you advance, however, the more powers you’ll unlock, and the better it all becomes.

It’s worth the struggle

The more you play, the more fun you’ll have and the more depth the game will show. What looked like a mediocre-looking 3D-platformer set in an open world environment eventually becomes a fun playground for young gamers to enjoy. The best part about it is the way each and every form of Ben adds something to the gameplay and exploration. Some of his aliens are able to jump higher while other can use a sort of grappling hook to reach previously unreachable grounds. It’s a fun way to progress and it also changes combat a lot. Although it’s never hard to defeat your enemies thanks to your easy to control skill tree, it’s still fun to defeat your enemies using different alien forms. If I were a kid, I would have loved every minute of this higher paced action-adventure. And the best part about it? You can play the game in co-op too, making this the ultimate sleepover game for Ben 10 fans.

It’s a shame the game really gets better after a couple of hours into the story as it will definitely turn off a lot of players. In the end, I do think it’s worth the struggle since the developers really managed to add a lot of fun into the game at a clearly smaller budget. That being said, it’s still important to understand that this game is meant for the younger players and the older, more veteran gamers won’t find a lot of enjoyment here. It’s one of those games that you’ve played before, and it’s simply not worth your time or money if you’re a bit more experienced. If you’re looking for a fun game for the kids, however, this certainly offers a lot of fun for sure.

Conclusion

Ben 10: Power Trip is a rough game when you first start playing it but the more you advance, the better it all becomes. Since it’s targeted at younger gamers, I’m pretty sure young Ben 10 fans will have blast exploring the open world with Ben’s iconic alien powers. It’s not the best game on the market but it’s definitely enjoyable if you’re part of the targeted demographic.

7/10

Tested on PlayStation 4 Pro