Batman Begins Review

[TheTao]

Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 10/10
Gameplay: 7/10

Overall: 8/10

Batman Begins was an excellent movie. In fact, it was so excellent that after seeing I made it a top priority to buy this game. Diet Dr. Pepper marketing campaigns... biggrin.gif But compared to the stellar quality of the film, how does the game hold up? In my opinion, very nicely.

The highlights of the game are the graphics. It's gorgeous. For one thing, the character models are extremely detailed- Especially Batman himself, who could pass for a next-gen console screenshot on his own. His cape flows so realistically it's almost scary. Speaking of scary, the game's visuals are appropriately dark. Sometimes you'll be hard pressed to see what's going on; but that isn't a bad thing. It adds to the overall feel of dismality. Another spectacular visual bauble is the animation. Batman fights, stalks, and glides very fluidly, and you can see your enemies tremble in fear as you manipulate them. Overall, EA has done a fantastic job of bringing Batman to life on the small screen.

The sound is also top-notch. Spooky ambient noise complements your stealthy movement, and a dynamic soundtrack matches appropriate tracks of music to what's happening on screen, which is especially effective when in fights. The only complaint against the music would be that it isn't Hans Zimmer's brilliant film score. Instead, we have a soundtrack composed by Jeremy Soule, which is still very good. The voice acting is done by the actors from the movie, so naturally, it's very well done.

The gameplay is a mash up of about four different popular games. This can be viewed as a good thing or a bad thing. Personally, I like it. The game combines the stealth of Splinter Cell, the fighting of Enter The Matrix(but much better,) the super-speed mayhem of Burnout 3, and the cinematic flair of say, Halo or Jedi Outcast. The only truly unique feature is the Fear Mechanic, which I'll get to later. The stealth is probably the best part; sneaking through levels is a harrowing, heart-pounding experience. The fighting is also a ton of fun, since Batman can perform some awesome martial arts combos, and the combat is generally a furious and brutal affair, much like the film. The two driving missions, while fun, are the least impressive, especially if you own Burnout 3. The Batmobile is a beast to drive, but c'mon... 'Thug Takedown?' Lame. Finally, the Fear. Manipulating your enemies forces them to do things like drop their weapons(guns can kill you in one shot,) attacking each other, and generally letting their guard down, giving you the chance to rush in and kick the crap out of them. Unfortunately... there's no clever screwing around with foes. No breaking any window you want, no throwing batarangs at anything you like... no, the Fear is 100% linear. So linear, that they're all cutscenes. This is a bit disappointing, but at least it's fun to watch.

Overall, Batman Begins is a great purchase for any fans of the series. However, diehard Splinter Cell or Burnout junkies must approach it with an open mind. Still, for the $30 price tag, even they might want to look into it.

[Lord-Bandu]

Never really liked the original Batman movies but loved Batman begins (I hope they make more darker batman films like begins........also I think Bates is a good actor and the best Bruce Wayne/Batman to date)

Never even knew there was a game but sounds pretty good ....will have to check it out sometime.

[guru]

Bates was recently knighted , he is now reffered to as masterbates. j/k
I sometimes wish I had never seen the old crappy batmans cuz the batman begins pwnz all of them!