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Superman Shadow of Apokolips
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Graphics & Sound:
This is one game we weren't too impressed with at E3, so it's a nice surprise how much we like it now. It's easy to forget that along with the broken promise of great E3 games which turn into puddles of plop by Fall and games that were stinky then and stinky now, are a few games we raised an eyebrow over that surprise us by beating the odds. It may not quite be 'super,' but Shadow of Apokolips deserves heavy props. Graphics are definitely the best part of Superman: Shadow of Apokolips. Gone are the days when we were content to watch Supes flying around in profile, but that was strictly 2D anyway. 2D or not 2D, that is the question... With the advent of 3D and especially a jacked up engine and an interface sporting some supercool (no pun intended) cel-shading that makes this game feel like playing a cartoon, Shadow of Apokolips is almost more fun to watch than to play. The music tends to get in a rut and stay there, but many of the voices are recognizable from the TV show. Favorites such as Malcolm McDowell doing Metallo and Lori Petty doing Livewire bring back memories of Superman on The WB, and it's great they made it into the game. |
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Gameplay:
Superman fans will be thrilled from the first moment when their favorite man in tights makes an appearance on screen. There is something so great about putting Superman through his paces, and if you were a fan of the Superman and Batman hour on television years ago, you can remember how exciting it was to see some new plotlines and stories played out against really nice animation. Heck, we're in the middle of a veritable Superman frenzy right now with the hint of a movie on the horizon and the reality of a great show on the WB right now. So, what better than a kickin' game? The story in Shadow of Apokolips follows Clark/Superman as he investigates the strange appearance of 'super' weapons, in the hands of Metropolis' worst crooks. Somewhere just behind the mayhem is Lex Luthor, of course. But, other villains get involved in the action, and the real culprits are sitting back observing on Apokolips, hoping Superman will fail so they can take over a defenseless Earth. The game moves in chapters, each one presenting a villain for Superman, and broken up into little segments that sometimes can be solved by brute force and other times require finesse and brainpower. Other than playing through the entire story, which is engaging, you can go back and replay specific levels once you've completed them. All of Superman's cool powers are contained in the game, including X-Ray Vision, Heat Vision, Flying (of course!) and Super Breath. Many gamers will be so wowed by the chance to fool around with these Super Powers that any of the blemishes of Shadow of Apokolips won't matter one bit. For the rest of us, while there is definitely a solid game under here, there are also some gotchas. |
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Difficulty:
It may be obvious to you, but it didn't occur to me until I'd played Shadow of Apokolips for a while, but Superman isn't the easiest videogame character to work with. For one thing, he's indestructible. He doesn't die, doesn't get hurt except by Kryptonite, and he's immune to most things (bullets, bombs, etc.) that were seemingly invented to deplete health bars on game characters. So, how do you make this game anything other than an interactive cartoon? Well, time limits are a good start. And, for some people, the frustration of having the same segment time out again and again and again because you can't even understand what you're supposed to be doing with Supes will be a deal-killer. The objectives aren't always crystal clear, which leads to a lot of loading and reloading as you buzz around trying to figure out what you're supposed to be doing. Say what you will against linear gameplay, but at least when there's only one thing to do, you don't get sidetracked...! Okay, I'm kidding with that last comment, but it would have been nice to see a more detailed list of objectives, or just some indicator of what type of action Superman is supposed to be performing. The tight constraints placed on you even in the early missions don't make the game more realistic or challenging, just frustrating.
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Game Mechanics:
Level design could have used a great deal of work, but the controls are almost perfect. They take a little getting used to, and aren't without plenty of room for error. But, as each Super Power is needed, it is introduced and explained and you have a chance to practice. Keeping track of all the ways you can pound an enemy into submission is actually a little difficult, but in moments where a special move or action is required, you'll even have some prompting at times on which button to press. Hovering up and down is controlled by one analog stick, the other stick orients your view, and pressing a shoulder button makes Superman fly. Several attacks are possible, but some deplete your Super Power gauge to the point that you have to take time out to recharge. And you never have time. The sensitivity of the analog control comes out as you see flying speed increase slowly, and also when you realize that controlling certain weapons like Heat Vision is tied directly to using a certain amount of pressure. If you liked the Batman and Superman animation from Warner Brothers that has been released sporadically over the last 10 years, you owe it to yourself to give Shadow of Apokolips a try. Sure, it has some weak moments and frustrating limitations keeping it from being a 'great' game. But, even for those who might not think of themselves as huge Superman fans, the creative design and execution throughout Shadow of Apokolips makes it a good PS2 game, aimed at dedicated fans or those out shopping for something different. |
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-Fridtjof, GameVortex Communications AKA Matt Paddock |
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