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| Batman Vengeance (rated T for Teen) You�ve seen it in the stores, you�ve heard all the rumors, now here�s the skinny on the new game featuring the �animated� Dark Knight. Batman returns to all platforms in a brand new game featuring characters, voices, and artwork from the hit WB cartoon Batman. I was a little reluctant to play this one after that terrible Batman Beyond game, however through luck of the draw this was one of the few titles that appealed to me of the Gamecube�s launch library so I got it, and I was pleasantly surprised. In this game Batman has to solve a series of crimes that seem to revolve around the apparent death of the Joker, which happened in the first chapter of the game. So you wind up running, flying in the Batplane, and even taking a ride in the Batmobile, all through the game trying to solve crimes. I was amazed at how detailed this game was. First of all lets talk bad guys. Everyone loves a good thug, and this game has the best of them. Sick of bad guys that disappear after you beat them? In this game if you don�t handcuff them after you beat them up, or get away from them, they can get back up and attack you again. Also you can choose not to fight bad guys by sneaking up and just handcuffing them. Bosses in this game can be challenging, but at the same time it doesn�t seem like a chore to beat them. Bringing fun back into fighting level bosses, in this case Joker twice, a missile toting joker goon lead by Harley Quinn, Mr. Freeze, and Poison Ivy, is no easy task. In most games it proves to be frustrating, however in this game it�s nothing but enjoyment. Another great feature of this game is the weapons. You get so many strange Bat-weapons that once you master them, you can beat even the most stubborn bad guy without going within 6 feet of him. Another amusing thing this game did was really make it easy to understand why Gotham City has a crime problem. There is a level where you have to escape the Gotham City Police and while they do have some great weapons, full riot gear and a police helicopter as a mid-level boss, when you actually are forced to hit a cop they go down after one punch. With most of the thugs it takes a long complex fight to take them down. No wonder Gotham City has a crime problem. This game, while superior from the other Batman games that have been known to ever exist, is still flawed. First of all you have a very complex fighting system. Simple punches and kicks are easy, but more complex moves are a chore and usually not worth the effort, however if you�ve ever played Shenmue on Dreamcast you should have no problem with it. Another chip in the armor is that while the bosses are extremely fun to fight, the basic thugs are a chore. Sometimes they can get back up at the worst possible times unless you cuff them, and Handcuffs are very hard to find. Some of the larger thugs block often and use a bear-hug type move when you gain any sort of advantage which you have to struggle to escape from, blow any advantage you had, and lose plenty of life while the hold is applied. Sometimes keeping your distance from the lesser thugs is a good idea, because they�re all tough. Also the way Batman moves around is weird. His cape looks funny when he moves no matter what you do. He runs like he�s got an egg in his pants that he doesn�t want to break, kind of like a waddle only really fast. Is this game worth owning? Well, I�d say it varies from person to person. I personally enjoy having it, and I think it was worth my money. However I am a hardcore fan of Batman in addition to liking the game. So I�d tell you to rent it first, because I think it�s to close to call on if it is just a weekend rental, or a cherished addition to your video game library. Back |
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