Batman Begins

Stealth game play brings Batman's roots to life

The dynamic duo of developer Eurocom and publisher EA delivers a slick entertainment.

Features

• Mixes stealth, driving and fighting
• Context-sensitive moves and gadgets
• Voices and likenesses of movie's stars
• Bonus materials include alternate Batsuits, gallery of villains and movie trailers, sequences and stills

As always, EA spares no expense when it comes to top-drawer production values. The game looks and sounds great. Batman himself is beautiful realized as he moves through Gotham City's gloomily lit underworld. The understated score adds to the noir-ish sense of menace. Fire (used extensively in the opening scene, in which he must rescue Dr. Jonathan Crane) and explosion effects look as sweet as you'd expect from the developer behind James Bond: Nightfire and the underrated Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy.

Perhaps even more impressively, the game features both the likenesses and voices of Christian Bale (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Michael Caine (Alfred Pennyworth), Liam Neeson (Henri Ducard), Katie Holmes (Rachel Dawes), Cillian Murphy (Dr. Jonathan Crane), Tom Wilkinson (Carmine Falcone) and Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox). Caine and Bale get the most voice time, as Alfred feeds Batman plenty of info and advice.

Stealth-Man

EA has always been very good at watching where the market is going, most recently adding a cut-down version of squad-based tactics from from Clancy's Ghost Recon to Medal of Honor: European Assault. For Batman Begins, EA took inspiration from another hit Clancy franchise, Splinter Cell, giving the Dark Night stealth moves.

Batman uses an optic cable to peer through locked doors. He takes on gangs of thugs by creating diversions. He sneaks up on Carmine Falcone's stooges or drops on them from overhead pipes. These moves feel so natural to Batman's character that they make you wonder what those '90s publishers were thinking when they made all those Batman beat-'em-ups. Expertly using stealth enhances your reputation, which makes it easier to take out crooks.

Call it Sam Fisher Lite. Batman Begins is a very linear game, meaning there's almost always just one right way to overcome a challenge. Unfortunately, some of the thrilling elements of stealth game play-- figuring out the best of several alternatives, creating a plan and then executing it-- are missing.

The levels could use more variety -- you'll spend more time than you wish riding freight elevators and going through empty rooms just to open a door on the other side. You won’t have any problems picking locks and solving the find-the-key-for-the-locked-door puzzles.

Batman dies quite easily until you figure out what you are supposed to do. Fortunately, none of the enemies are candidates for Harvard scholarships, and both save points and med kits are frequent. And Batman almost invariably wins at hand-to-hand combat. It’s only the thugs with the automatic weapons that you have to worry about.

Batman Begin is also a heavily context-sensitive game. Batman can only use his grapple, Batarang or other piece of gear when the game allows him to -- which isn't often. You would think that he'd want to use his Batarang to knock a gun from a thug's hand, but no can do. To mix animal metaphors, Batman is one smart cat -- so how come he can't use his equipment whenever he wants to? After all, that's why he brings it along.

Except for a few places where you have to line up just right to climb, controls are good. The game gives so many tips, you'll sometimes feel that you're in Gaming 101.

Burnout-type levels in which you try to run down bad guys' cars with a redesigned Batmobile (judging by the size of those tires, it's had a monster truck transplant) are well done and quite fun, especially when the cars you've rammed tumble through the air in slow-mo.

Bottom Line

The hardcore gamer is likely to be underwhelmed by Batman Begin's linear design and straightforward gameplay. The average fan of the movie, though, will probably enjoy the game for the very same reasons. Both will agree that the game looks and sounds great.

Source:

www.nintendo.com – Nintendo GameCube

Unveil the Dark Knight's origins on PlayStation 2.

An icon of comic fans, DC's anti-hero Batman staked his place in the cultural mainstream
with a series of blockbuster movies. Warner Bros. now take the story back to its dark
roots with Batman Begins, a gritty exploration of the events that led Bruce Wayne to
become the ultimate vigilante.

EA have taken up the challenge of recreating the thrill and atmosphere of the film for the
PS2. Real time lighting and dark textures add to the moody effect as you explore Gotham
city as Batman and Bruce Wayne in gripping 3D action or tear up the streets in the speedy,
tank-like Batmobile.

Reprising their big screen roles a host of talent have leant their voices and appearance to
the game, including Christian Bale (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Michael Caine (Alfred
Pennyworth), Liam Neeson (Henri Ducard), Katie Holmes (Rachel Dawes), Cillian Murphy
(Scarecrow), Tom Wilkinson (Carmine Falcone) and Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox).

Classic villains the Scarecrow, Ra's Al Ghul and Carmine Falcone line-up as the
unwholesome adversaries stalking the underworld of Gotham. Deadly foes requiring a
combination of strength, intellect and the trademark high tech gadgets to bring to justice.

• Discover the origins of Batman from the perspective of Bruce Wayne and the Dark Knight
• Moody lighting and great textures bring the underbelly of Gotham alive
• Utilise high tech gadgets and the thunderous Batmobile
• Battle the Scarecrow, Ra's Al Ghul and Carmine Falcone

Source:

uk.playstation.com