Super heroes are one of the few things that have managed to stand the test of time. It’s hard to believe that some of them have been around for nearly half a decade. It’s great to see that kids today can still enjoy the things that we grew up with, there aren’t many things today that we can say that about, so be proud of it. With that said recently there has been a burst in comic book hero popularity. Ever since Spiderman hit the big screen a few years back, the kids are going nuts for our childhood heroes. As always everyone wants to cash in on the phenomenon, this can have both a positive and negative result. Thankfully in the game world we have been blessed, with such classic titles as Spiderman 2 and X-Men Legends the videogame side has certainly benefited. In comes the 800lb gorilla for lack of a better description, The Hulk returns to your favorite console and this time he is here to cause massive destruction!
This isn’t the big green machines first trip to the consoles, in fact the last game was developed by the same team and mixed stealth with destruction. Not exactly what you would expect from a game about a 12-foot monster such as the Hulk right? Well thankfully the developers listened and paid attention to other games in this genre and have crafted one of the best comic book games to date. Taking a cue from Spiderman 2 and giving Hulk a giant free-roaming type of world has really opened this game up. No longer are you forced to sneak down corridors as Bruce Banner, now simply grab something large and pummel whatever is in your path.
The game play is very simplistic and extremely addicting, as you progress through the missions you can collect smash points which can be used to unlock new moves. There are basic story missions scattered throughout the city as well as side missions such as security guard homerun derby. The free roam environment lends itself extremely well to the Hulk’s playing style, imagine a giant 3D Rampage and you can kind of get the picture. Just about everything you see is destructible as well as being absolutely fun to destroy. Unfortunately like Spiderman before him, you will soon tire of the missions and simply run around punting helpless pedestrians.
Collecting smash points to open new moves becomes an addiction. Once you realize that there are over 150 moves to collect and that each one has a special charge move, you begin to appreciate just how deep the game is. Also it should be noted that Hulk’s destruction can not go unnoticed. Cause too much chaos and eventually the military will come looking for you. Bringing with it large tanks and giant robots aiming to take the beast down. If the military isn’t enough for you, eventually you will run into a group called The Division and the infamous “Hulkbusters”. Needless to say they will do anything to take you down.
The visuals in Hulk are pretty average by today’s standards. Sure the city is vast and full of life, but there is simply so much more that can be done, especially on the Xbox. Radical did do a nice job of keeping the frame rate steady even with tons of action on screen. The Hulk model itself has been redone by Bryan Hitch and is extremely intimidating, not quite like the one you have been used to over the years, but definitely fun to watch. Another interesting aspect is that the Xbox version runs at 720p in HDTV, this does give the game a slightly crisper look on my HDTV, but it still leaves much to be desired in the detail of the city. The one thing that does stand out in the visuals though is the destruction, watching tanks explode and buildings crumble has never looked so good. Radical Entertainment certainly knows how to make things go boom good.
What all of this boils down to is another amazing comic book game for owners of any system to enjoy. Radical Entertainment certainly knows a good thing when they see it, first taking the Simpson’s franchise and creating a GTA style game and now bringing the Hulk into a free roaming playground of destruction to wreak havoc. The game is extremely fun even if it isn’t the best looking game out there. In the end all that matters is the game play and I am happy to say that Hulk is the epitome of good old fashioned destructive fun! Definitely recommended to comic book fans and lovers of anything that goes boom!
