Everlost_MI
09-04-2005, 10:04 AM
Finally, a Hulk game where the phrase “Hulk SMASH!” really means something. As the jade goliath, you can inflict wanton destruction on nearly every single thing you come across as you stroll through the city or desert wasteland. And unless it’s a human, if you can touch it you can also use it as a weapon. Unlike the previous Hulk games where you were forced to play for at least part of the game as puny Banner (sorry, the Hulk demanded puny be used), you skip right over to the reason why you are playing a Hulk game. The easy intuitive controls unleash the power of the Hulk in an environment that allows the similar game play freedom found in GTA or Spider-Man 2. The heart of the game consists of a linear storyline that won’t take more than ten hours to complete. However, the ability to engage in secondary missions greatly expands the game’s length as well as the fun factor of smashing to your heart’s content.
Paul Jenkins, who wrote the Hulk comic series for over eighteen issues, scripted the game’s story as it features the Hulkbusters, General Ross, Dr. Samson and the Abomination from the Marvel Universe. The storyline revolves around Banner and Samson working on a cure to permanently subdue the Hulk, but the military intervenes before a crucial point causing all the work to be lost. Time is quickly running out before the Hulk completely takes over, so in a last ditch effort Samson creates a hypnotic suggestion to induce and use the Hulk to reconstruct the cure.
The gameplay, as the title states, is all about destruction. As the Hulk you cannot only smash nearly everything but you can also use those same objects as weapons. For example, smash a tank, then grab the cannon and you can use it as projectile after you perform a hammer toss. Tired of seeing that police car going to waste? Then pick it up and rip it in half and make a nice set of police car gauntlets to inflict even more damage. Or grab a telephone pole and use the soldiers for batting practice before using it as a javelin to impale an oncoming helicopter. The possibly are endless and to induce further mayhem the game offers Smash Points to purchase moves that will enhance your wanton destruction. In addition to new moves, other unlockables include changing the Hulk’s pants, different Hulks including Joe Fixit, comic book covers, production sketches and videos of how the game was created. However, the more you destroy in the game the faster the Emergency Response Meter (ERM), similar to GTA’s police warning system, will fill up. As the ERM increases so do the number and difficulty of the military forces that are released to stop your rampage. Once the ERM is filled, a military strike team will be launched and the unlocked moves will be needed just to survive. Finally, the bosses are the icing on the cake in regards to the amount of thought and effort was put into them. The boss fights range from traditional end-level boss difficulty to some creative and above average A.I. that will tax the casual gamer.
The controls for the game are easy to pick up on and quite intuitive for a third person action/adventure title. The ease of getting the Hulk to jump or punch farther by just holding down the button longer is something that comes across naturally without having to perform serious hand acrobatics to cause the effect you are looking for. The graphics are decent but nothing to rave about, however the graphic engine really excels when the Hulk dishes out mass amounts of destruction. The game does support 480p for the Gamecube and PS2 versions, while the Xbox version supports up 720p. The sound aspect of the game really adds to the atmosphere of the game with the barrage of sound effects as the Hulk unleashes his fury and the orchestral soundtrack that keeps pace with the breakneck story. In addition, the excellent voice acting that includes Ron Pearlman (Hellboy and Blade II) and Neal McDonough (Minority Report and Timeline) really adds flair to the game.
In conclusion, this is an all out fun game full of button mashing and nearly limitless destruction. The game is quite fun but after twenty hours of play it does lose part of its luster. My suggestion is to wait until the price drops under thirty dollars unless you’re a die-hard Hulk fan. It’s a shame there aren’t any multiplayer options, this game would have been a blast to play against others.
The Good
The easy to learn and intuitive controls.
The amount of sheer action and destruction fun.
The sound and voice acting.
The fact that you can smash and use nearly everything as a weapon in the game.
The Bad
How short the game is even with the GTA/Spider-Man side missions.
The Ugly
Lack of Multiplayer.
4 out of 5 stars
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/gc_hulk.jpg http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/ps2_hulk.jpg http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/xbox_hulk.jpg
Paul Jenkins, who wrote the Hulk comic series for over eighteen issues, scripted the game’s story as it features the Hulkbusters, General Ross, Dr. Samson and the Abomination from the Marvel Universe. The storyline revolves around Banner and Samson working on a cure to permanently subdue the Hulk, but the military intervenes before a crucial point causing all the work to be lost. Time is quickly running out before the Hulk completely takes over, so in a last ditch effort Samson creates a hypnotic suggestion to induce and use the Hulk to reconstruct the cure.
The gameplay, as the title states, is all about destruction. As the Hulk you cannot only smash nearly everything but you can also use those same objects as weapons. For example, smash a tank, then grab the cannon and you can use it as projectile after you perform a hammer toss. Tired of seeing that police car going to waste? Then pick it up and rip it in half and make a nice set of police car gauntlets to inflict even more damage. Or grab a telephone pole and use the soldiers for batting practice before using it as a javelin to impale an oncoming helicopter. The possibly are endless and to induce further mayhem the game offers Smash Points to purchase moves that will enhance your wanton destruction. In addition to new moves, other unlockables include changing the Hulk’s pants, different Hulks including Joe Fixit, comic book covers, production sketches and videos of how the game was created. However, the more you destroy in the game the faster the Emergency Response Meter (ERM), similar to GTA’s police warning system, will fill up. As the ERM increases so do the number and difficulty of the military forces that are released to stop your rampage. Once the ERM is filled, a military strike team will be launched and the unlocked moves will be needed just to survive. Finally, the bosses are the icing on the cake in regards to the amount of thought and effort was put into them. The boss fights range from traditional end-level boss difficulty to some creative and above average A.I. that will tax the casual gamer.
The controls for the game are easy to pick up on and quite intuitive for a third person action/adventure title. The ease of getting the Hulk to jump or punch farther by just holding down the button longer is something that comes across naturally without having to perform serious hand acrobatics to cause the effect you are looking for. The graphics are decent but nothing to rave about, however the graphic engine really excels when the Hulk dishes out mass amounts of destruction. The game does support 480p for the Gamecube and PS2 versions, while the Xbox version supports up 720p. The sound aspect of the game really adds to the atmosphere of the game with the barrage of sound effects as the Hulk unleashes his fury and the orchestral soundtrack that keeps pace with the breakneck story. In addition, the excellent voice acting that includes Ron Pearlman (Hellboy and Blade II) and Neal McDonough (Minority Report and Timeline) really adds flair to the game.
In conclusion, this is an all out fun game full of button mashing and nearly limitless destruction. The game is quite fun but after twenty hours of play it does lose part of its luster. My suggestion is to wait until the price drops under thirty dollars unless you’re a die-hard Hulk fan. It’s a shame there aren’t any multiplayer options, this game would have been a blast to play against others.
The Good
The easy to learn and intuitive controls.
The amount of sheer action and destruction fun.
The sound and voice acting.
The fact that you can smash and use nearly everything as a weapon in the game.
The Bad
How short the game is even with the GTA/Spider-Man side missions.
The Ugly
Lack of Multiplayer.
4 out of 5 stars
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/gc_hulk.jpg http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/ps2_hulk.jpg http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/xbox_hulk.jpg