"Ever since Batman made his
big return in cartoons, his popularity has increased
dramatically. One of my favorite characters, next to
Spidey, I ignored the initial release of Vengeance.
After a week of play, I now see why I didn't make the
initial purchase."
Batman 2002
Batman has dramatically changed over the years. From
comic book to T.V. to movie to cartoon, each procession
is increasingly evolved. Falling in love with the comic
book versions of the vigilante, it took me a while to
warm up to the current popularity of the new
Batman. The new cartoon created by Bruce Timm and Paul
Dinn is a semi-cell shaded animation that is a
"new" breed of cartoon. The game was based on
this style of animation, and Ubi Soft hoped to
snag some younger viewers along with seasoned fans.
If I had to pick a software developer of the year for
2001 it would have to be Ubi Soft. They
produced a strong line-up of games over the past year.
They are responsible for most of the Batman series of
games, the Rayman series, and the Tom Clancy
series (which includes Ghost Recon, my game of the
year). They have also set the mark with future
gaming, with the advent of Mike Tyson’s Boxing
and the upcoming Rayman release. Needless to say,
my expectations were high because Ubi has always
produced some high quality games.
I'm SuperBat
You take control of the Dark Knight himself, and with a
barrage of weaponry and toys; you hit the streets
vigilante style. The storyline should be nothing new to
fans of Batman. All of the usual bad guys are here: Mr.
Freeze, Poison Ivy and of course Joker. Most of the
games plot centers around Jokers life/death and his
uncanny plots.
One thing I liked was the variety of views of gameplay
that Batman: Vengeance produced. For the most
part you take the helm of Batman from a third-person
perspective. However, many times it will switch to a
first-person view or 3/4's view. Depending on the
situation, the trusty bat will switch camera angles and
give you a new perspective on the play. On the outside
looking in, this seems like a difficult task. In most
cases it is, which is why I was overly impressed with
the rock solid camera angles. I expected some crazy
camera angles simply because the switching of
perspectives. This adds to the quality of the game, and
makes it less frustrating.
The game style combines a variety of traditional gaming
aspects. Batman: Vengeance combines puzzles,
action and adventure in its code to produce a hybrid
type game that will constantly keep your attention.
Batman has a ton of different moves and an array of
vehicles to control. If you can imagine an animated Metal
Gear Solid you might have a small idea of the game.
The game is not based solely on kicking rear. Many times
you want to clinch against a wall and sneak up on your
victim. At other times, you want to use trickery and the
environment to complete your goals.
Since the majority of your time is beating up the
baddies, the battle system is respectable and enjoyable.
You fight in a combination 3D/2D-fighting scenario.
Using a combination of basic punches and kicks, the
animation is wonderful. As the game progresses, you
learn special "super moves". Not only do you
have the ability to go hand-to-hand with the enemy, you
also have a variety of weapons at your disposal. The
most trusty of weapons is the ever-faithful batarang
which can be used as a weapon or to disarm your
opponents.
The gameplay should appeal to a wide range of gamers.
The basic "button mashing" should appease
younger gamers, but the smooth animation and wide range
of activities (coming from a battle stance)
should entertain the most critical gaming elite.
My only gripe about gameplay is the sensitivity of
Batman himself. I often found the controls sloppy and
loose. While it was easy to move him around to simply
kick booty, stopping on a dime or positioning yourself
strategically became quite an ordeal. Another minor
issue (which seems to plague the GameCube)
is the varied degree of difficulty. At times the game
will be tic-tac-toe easy, but at other times
frustratingly difficult. I would imagine inexperienced
gamers to simply give up at certain levels or puzzles
and restart the game playing the easier levels. Rogue
Squadron faced similar issues, which was a major
drawback for many gamers. While I enjoyed the challenge,
I can see how many people would put the title down and
label it a black diamond.
This ain't no DC comic
At first glance the visuals are gorgeous. Using a hybrid
of cell-shading and bump-mapping, the graphics are
clean, colorful and sharp. In the past, most Batman
games centered around the Gothic dark look that Batman
was famous for. Since the birth of the "new"
cartoon, the visuals are much brighter and less auratic.
While I personally loved the ambience of Gotham;
times have changed and this scene fits the video game
world much better.
Many of the effects are beautifully rendered, with some
nice lighting effects. Most of the game is quite linear,
which truly limits the graphical content one could
expect. Environments are confined, and centered around
indoor arenas and sidewalks. The confining environment
should be somewhat expected since it's taken place in a
surreal city. Again, if you are familiar with the
popular cartoon series the graphics fit the bill
perfectly.
Performance wise, the game runs great. The framerate is
even better than the Playstation 2 version
of the game, and seems much smoother than the big black
box. I only touched the PS2 version, but I
preferred the GameCube version much more.
The audio compliments the visuals well. While some of
the voice acting is mediocre and flat; others are
remarkable well done. The cartoon voice of Batman (Kevin
Conroy) and the Joker (Mark Hammil) are
superbly done and the acting is top notch. The sound
effects are solid and seem nearly identical to the
cartoon. The music and soundtrack were pleasing to the
ear but nothing extraordinary. The somewhat airy music
sets the pace for the action/adventure game.
66 Says:
To be honest, the game was a breath of fresh air. Good
licensed games are few and far between. Ubi Soft
did a respectable job, but with a few glitches. The game
was 100% complete and about as solid as any title can
be... But, the biggest hurt is the replay and lasting
appeal. Weighing in at a measly 10 hours tops of
gameplay, once completed there is little to motivate you
to play again. There is no multiplayer, little secrets
to acquire and not enough levels to make the game last
the distance.
This was an enjoyable week rental, but for those wanting
to fork out 50 clams; the value just doesn't meet your
expectations. I highly recommend this game for allGameCube owners, but can't recommend you actually
making a full-price purchase on it. Check out Ebay
for a good deal of under $30 and it might be worthwhile.
But, I think you will receive enough satisfaction from a
rental or two rather than a purchase.
Lovers of Batman (the cartoon or old-school) and
proprietors of Nintendo will have a comfortable
10-hour romp with Batman: Vengeance. I'm
optimistic in seeing a handful of solid licensed games
come out, but still think Nintendo better get
their acts straight. The majority of their releases, are
spectacular but are beaten in under 10-hours (Luigis
Mansion, Rogue Squadron).
Head on over to your local rental of choice, and have at
it.
7.8
