Batman Begins

""No. Scarecrow.""

Vivox's Review of Batman Begins

Batman Begins is a movie tie-in game that takes the story of the hit movie and puts into a video game format. The game has Batman facing off against Ra's Al Ghul and Scarecrow as he tries to uncover a plan that may very well destroy Gotham City.

Story: The game has pretty much the same story as the movie. Bruce Wayne's family is killed and Bruce decides to go on a quest to taste the "dark" side of life. Bruce trains with the league of Shadows to become a crime fighting force to be reckoned with. Once he returns to Gotham, Bruce becomes Batman and defends his city from the criminals who would destroy it. Using fear, Batman will defend his city. I liked the story of the movie and like it for the game as well. Of course, the game has a little more story than the movie, such as more with Victor Zsasz (a villain from the comics who makes a "cameo" in the film) and Scarecrow. Batman must uncover a plot that could destroy Gotham. Who wants Gotham destroyed, and how? The Story gets a 9 out of 10.

Gameplay: The main focus of both the game and the movie is fear: you must utilize fear to make the thugs of more easier to take down. I thought that the focus on fear made the game more like the comics. You cause fear and use stealth, the enemies are easier to take down. You go in an don't use stealth, the enemies put holes iny ou with their guns. The game also has driving levels, but I thought they were sloppy at best. No way does skimming a wall cause the bat mobile damage, but according to the game, any contact of any kind causes the bat mobile damage! But while the driving levels are sloppy, they are still fairly fun to play. You also have a bunch of bat gadgets at your disposal to use in combat, which can come in handy during a fight. You also have to hack into various things ro open doors and use certain machines. Overall, there is a good amount of things for you to do as you explore the various locales around Gotham. The Gameplay gets a 9 out of 10.

Graphics: This is a very good looking game. The locales look good and the character models look great. The only problems with the graphics I saw was jagged edges on Batman's cape. I really though the graphics were a good choice for the game: dark and gritty. The graphics give the game the atmosphere that it needs. The Graphics get 10 out of 10.

Music\Sound: The music fits right into the game. The sound is also well done. The voice actors (including Liam Neeson, Christian Bale, and Morgan Freeman, among others) are all well done. The only voice acting I thought sounded horrible is Christian Bale during the cut scenes, but the reason it sounded so bad is the fact that the GameCube's video was compressed. The Music\Sound get a 9 out of 10.

Replayability: The game does not fare as well in this department. One play through and you've unlocked everything. Maybe you will play it again to see the new costumes, but who will beat the game again just for the costumes? The Replayability gets a 7 out of 10.

Buy, or Rent?: The game still sells for $40, so if you didn't like the movie or aren't a Batman fan, don't bother plunking down the cash for the full price. If you are a Batman fan, then by all means by the game.

This is definitely the best Batman game ever made, which not be saying much, but it is still a awesome game, and worth at least a play through.

"Crane?"
"No. Scarecrow."

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/25/05