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Ghost Rider
Almost coinciding with the movie release of
Ghost Rider (15/02/07), the video game incarnation of the popular Marvel
Comics character is also about to ride its way onto the PlayStation
Portable and the PlayStation 2 which also promises similar thrills and
entertainment.
For those that are unaware of the Ghost Rider character,
it follows the tale of a stuntman named Johnny Blaze who sold his soul
in exchange for demonic powers. Unlike most movie franchise games, this
title follows the official comic book and not the soon to be released
Hollywood blockbuster.
With that said, comic writers Garth Ennis and
Jimmy Palmiotti have assisted in creating the storyline for this tale
and for those that don't know who these writers are, they are easily two
of the biggest shakers and movers in the comic industry.
The gameplay of Ghost Rider is your classic
arcade adventure game that is reminiscent of titles such as the Devil May Cry
and Bloodrayne which throws in elements of the supernatural and the
modern world in an attempt to draw the player into this rich and
exciting gaming world.
The PSP control system is almost perfect
and the button uses have been well laid on the controller which ensures
that even the most novice of players will be able to pick
this game up with a slight learning curve. With this in mind, the thumb
stick on the unit is
used to maneuver Ghost Rider with the d-pad used for interaction and
combat.
The combat of Ghost Rider features your standard minions of hell as your
plebian enemies but as you progress through the game, your enemies soon
grow in power as you fight not just one but a plethora of enemies in a
race to save the world.
The developers have done a decent job at
the artificial intelligence with your enemy almost having a human-like
response to their tactic, with their combat skills gradually increasing
as your progress. There are also a variety of enemies littered through
the universe of Ghost Rider with your classic "boss" characters who
challenge and taunt the player before proceeding to the next area.
Ghost
Rider also has a retribution meter that can be used to send your character
into a hellish rage mode which boosts his power and assists him to
challenge even the most powerful of demons.
The title features a healthy dose of unlockable content that is
oozing with comic fan goodness with the best feature being that once
you have finished the title as Ghost Rider, you can replay the game as
Blade, the half-vampire superhero. Unlike Ghost Rider, Blade features
his own combat moves and weapons to really assist in the replay value.
Other nifty bonuses include the ability to read a few Ghost Rider
comics, provided you have unlocked the right keys in the game.
Graphically, Ghost Rider is rather visual
on the PSP with highly detailed gaming environments from realistic 3D
environments, detailed textures and a variety of special effects such as
Ghost Rider's flaming skull to his hellfire shotgun that casts an
unearthly light and shadow in the gaming world.
All the characters have
been realistically designed that interact well with the title and in
order to progress the game, the developers use comic-like cutscenes to
tell the tale of Ghost Rider.
Ghost Rider features a wide gamut of
supernatural sound effects from the guttural roars of beasts from
another world to the roar of Ghost Rider's motorcycle and the unholy
"snap" of his weapon. The musical score of Ghost Rider, although ambient
does not really add to the gameplay of the title and will not win any
Grammy's but it's a nice distraction and does help with the
entertainment value of the title.
In conclusion, Ghost Rider for PSP is an entertaining and well-made game
that should take most gamers around 10 - 15 hours to successfully
complete. With an interesting comic-like story, sturdy gameplay and some
really great graphics on this console, it also features great replay value as gamers
can also play as Blade. Great stuff! |
