Thanks to a very good friend, (actually PGC associate Gary Tozbikian, who drew Louie for the rumors section) I’ve come into possession of a GameCube. Gary’s graciously loaned me his Cube for a couple weeks, in order for me to sample and review some of the Cube’s initial offerings for PGC. Thanks a bunch Gary! Along with the Cube, I’m borrowing 3 games: Luigi’s Mansion, Rogue Leader and Batman Vengence. The other two games have been well covered for Planet, so I was most curious of all to check out Batman.

Batman games, and moreover, almost all super-hero games have almost invariably sucked. Many of Capcom’s efforts are the exception to the rule, most notably with its “Vs” fighting games series and Neversoft’s first Spider-Man title gave hope to comics fan that super-hero games could be done well (and the GBA Spidey game is supposedly pretty good too). Well, I’m happy to report that Ubi Soft’s Batman Vengeance is another shred of evidence that video games starring comic book characters can actually be pretty good and simultaneously very faithful to the subject material. Batman’s always been one of my favorites, and he’s certainly one of the most popular costumed comic heroes ever. Therefore, I’ve been pretty delighted with Batman Vengeance for GameCube.

What’s so great about Batman Vengeance is that you really feel like a crime fighter. YOU are Batman, the Dark Knight Detective. You’ve got a utility belt full of gadgets and a plethora of martial arts fighting moves at your disposal—and you’ll use it all. You can disarm foes with Batarangs and then beat them senseless. Jumping then holding the A button stretches Batman’s cape, allowing you to swoop down on foes, as well as glide a little bit slowing your descent. In some locations, you’ll have to use your Bat-Grapple to catapult upward, move across gaps or save people free falling. All in all, there’s a lot of cool “Batman” stuff to do, even hiding in the shadows and creeping up against walls.

The game plays out as a “night in the life of Batman,” opening with Bats dropping in to save a maiden in distress, tied up nearby a bomb by the Joker. En route to the rescue, the game’s credits roll and basic game mechanics are presented to you. After liberating the girl in the nick of time, Bats returns to the Batcave to ponder why the woman was targeted by the Joker. Batman discusses the case with Batgirl, who serves as Batman’s sidekick. Then Bats goes to do a training routine recorded by the ever-dutiful (but presently absent) butler, Alfred. This training sequence reveals the rest of Batman’s moves in an informative walk-through. Once that’s completed, it’s off to fight crime!

The gameplay primarily takes place from a 3rd person perspective and when using some tools from his belt, s the game switches to first person perspective. This is very similar to Zelda 64’s going into FPS-view for firing missile weapons. Once you get used to the dual analog, doing things like throwing Batarangs while moving around becomes easy. There’s a good mix/transition between these two views. For example, during a battle with Mr. Freeze, I was in first-person view, trying to throw stuff. Freeze hit me with his freeze beam and the camera switched back to 3rd person perspective, where I had to rotate the control stick rapidly to break free (in a manner similar to Mario Party and THANK GOD, it’s a great deal easier & more comfortable to do on a Cube controller…).

Throughout Batman lore, the caped crusader has maintained a reputation of a superb unarmed combatant and this also comes to life in the game. Batman Vengeance has a very nice combat system, which almost plays out like a fighter, with a variety of punch and kick combinations available. While fighting, Batman accumulates points that allow special, powerful fighting moves which are executed in cooperation with the L button. I haven’t used the special moves as much, but I am starting to incorporate them more as things get tougher.

Once an enemy is knocked unconscious, Batman can handcuff them, which prevents them from attacking again. You only have a limited number of handcuffs per level, so you have to use them wisely. If you leave a stunned foe uncuffed, they’ll rise again before long to attack once more, albeit weakened.

