Review: Asterix and Obelix XXXL: The Ram From Hibernia is Charmingly Underwhelming

Asterix and Obelix XXXL: The Ram From Hibernia is the newest game in the Asterix and Obelix series. This game isn’t very long (only about 5 hours of full playtime), but it does cram a lot of action and story into its gameplay for being such a short game. If you’re a big fan of the Asterix and Obelix series, you should definitely look into getting this game! Asterix and Obelix XXXL: The Ram From Hibernia isn’t the greatest addition to the Asterix and Obelix series, but it is a worthwhile investment for those who are dedicated fans to the genre. Keep reading for a full review of Asterix and Obelix XXXL: The Ram From Hibernia!

Biggest Takeaways:

• This game is a lot shorter than you think it is
• Although it can be played solo, this game is really best played with friends (thankfully, it can be played by up to 4 people at once!)
• The gameplay is engaging but can get repetitive after a while
• Dogmatix is the best character in the game, hands down
• It’s not a bad game, but it is a bit overpriced for what it is
• Final Score: 6/10

What World-Building?

Asterix and Obelix XXXL: The Ram From Hibernia is the latest title in a long list of Asterix and Obelix games (the first Asterix and Obelix game came out in 1983!). Despite being the newest game in the series, however, it feels like you’re playing nearly any other Asterix and Obelix game; there’s almost nothing new in this game other than the storyline. Most of the puzzles, combat, characters, and levels are exactly the same as those in other games in this series. It’s definitely not a bad game, but it’s also definitely not anything new.

This game can also get pretty confusing if you’re not at least somewhat familiar with the Asterix and Obelix game series. Asterix and Obelix XXXL: The Ram From Hibernia just kind of throws you into the storyline, expecting you to already be familiar with the characters and the in-game universe from the previous games. Despite this, it’s not impossible to play it if you haven’t played the previous games, but it can get pretty confusing if you haven’t.

Puzzling Puzzles

This game is full of puzzles, which is a nice way to keep you engaged when there’s no fighting or storytelling going on. The puzzles aren’t too difficult to solve either, so it’s a nice, non-frustrating way to spend the time. However, the non-frustrating nature of the puzzles is also a bit of a problem. Due to their low difficulty, the puzzles become more tedious than challenging, especially since they don’t get harder or change in any way as the game progresses. In addition to the puzzles’ tediousness, they’re also able to be skipped almost entirely.

This game is meant to be played with at least two players, Asterix and Obelix; if you want to solve the puzzles, you need both characters. If you’re playing solo, you have to switch between both characters in order to solve the puzzle and get both characters across the barrier. However, if you get through the puzzle with just one character, such as Asterix, you can just leave the other character behind. If you get far enough away from your partner in this game, they’ll just teleport to you, meaning you never have to complete the second half of any puzzle. Because of this, the puzzles in Asterix and Obelix XXXL: The Ram From Hibernia feel kind of pointless.

Fight or Flight

The combat is actually one of the best parts of this game. There are always multiple weapons at your disposal (including giant fish!), the fighting animations are pretty smooth, and you’re able to deploy real strategies against your opponents depending on what situation you find yourself in; it doesn’t feel like a recycled, copy/paste combat mechanic like other games. The combat in this game also isn’t very hard, which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on what you prefer.

If you enjoy a good challenge, you likely won’t be a fan of the combat in this game. No matter what weapon you have, you can mow down your opponents in three hits at most. In addition to this, your opponents in this game are almost astonishingly bad at fighting; they almost never manage to get a hit on you, and even when they do, you’ll lose a half of a heart of health at most. If you’re not a fan of combat and like to just enjoy the story and puzzles, however, then this game might be the one for you! It’s a great beginner game for those who are new to fighting games, it’s very difficult to actually lose in this game.

Now You See It, Now You Don’t

You’d think that because this game spent so much time in development, it wouldn’t have very many bugs or glitches, but you’d be very wrong. Asterix and Obelix XXXL: The Ram From Hibernia doesn’t have any game-breaking glitches (not that I’m aware of, anyway), but it does have a lot of small glitches and bugs littered throughout the world.

For example, many parts of the world such as large bodies of water, trees, or large rocks will simply glitch out of existence. You’ll know (or assume) that they’re still there, but you definitely won’t be able to see them and you definitely won’t be able to interact with them. You’re also be able to walk straight through various rocks and trees without any issues, as though they weren’t even there (though I did get stuck inside of a rock once while trying to exploit this glitch).

The main method to getting food and weapons in this game is by breaking open crates and barrels that naturally spawn all over the world, especially near Roman camps. Whenever you bust one open, the contents will come flying out and will land on the ground, where you’re able to pick it up and use it. However, sometimes, the crate’s contents will simply fly out into the ether without a trace, never to be seen again. This can be especially frustrating if you’re low on health and were really counting on some free healing from a food crate.

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All in all, Asterix and Obelix XXXL: The Ram From Hibernia is a decent game. It’s charming, entertaining, and engaging in its own way. It’s also the first Asterix and Obelix game to feature a 4 player co-op feature and 3D animation!

All things considered, it’s a good game, just a bit underwhelming. Despite the new features that were added, it doesn’t feel like a new game; other than the multiplayer feature and the graphics, there’s not much that separates this game from any other Asterix and Obelix game. The bugs and glitches will likely get fixed over time (hopefully), but it would need a lot more added to it to make it feel worth $30/$40. If you did add this game to your collection and enjoy playing through it, be sure to check out Gamer Journalist’s helpful guides for Asterix and Obelix XXXL: The Ram From Hibernia!