Hulk
Score: 75% ESRB: Teen Publisher: VU Games Developer: Radical Entertainment Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Action
Graphics & Sound: 'Dr. Bruce Banner. Physician. Scientist. Searching for a way to tap into the hidden strengths that all humans have. Then an accidental overdose of gamma radiation alters his body chemistry. And now, when Bruce Banner grows angry or outraged, a startling metamorphosis occurs. The creature is driven by rage... 'Mr. McGee, don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.' 'The creature is wanted for a crime he didn't commit. Bruce Banner is believed to be dead, and he must let the world think that he is dead until he can find a way to control the raging spirit that dwells within him...' Somehow, the words 'The Hulk' and 'cel-shaded' seem like a mismatch of epic proportions. Hell, I'm willing to bet that Lyle Lovett and Julia Robert's marriage got fewer looks of confusion. Take a look at a few still screens of the game, and you're likely to think this was a horrible match. However, Hulk is one of those rare games that, unless you see it in motion, you're not seeing the entire effect. To put it plainly and simply -- Hulk isn't just a great looking cel-shaded game, but it also showcases a style that could possibly count as its own art form. Whereas most cel-shaded games rely on giving players a cartoon-like appearance, Hulk instead tries to portray a semi-realistic look that really takes cel-shading in a new direction. Upon further inspection, it seems that the developers weren't content with just evolving cel-shading, but fully destructible environments as well. Long time gamers know that being able to destroy objects around you isn't anything new -- some games have been doing this for years and have even built their gameplay around the feature. But once again Hulk does things that some games could only dream about. For example, punching a post will eventually result in it crumbling apart. Whereas most games would have the post fall apart after the first hit, everything in Hulk slowly deforms before it succumbs to destruction. Another great example of this is when you're in areas with tiled floors. Tiles will actually crack and shatter under the weight of one of the Hulk's massive jumping attacks. It is just really, really cool and adds a whole lot to an otherwise average game. The sound effects and music featured in Hulk are great, but nothing you'll remember after turning off the game.
Gameplay: Although the game shares both the title and main characters of the upcoming Hulk movie, the game's plot line has little to do with the movie itself. So, for all you purists who don't want to ruin any aspects of the movie's plot, no harm will come from playing the game. However, when it comes right down to it, Hulk is a simple, straight-up brawler. Plot, or any semblance of a story, is merely a by-product gamers will have to deal with. The game opens interestingly enough with a nice warm-up level, which shows players the ropes of the game. This also serves to both set the tone for the story, Dr. Banner's search for a 'cure', as well as give non-Hulk fans some background. It's around the end of the second level that the game begins to fall apart and become a diluted mish-mash of ideas and story lines. Perhaps the most confusing aspect is the randomness with which boss characters appear. Judging from the plot given in the first level, you would expect to play as the Hulk trying to stop your mentor from abusing a portion of your power he has stolen from you. As things progress, you're matched up against countless villains from the comic series who have little to do with the main plot. Things only become worse when you realize that much of what makes the Hulk a good series is lost in this adaptation. If anything, the game does an excellent job of making you feel like you're the Hulk. As mentioned earlier, you can crash n' smash your way through nearly all of the levels. This enjoyment is short lived, and you'll find yourself either bored or frustrated before you reach the middle of the game. The gameplay engine is extremely generic and simple. You enter a room, 'Guard A' shows up; you fight 'Guard A' who is then joined by 'Guard B' and another enemy (like a dog or mutant cow). You then fight 'Guard B' and his animal friend, then leave the room. This goes on for about 15-20 minutes before you face off against the level's 'boss' character, which has nothing to do with anything else other than he's a bad guy and can take a punch. Dispersed throughout these mind-numbing levels are some rather interesting, although not fully conceived, stealth missions starring Dr. Banner. During these missions you'll have to sneak your way past guards and obstacles without allowing your 'Rage Meter' to fill up. While on paper, this seems like a neat feature, in truth it serves only as a health gauge. This aspect alone caused much of my grief with the game. Getting back to what makes the Hulk mythos so great is the 'control' factor. Throughout the game I couldn't help but to wonder just how neat it would have been if players would have had to try and control the Hulk's rage during levels in the same way they had to control their character's insanity in Eternal Darkness.
Difficulty: Hulk is a game marked with both all-out gaming fun and pure frustration. Sneaking through levels as Dr. Banner is actually pretty fun and usually a nice challenge. Unfortunately, these levels don't happen nearly enough. As the Hulk, things are a little more frustrating since you'll have to face multiple enemies at a time and deal with a cheap hit or two now and then. Boss battles are a whole other animal in this game, and are likely candidates to have even the most 'zen' of gamers turning into green behemoths. But, before you start to go off on a rampage of your own, know that the Hulk guide from Brady Games is there to help calm you down. I found the guide particularly helpful for trying to figure out exactly how to beat some of the game's tougher bosses. As an added bonus, the guide also includes various pieces of concept art from the game as well as developer interviews.
Game Mechanics: While rampaging through levels is a blast, a terrible fighting system and an obscene enemy ratio hampers the fun. Long time readers will probably recall that I am a big fan of brawlers featuring multiple enemies fighting at once (as opposed to what I call the 'kung fu monkey' method where 5 enemies attack one at a time). Playing through Hulk, I was overjoyed that I sometimes had to face up to 10 enemies at a time. Yet, at the same time, if a developer is going to do this, a new fighting system should be put into place in order to make it work. The setup featured in the game simply doesn't cut it. The system used for targeting the enemy you want to attack is a joke, and the two-button combo system leads to downright boredom. Though the manual lists nearly a page of combo attacks, the reality of players pulling off some of the timing required is a stretch. So - as I cue the teary piano music from the original Hulk TV series and stick out my thumb so I can get moving to my next game, it is time to sit back and reflect on the Hulk. Fans of brawlers are likely to enjoy the game since it merely takes many aspects of the genre and does what other games have only promised. There's no doubt that the destructible environments are incredibly cool. But even this factor can't balance out the gross number of negatives that come with the game's execution. Hulk fans may be able to overlook these problems a little better, but overall Hulk is just another average game with a license.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
Gladius Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb