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Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer
Another blockbuster movie game has landed
on the PlayStation 2 that although may be based on the movie is actually
totally different but in a good way. The
story revolves around a strange alien entity that has come to Earth,
however each planet that the Silver Surfer visits has a habit of being
destroyed. To compound the situation for the Fantastic Four, Dr. Doom
has once again returned and is up to his nefarious tricks and it's time
for
Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Richards to become the
Fantastic Four in order to end this threat.
Features
In its essence, the Fantastic Four, Rise of the Silver Surfer is
your traditional arcade game where gamers have a choice of being one of
four characters, however the player can switch between characters during
the game. Each of the characters have their own unique strengths
and weaknesses and must be used in conjunction with each other in order
to successfully complete the title.
For instance, Johnny Storm has the
ability to become a being constructed from fire and uses flame attacks
to dispel his enemies, whereas sister, Susan Storm has the ability to
become invisible and create large force fields. Needless to say, oozing
with enjoyment.
The control system of the PlayStation 2,
although not as good as the PS3 due to the SixAxis controller, still
allows for some great gameplay, especially with the glorious DualShock
or rumble in the game. The younger generation of gamers will simply
adore the title and will have no problems in picking up the controller
and mastering this title.
An interesting feature of the title is that you can team up two of your
characters to create a more powerful attack on your foes which is
definitely handy when the enemies are virtually swarming all over you.
The characters also have a variety of super powers which have
been perfectly mapped on the controller and inexperience gamers should
have no difficulty in mastering this title. Most gamers will be able
to successfully complete this game in around 10 hours.
As you progress through the game, you are also awarded
achievements that allow the player
to see original comic book covers, change the costumes of the Fantastic
Four from their 21st century appearance to their original 60's
appearance and also concept art for the title. Cute but nothing too
intensive.
Graphically, Fantastic Four Rise of the
Silver Surfer is an impressive looking title that features some great
background environments which really give you a sense of depth and
amazement, especially as the game progresses and match that with some
really good looking character models who bear some resemblance to their
real-world counterparts such as the lovely Jessica Alba and you have one
decent looking arcade game.
The special effects and lighting also go
hand-in-hand with the gameplay, however the title does suffer from some
frame rate issues, especially when their are quite a few enemies on
screen at once. Rise of the Silver Surfer also features some great
pre-rendered CGI that assist in moving the story along nicely. Needless
to say, this will probably be the last movie game on the PS2, even
though the console has quite a few years left in it.
Musically, Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer features a great
soundtrack and professional yet sometimes clichéd voice acting that
suits the comic book genre perfectly. Add in a variety of sound effects
from the noises of battles to the subtle background sounds and the
developers have linked this perfectly with the gameplay.
In conclusion, Fantastic Four Rise of
the Silver is unfortunately one of those movie-based game that are
relying on the popularity of the original movie to sell the product. The
title does become a little repetitive after awhile due to the gameplay
and background environments. The formula is rather easy, you basically
run around, solve puzzles, attack foes and then fight the boss which
repeats again and again. The gameplay is sturdy, however the title is
extremely reminiscent of those old 90's arcade games and nothing has
changed besides the graphics. For those gamers that wish to have some
mindless fun. Great for the younger gamers though! |
