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The Dark Knight has made a triumphant return to the big screen and a console near you. Batman Begins, the latest film-to-game adaptation from Electronic Arts, follows the plot of the recently released film. The game can be best described as a simplified version of Splinter Cell. While this keeps the game from achieving superstar status, the solid gameplay is aided by the franchise and culminates in a compelling game.
Eurocom, the developers of the game, don’t stray far from the film’s plot. You will play as Bruce Wayne as he becomes Batman. Along the way, you’ll gain an in-depth understanding of his reasoning. As you know, Bruce’s parents were murdered. In a surprising turn of events, Bruce goes to the Himalayas to train. The game starts you off there as you train for the future of the character. Without revealing too much about the plot, Bruce realizes that this life isn’t for his and heads back to Gotha City.
Much of Batman Begins’ gameplay owes to Splinter Cell. As Batman, you’ll have to sneak behind enemies and take them out. Of course, Batman doesn’t kill, and neither will you in the game. Batman is aided by a number of gadgets, as expected from the series, including a grappling gun to get you to otherwise inaccessible places. He is also aided by the variety of moves at his disposal. Batman is quite nimble, and is able to swing, crawl, and jump with ease. You’re further aided by radar that shows the area’s enemies, and a picture-in-picture display to give you a close-up on some of the enemies.
Combat is predominantly featured in the game. It is largely based on fear, as was the case with the movies. This aspect is cool in theory – cause a havoc to scare the enemies, thus making them an easier target. This essentially boils down to triggering a scripted event, scaring the enemies, taking care of them, and repeating. The actual combat is adequate though not extraordinary. You’ll have a typical punch button, a kick button and a special button that will do context sensitive movies like a combo if the enemy is almost done.
Aside from the Splinter Cell-like gameplay, the game boasts some levels very reminiscent of Burnout. You’ll drive the nearly invincible Batmobile down a set path, taking out the cars that come at you with true force. You’ll pick up a number of turbo boosts along the way. The levels, while not particularly deep, are a nice breather from the typical action.
Batman Begins boasts top-notch production values. This is easily evident in the visuals. The environments are grim and dark, as they were represented in the film. The actors lent their appearance to the game, and Eurocom did an excellent job with the character models. Bale and Neeson look amazing, as do the other characters. They are all incredibly lifelike, limited only by some awkward animation at times. The game boasts a picture-in-picture feature to let you see some of the enemies. Unfortunately, this causes considerable slowdown in the PS2 version of the game. The Gamecube and Xbox versions handle the feature well.
EA didn’t slack at all in the audio department. The game’s sound is excellent. The dynamic soundtrack fits the game perfectly, accentuating the gameplay quite well. The sound effects are crisp and authentic, as well. The voice acting really seals the package. The cast of movie lend their voices. Christian Bale does an excellent job as Batman. Michael Caine and Liam Neeson provide equally strong performances as Alfred and Ducard, respectively.
Batman Begins is a good videogame on its own thanks to Eurocom aptly borrowing gameplay elements from Splinter Cell and Burnout. The game is undoubtedly aided by the license. The production values are outstanding and make the game an easy one to recommend to fans of the film. Even without the license, it is a competent action game. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Jun 29, 2005
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