Batman Vengeance

In day two of our coverage, we've posted seven first-ever movies of Batman Vengeance for GCN!

October 19, 2001

In 1992 Warner Bros. premiered Batman: The Animated Series on television to the delight of comic fans and moviegoers alike. The show, which would go on to air 84 additional episodes, captured the hearts of Batman followers with its smart storylines and old-style / new style mix of classic character designs and dark, moody environments -- a method coined "Dark Deco" by its creators. The cartoon spawned two feature films, created several characters, and is still considered a healthy addition to the Batman universe. So of course it makes perfect sense that publisher Ubi Soft is bringing the unique take on the Dark Night's adventures to next-generation videogame systems including GameCube.

There have been many Batman-based videogames in the past -- all of them doused in sloppy execution and released for a quick buck. But Ubi Soft's Batman Vengeance, a dark, moody 3D action-adventure captures the essence of what makes the Dark Knight a comic book favorite and -- gasp -- is actually both fun to play and quite a visual feast. Sound too good to be true? For once, it isn't. Read on.

Features

  • Play as the Dark Knight in an all-new 3D adventure
  • Uses an impressive 3D engine developed by the Rayman team
  • Uncover a mysterious evil plot involving the Joker and other classic enemies
  • Travel through 19 open environments through Gotham City
  • Explore, fight, sneak, decipher, drive, pilot and engage in mid-air free-fall battle
  • Wield batarangs, batgrapples, flash bombs, remote charges, batcuggs, nets, the batlauncher, batscope and more
  • Features more than 40 minutes of rendered cinematics
  • GameCube version features sharper graphics and runs at 60 frames per second

Gameplay
One dark night the caped crusader receives an anonymous call informing him of a fire in Gotham City. Batman immediately makes his way to the location where he discovers and rescues Mary, a civilian stranded within the blaze. He also learns that the Joker has kidnapped Mary's son and is holding him for ransom. What the superhero does not realize, however, is that Mary is in actuality a disguise by villain Harley Quinn, the Joker's "hench wench," and a plot to destroy him has been hatched. Batman continues on the scent of the Joker, which eventually leads him to Gotham City Bridge. Here he encounters his pasty-faced arch-nemesis and learns of the plan. But Joker's ploy to kill the Dark Knight backfires and the criminal plunges from the bridge -- screaming and laughing -- to his untimely death. The demise of the Joker triggers an unpredictable crime wave in Gotham City led by infamous characters Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze. At first the evil-doings seem unrelated, but as Batman uncovers more and more about their nature, he begins to piece the clues together...

Welcome to Gotham City

Batman Vengeance, developed by Ubi Soft Montreal for GameCube, is a 3D action-adventure based on the animated television series. The game pits players as the Dark Knight himself on a quest to stop a mysterious crime wave in Gotham City. Batman has full freedom of movement to go anywhere within wide-open, sprawling 3D environments -- some that stretch up and up and up. Control is analog and surprisingly tight, leading us to question, "is this actually a Batman title?" The caped crusader can walk, run, sneak against walls, climb, glide through the air with his cape and engage in hand-to-hand combat. The melee system is intuitive, immediately locking onto foes in style similar to Ocarina of Time, which allows Batman to strafe around them easily while performing offensive or defensive maneuvers. A selection of punch and kick attacks are immediately presented, and more damaging special moves -- executed via a combination of GameCube's L and R with the B button, can be learned. When enemies go down, it is only temporarily, unless players take the time to handcuff them -- a necessary part of the adventure. The development studio has gone the extra mile to deliver a polished, well-sewn mix of exploration, combat and -- a franchise trademark, gadgetry, which we'll detail now.

Each of the 19 gargantuan 3D environments featured in the title are designed to lend themselves to the Dark Knight's many bat-gadgets. He possesses the batarang, a projectile that can be thrown at enemies to disarm them, or to break objects. There is the batscope, which enables him to see far distances. Flash grenades disperse a smoke wall that can be used for an easy escape. Batcuffs are placed over a beaten enemy to permanently disable him or her. The bat communicator provides an immediate link to the bat cave, where Bat Girl anxiously awaits and is willing to help out. The bat launcher shoots a wide variety of projectiles great distances. Remote bombs can be made to blast enemies from a distance. And finally, bat-grapples -- probably the most useful of tools -- shoot forward and hook around objects, whereupon Batman can swing to new areas or pull himself up levels. This last gadget is particularly satisfying and the process of grappling will remind many gamers of a similar feature from the Zelda franchise.

An in-game screenshot of Batman Vengeance for GameCube

In addition to everything else, Batman can soar above Gotham City in his batwing and race through its streets in his batmobile. The batwing levels push the player forward -- the idea being to dodge coming skyscrapers and avoid a frontal attack from foes like Mr. Freeze and his helicopter. The batmobile levels are equally straightforward and enjoyable. Beyond these, there are free-fall levels in which the Dark Knight literally falls down into chasms, rescues civilians and then uses his bat-grapple to swing to safety. Other areas see Batman fighting big bosses in classic form.

Graphics and Technology
Batman Vengeance is a beautiful, stylized adventure and for once, it looks nearly every bit as good as the animated series it's based on. This because developer Ubi Soft Montreal has stayed true to the "dark deco" fashion of the television show and movies. 3D environments are fantastically large and marvelously lit, shadowed and overflowing with ambience. The studio has so wondrously animated everything, from the shimmering of the Dark Knight's cape to the way he runs, dives, sneaks against walls or pulls himself up onto ledges, that it's all got a cartoony consistency to it. Batman himself is born to life as a detailed model with real-time shadows that cast onto the flooring and walling of surrounding areas, and foes -- from Mr. Freeze to the Joker, are equally well animated and cartoon-like. Adding another level of detail to the mood of the game -- and there is quite a lot -- the voices of real show contributors like Alfred are featured in more than 40 minutes of in-game speech and rendered cinematics. All in all, it's quite a considerable package that will be made even better with the GameCube version, which Ubi Soft says will feature a sharper look and run at a constant 60 frames per second.

Outlook
Batman Vengeance is a solid 3D action-adventure with a dark, moody style that is unparalleled by any Dark Knight game before it. The recently released PlayStation 2 version of the title, complete with a tight control system, huge environments to explore, and enough gadgets to keep experienced players busy for a good while, is a testament to what can be done with the license given a competent developer. And the GameCube version, with more detailed textures and -- unlike its PS2 brethren -- running at a constant 60 frames per second, is on track to be even better. The arrival of the product during week-one of system launch may surprise audiences who have been taught to strictly believe that Batman and videogames don't mix.


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