Batman: Vengeance for GameCube

(Note: As was the case with ChromeKiller, I'm actually reviewing the PS2 version here, as there is not a separate listing for it. As far as I know, the game is the same across the platforms.)

After reading a few very positive reviews of Batman: Vengeance, and seeing some screen shots and videos, I had to try it out for myself. I've been hoping for a good Batman game for a long time. This isn't quite what I was looking for, but it could be a step in the right direction.

First, the positives: the look of the animation is a wonderful "3-D" CGI translation of the cel animated format used in the more recent episodes of the Batman cartoon. (A lot of people thought those were inferior to the earlier "Batman: The Animated Series" shows, but I always liked the newer episodes better anyway.) The characters all look spot-on, and the look of Gotham City, from the red sky to the anachronistic cars, is just right. The developers also recruited several voice actors from the series, most notably Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as the Joker.

The plot develops much like an expanded episode of the cartoon: Batman saves a woman from a bomb and attempts to rescue her son from the Joker's clutches...but all is not what it seems. Soon Batman is involved on a whirlwind chase involving several of his arch-enemies, where every new answer just leads to more questions.

(And no, that wasn't a Riddler joke...)

Now the downside: the gameplay in this game is reminiscent of an earlier PSX game, at best. After playing in much more interactive environments in games like Jet Grind Radio or Grand Theft Auto 3, the limitations of this virtual Gotham City are annoying, to say the least. If the game doesn't want you jumping over a railing or onto a crate, you can't jump there, even if it seems like you could easily make the leap. Sure, you've got the Bat-Grapple...but that's only usable in specially marked locations. Ditto the Batplane and Batmobile sequences, which offer none of the freedom of movement you might expect from hi-tech vehicles.

A lot of the obstacles in the game are in the realm of "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again...and again, and again, and again, and again, until you get it right." I'm all for challenges, but seeing Bats fall to his death for what seems like the hundredth time because I'm not making the jump just right is frustrating, to say the least.

I'd have an easier time overlooking these problems if this were just some generic platform action-arcade game. But this is Batman - he's supposed to be a highly skilled detective, a master martial artist, and in general, a guy two steps ahead of everyone else. Being railroaded through the plot, getting beaten up by plant creatures because the punching action is sluggish, falling a hundred stories because there wasn't a glowing target for the Bat-Grapple...these things all detract from the feeling of "being" Batman.

Still...there's something oddly addictive about this game. For all my complaints, I still found myself staying up late, trying to beat Mr. Freeze and rescue the scientist.
And there are some really nice touches, like being able to use Batman's cape as a glider or parachute, or sneaking along walls. But even still, I can't fully recommend this game to everyone. My strongest advice would be to rent before buying...and be prepared for a couple of late nights. (It's all part of the job when you're Batman.)