Batman Begins Review

Review Platform: Gamecube

Batman Begins is also available for Xbox, and PS2

Batman Begins: The Video Game

If you’re a fan of the Batman franchise at all, then I’m sure you were excited to play the video game version of the new movie release: Batman Begins. The movie, while credited with turning around the cinema blunder that Joel Schumacher created, did not entirely translate into a game that could stand on its own. Instead, much the way that the Lord of the Rings games acted as filler for those who couldn’t get enough in the theater, Batman the video game offers little more than behind the scenes unlockables and interviews with the cast and crew. It was released on all three current consoles, but apparently has some minor frame rate issues with the PS2 version, so for the best possible version of the game, play this one on your GameCube or Xbox.

Backstory

The story follows the movie exactly, so it’s important to see the movie before playing the video game if you’re at all worried about spoilers. You play as Bruce Wayne and, on a personal mission to find yourself, you wind up somewhere in the Himalayas. You spend the brunt of the game drawing the line between justice and vengeance, turning fear back onto those who would normally prey upon it.

The character models are based on the actors who played them in the movie: Christian Bale (Batman), Katie Holmes (Rachel Dawes, Batman’s childhood friend), Liam Neeson (Henri Ducard, Bruce Wayne’s mentor and overall bad-ass). Even more a credit to what was done with the video game, and possibly the most impressive part of the game, these actors also lend their voice to the characters throughout the game, and do so quite well.

Gameplay

Where did things go wrong you might ask? The game has excellent voice acting and decent graphic performance, but the game play was seriously overlooked. It feels like one of the Tom Clancy games without the innovation. Because this movie focuses on a darker, scarier Batman, the Batman Begins video game uses a fear tactic system to intimidate your foes before you pounce. So, in layman terms, you throw a batarang and knock over some barrels and then go in for the fight. Or, you knock out a light or something and move in for the kill. Tactical assault is not prominently felt, but if you’re a fan of the Batman, it really doesn’t matter how good the game is, you’ll want to play it anyway, if only to control the Dark Knight himself.

Summary

The game acts more as a collectible than a stand-alone, must–have game, but if you can’t wait for the Batman Begins DVD release, then there’s a good chance that this game is for you. If you feel like you can wait for the DVD release, or didn’t like the movie that much to begin with (so help me, God, I have pity on your soul if this be the case), then maybe you should rent it first.