PREVIEW: Chicken Run Eggstraction Brings Aardman’s Classic Slapstick Action to Consoles

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Out of all the franchises that might enter the stealth action genre, Chicken Run is not one I would’ve put all that highly on my list, but when it comes to Aardman Studios, you can’t fault their ambition, as I learned when I got to look around Aardman’s headquarters in Bristol, UK and try out the game.

The story directly follows on from 2023’s Chicken Run sequel, with our heroes freeing chickens from all over the world, and it meets the humour of the films perfectly, thanks to the writing team being made mostly of the same people. Aardman isn’t doing this by half-measures either, as they made real models of the original characters introduced in this game, just as they would when making a film. It allowed the animation team to get a clear hands-on look at how these characters should move in Aardman’s stop-motion style, so none of that charm is lost when translated into a video game.

The same goes for the gameplay it’s devised, which is split into two distinct phases. First, you must infiltrate the location to find the chickens, which is where the slower-paced stealth side of the game lives. You play from a top-down perspective, distracting enemies, avoiding traps, setting up traps of your own, and ideally clearing the way for your exfiltration once you reach your goal.

The stealth gameplay isn’t exactly on the level of Metal Gear Solid, but it hits a very light-hearted tone that matches the IP it’s working with. This is a game about stop-motion chickens, not tactical espionage action. It may suffer a little bit from being too easy, but I got enough entertainment out of the slapstick way enemies would blunder into my traps that I don’t care. It’s hard to be mad when an evil Girl Scout charges at me, only to be flung across the map thanks to my hidden trampoline.

That’s where most of this game’s appeal lies, as it is dripping in that classic Aardman charm that makes their films and shows such a blast, as you create frantic action sequences that feel like they’re right out of their films, and that is never more clear than in the second phase of gameplay, exfiltration.

Here, stealth is still technically an option, but it’s far more likely that all hell will break loose as you corral your horde of chickens to the level’s exit. Once you set them free, they will automatically follow a path to the exit, which you must then clear of obstacles, enemies, and traps, or find a way to route them along another path altogether. This is where the game becomes far more chaotic and fun, as you have to work quickly to deal with the imminent doom the horde is marching towards, like they were Lemmings but somehow less observant.

Of course, you can just spend more time in the infiltration stage planning ahead and setting up your exit strategy, but not only is that less fun, the game actively discourages it, as your rating at the end of the level is partly based on speed and doing everything the sensible way is of course much slower. It’s a simple bit of design, but it’s a great idea that pushes you towards chaos, which is where the game shines the brightest.

Chicken Run: Eggstraction is set for release on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch in October 2025.