As cool as the fighting is, it really could have benefited by some sort of “Z targeting” for multiple enemies. Upon engaging a foe in fisticuffs, you are targeted on it until somebody wins the fight, or you move quite a bit out of range. Never mind if there’s another armed henchman behind you, who can and probably will start firing upon you. Moving “out of range” to try to disarm the other foe does work but it’s almost trickier than it should be. With practice, I found myself doing better against more than one foe but it still didn’t turn out that well… For best results, it’s better to conquer enemies one at a time and that’s probably what Ubi Soft intended.

The sneaking is a very nice addition, though it doesn’t come into play anywhere near as much as games like Metal Gear Solid or Tenchu, at least, it isn’t as necessary. You can use the shadows to your advantage and sneak up on enemies if you’re careful, even handcuffing them from behind if you’re good enough. I’ve been trying to sneak more but the level layout isn’t always conducive to stealth and I’ve been spotted. The most significant way the sneaking has come into play is in slipping through a tight place.

During almost any time in the game, Batman can call back to Batgirl for advice, to discuss clues or have her look up information. In a way, Batgirl operates very similar to her current comics counterpart, Oracle –operating the computers and piecing together clues. However, she does get in on the action too and even requires rescuing at one point!

The gameplay gets spiced up with a variety of objectives and play styles. Along with mixing up 3rd/1st person perspectives, there are levels flying the Bat-Plane, driving the Batmobile, disarming a circuit system or jumping off of Gotham Bridge to save a falling victim. There’s a good mix of puzzle and action throughout.

The Bat-Plane level is very cool, but very fast and very hard. You fly through the Gotham skyline and then over a busy freeway, full of overhanging signs. It is definitely not easy maneuvering your way through all this, which is probably the point. All the while, Mr. Freeze is shooting ice beams. Fortunately, there are numerous checkpoints throughout the level (every time you turn, which the game does for you) which prevents it from completely frustrating. I just made it to the Batmobile level, which is a little different and a bit easier than the Bat-Plane.

Graphically, Batman Vengeance looks quite good. The visual style is lifted directly from Batman: The Animated Series, with Paul Dini’s and Bruce Timm’s designs coming to life in 3D. It really looks like the cartoon! Batman’s cape is animated fantastically though it does occasionally clip through the wall while sneaking, but that’s hardly a big deal. Granted, after playing Batman and then loading up Luigi’s Mansion and Rogue Leader, I’d say the other games have some sweeter eye candy. Still, it does a very good job at recreating the atmosphere and look of the animated show. Batman Vengeance runs smoothly at all times too.

The background music is enjoyable and fits the game well. There are great cinematics and all the voices from the cartoon are authentic. That includes Mark Hamill doing the Joker and Kevin Conroy as the Batman. The voices further immerse gamers into the interactive animated world of Gotham and in recreating the show.

Batman Vengeance does have some problems. Occasionally, the game leaves players wondering “where do I go, what do I do?” It’s not too bad, but there are times I’ve found myself wandering around aimlessly looking for a place to grapple, or jump, or climb (and Gary told me it’s happened to him too). It usually doesn’t take too long to figure out where to go, but when it happens it definitely can break up the action.

There’s not so much freedom either –each level has an objective and you’ve got to get to it quick. You won’t be aimlessly patrolling the rooftops of Gotham or cruising around in the Batmobile, every mission has a sense of urgency. That’s OK, I don’t really expect the Batman to have much free time…

Another important aspect worth noting is that YOU MUST SAVE THE GAME MANUALLY. This means you have to quit the game and save in the main menu. I didn’t know about this until after I had quit, causing me to play through the first few levels all over again. I didn’t mind though and actually enjoyed it a bit more since I knew what I was doing. There is a score issued at the completion of each level, ranging from 1-10, and improving your score certainly seems to offer some replay though there does not seem to be many secrets packed in.

It may not be as impressive as some of the other initial GameCube offerings, but Batman Vengeance is a really good game, especially for Bat-fans. The game could be a bit better here & there but overall it does a great job of recreating Batman & truly is like playing through an episode of the toon. Mucho props to Ubi Soft for doing a good job with Batman for once!