Batman Begins

7.8
Good

Gameplay	7.0	"A solid take on the movie."
Graphics	6.5
Sound	8.0
Value	7.5

By Emily Buxton

Bat fans unite - prepare to don that styley black cape and fashionable set of ears as Batman Begins hits the Xbox. Stalk the creepy halls of Arkham Asylum; tear up the streets in a 'more-tank-than-car' Batmobile, or for the less energetic, recline in the stark grandeur of Wayne Manor.

Batman Begins seems to go back to the happy days of basic gameplay where the pathway through each level is seemingly lit up with flashing neon signs proclaiming 'This Way'. Any interaction with background objects occurs when and only when the game dictates it. Essentially this means the game plays a lot like a full game length tutorial, learning new skills throughout the entire story. Just because this game has the word stealth in the genre title, don't expect Sam Fisher with black ears and a cape. Forget The League Of Shadows - this game plays like a Stealth 101 class, which can be perfect for an easy afternoon in front of the Xbox.

The concept used in Batman Begins for Xbox is almost exactly as the movie told it - scared enemies are far easier to take care of. By monitoring an enemy's heart rate and fear level, Batman is able to attack the criminal underworld of Gotham in their most vulnerable and panicked state, giving an easy edge in combat. Lurking in the shadows, grabbing solitary thugs from above and smashing up scenery from afar can all work a treat at scaring villains into an early grave. The idea of creating fear is a fantastic one but sadly you don't have enough of a free reign to truly get a feel for it. Available scare tactics only come along once in a while though, with preset options giving the gameplay a fairly structured, linear approach.

At times the combat can feel like lead weights have been put in those sexy bat boots. Each move Batman makes comes with a delay between mashing the appropriate buttons and seeing your fantastic vault jump take out three thugs at once. If you manage to catch the split-second 'special move' option flash up onscreen and then hit the right combinations, you are dutifully rewarded with a cut scene showing just how amazing the move would have looked - that is, if you weren't interrupted by an annoying cut scene in the first place. Fights are laborious yet chaotic which is a combination too strange to be effective. Thugs simply fade into the ground after they die and most of the time Batman is left tensed and twitching in the middle of a fight that you suddenly realise finished a minute ago.

Just when the levels are starting to look slightly familiar, you are dropped into the driver's seat of the Batmobile in a frantic adrenaline-pumping race through Gotham City. The armored Bat tank is solid enough to drive any car off the road. To keep your reputation clean, you can even try avoiding those pesky civilian cars that seem to be all over the place. For anyone not thrilled by running sedans off the road, pick up Nitrous Oxide boosters as you drive. If the Batmobile went any faster with these in the engine, even a tight face mask wouldn't be able to hold Batman's cheeks together. Once you've played both Batmobile levels in the story, you'll unlock the option of being able to redo those particular chases on their own. It's great to keep you interested if you're stuck with the storyline, or simply frustrated with having to creep around slowly and quietly.

One of the most outstanding areas of the game was undoubtedly the cast voices. Every character in the game was voiced by the actors or actresses from the movie. The lineup added an impressively authentic touch to the game - Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson and Morgan Freeman. (Just to drop a name or two.) The NPCs dialogue is superb. Most of the conversation between characters is entirely non-repetitive, lengthy and often hilarious. Uncooperative thugs are even yelled at by their superiors to 'go play in traffic.'

In comparison to the brilliant sound and dialogue, the graphics seem to be lacking punch. At a squint, Gotham City appears detailed enough to live in but on closer inspection starts to reveal some bland surfaces hiding amongst the showy grit and textures. The characters however, are shown in a close resemblance to their movie counterparts which detracts attention well from the occasionally failing graphics. The detailed cut scenes throughout the storyline also beef up the overall visual performance of the game.

A hefty package of unlockable features rounds off the game with a nice touch that will be of sure interest to most gamers - Bat fans or otherwise. Cast and crew interviews, Batsuits, Batmobile prototypes and an interactive Gallery of Fear - your chance to view the villains Batman has just put behind bars.

Virtually non-existent loading times, a pocketful of nifty gadgets and a plot almost identical to the movie storyline makes this an enjoyable, if not perfect addition to a games collection. True Batman fans or gamers who simply enjoyed the movie will be generally happy with the result of Batman Begins, if not left yearning for a little something more.

NZGamer.com - Batman Begins Facebook