Reviewed: June 28, 2003
Reviewed by: Mark Smith
Publisher
Universal Interactive
Developer
Vivendi Universal
Released: May 27, 2003
Genre: Action
Players: 1
ESRB: Teen
7
8
8
7
7.9
Supported Features
I cringe every time a new movie-inspired game comes into the office for review. History has repeatedly proven that with very few exceptions (Spider-Man), movie-based games generally suck. It gets even worse when the game in question is based on a movie that is somewhat of a disappointment. I’m still cowering in the corner waiting for someone to make a Daredevil game.
Hulk - yes I’m dropping the “The” just like the producers of the movie and the game decided to do – is a surprising breath of fresh air in what is otherwise a foul stench of movies-turned-video game, or at least an unpleasant odor. If anything, Hulk (the game) easily surpasses its theatrical counterpart in style and quality.
The Hulk is the creation of Marvel mogul Stan Lee and dates back to 1962, which puts the Hulk two years ahead of this reviewer. While I was a huge comic book collector in my teens the Hulk was not one of my priorities, although I did have a few of his specialty issues and collectors editions. So while I’m not the biggest “green giant” fan out there I am sure there are millions who are ready to put Bruce under the proverbial microscope and find any flaw they can.
Unlike most movie games that try to mirror the film or at least interweave their plot with the movie, the Hulk takes place a good ten years after the events in the film. This leaves the designers free to explore their own ideas and pretty much prevents fans of the film from critiquing the game, at least from a movie translation standpoint.
The gameplay in the Hulk comes in two flavors, lime and vanilla, or Bruce and his tempestuous alter ego, Hulk. The missions are divided into some rather boring and uneventful Bruce levels where you basically stealth your way through the mission trying not to get caught or angry then you get to play several Hulk levels where you bash and smash your way through men, buildings, and anything else that stands in your way.
My big problem here is why must my anger be tempered during the Banner missions. Why can’t I get pissed and go primal on these guys. Why can’t the entire game let me start off as Bruce and when I get enough crap kicked out of me I go “green” and deliver the pain until there is nothing left to keep my rage meter alive, at which time I revert back to Dr. Banner and those magic stretch pants that I desperately want for Thanksgiving dinner this year.
The Banner missions are overly lengthy and annoying. Some levels feature cryptic locking puzzles where you must match several symbols in pairs of two in mere seconds. At least failure doesn’t summon the guards or end the game or I probably wouldn’t have finished the second Banner mission. Other levels have you dragging crates around to get over obstacles. Didn’t I do that in Tomb Raider and Legacy of Kain five years ago?
Once you get the “green light” the fun really begins. As the Hulk you get more than 30 attacks and can pick up cars, pipes, men, monsters, or anything else that isn’t nailed down, and sometimes you can even rip the nailed down items out of the floor and throw those too. You can stomp, thunderclap, punch missiles back at the shooter and generally create a mess of things. You have multi-move combos and rage attacks and can even lock onto opponents if things get too confusing.
The control scheme for the Hulk is amazingly fluid and easy to learn unlike the Banner controls. “But isn’t it the same game?” you ask. Yes it is, which is why I’m stumped myself. Part of the Banner issues are a result of twitchy camera problems that manifest only during his levels then magically fixes itself for the Hulk.
Arguably, the Hulk is a short game clocking in at 30 levels interspersed with boring Banner missions and the occasional boss fights that range from hard to impossible. Personally, I found the gameplay highly repetitious. As fun as it is to smash and destroy everything in sight it gets boring after about two or three levels. Hulk is a game best experienced in short doses, or at least have a friend on hand to pass the controller to.
The best thing about the Hulk movie was the visual style of the presentation and surprisingly, that is the best thing about the game too. Using a comic book style of character and scenery creation then enhanced with an inking process you would expect to see in a comic book, Hulk is the epitome of a living comic book. It’s such a unique and vibrant style that I refuse to even call it “cel shading”. Think back to your reaction the first time you saw the visuals in Jet Grind Radio then multiply by ten.
One pleasant bonus of this artistic design decision is quickly apparent – a rock solid 60fps no matter what is going on. You can credit this to the simplistic designs and low-detail textures. It would have been easy for the designers to grab the Hulk wireframe and textures from the movie studio and try to recreate a CGI Hulk of film quality, but I think they chose wisely to keep this game grounded in its comic book roots.
Special effects are plentiful including dust, smoke, fire, particle effects and realistic damage modeling whether you stomp the pavement and leave a cracked footprint, or tear a pipe from the walk and start smashing boxes, windows, and guards with your new club. If it’s an object in the game it can probably be destroyed or at least damaged to some extent.
The camera is out of your control. Apparently the designers wanted you to view the action from the most cinematic angle, which doesn’t always translate to the most functional gameplay angle. It’s not as bad when you are the Hulk but it can be devastating as Bruce. The cutscenes are all rendered in game engine graphics creating a fluid presentation throughout with no glaring gaps between game and movie.
The original musical score is much like the movie and provides a suitable backdrop to maim and destroy. It slips far into the background allowing you to hear the glorious sounds of destruction, breaking glass, crumbling stone, twisting metal, human cries, explosions, and plenty of grunts and growls from the Hulk himself. All of these sounds are delivered in a stunning Dolby Digital 5.1 surround mix. Well done.
Eric Bana returns to voice the part of Bruce Banner, which definitely gives this game some additional credibility, not that it is really lacking any. He does the narration and voices his character in the game, at least when he’s not green and angry.
To try and increase the value of the Hulk the designers have provided multiple skill levels and a DVD full of unlockable secrets including artwork, trailers, clip, and bonus features. You can even unlock and play as the Gray Hulk. These are some excellent bonus features but you’ll probably be inclined to locate a cheat code to view them rather than replay the game.
If you enjoy smashing things in a mindless repetitive manner then you will probably enjoy playing and replaying this title. I’m guessing that many of you will find the gameplay a bit sophomoric after a few hours and force yourself to complete the game and never mess with it again. If this sounds like you then you may be better served renting the title. You can easily complete it in a rental period.
The Hulk isn’t a bad game by any means. While I did find it boring near the end I really can’t think of anyway you could have made it better and I’m guessing the designers fell victim to the limitations of the main character. After all, when all you can do is rampage and smash things, how creative can you really get? I was bored with Spider-Man by the end of that game. These superheroes are one-trick ponies and once you have seen them perform the show is over and it’s time to move along.
Despite the shallow gameplay, playing the Hulk is a guilty pleasure and with all of his trademark moves intact there are dozens of ways to dispatch your enemy and destroy your surroundings. If you are a true Hulk fan then this is a definite purchase. If you just want a weekend rampage then rent before you buy and save yourself some “green”.