When one
thinks of The Hulk, one does not suppose a being skipping lightly through a
meadow, stopping to smell the flowers in a most dainty fashion. We are talking
Bambi meets Godzilla here; a mean, green oversized destruction machine that only
meets monsters bigger than itself, takes a licking, goes nuclear and ultimately
always wins.
Hulk titles
in the past have soft-peddled the destruction, giving levels to Bruce Banner
racing about. Banner is still a part of The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate
Destruction, but rarely is he seen, and the camera is fixed 99% of the time on
The Hulk.
Radical
Entertainment? Thank you. This is the way the Hulk is supposed to be. VU Games,
this is a title to be proud of. With destructible environments, missions and
side-missions, and a few collectibles thrown in, Ultimate Destruction turns the
Hulk loose on the world – one which gives the green giant due fear and ‘let’s
all run away’ respect.
The game has
a few stumbling points, some minor clipping problems that rarely pop up, and a
challenge level that ramps up as you progress through the game – which is driven
by the story and actually gives a reason for the destruction.
However, it
should be noted that the game has a built-in threat meter. The more destruction
Hulk lays down, the higher the meter goes until eventually there will be a major
military response. Geesh, a guy can’t even tear down a few buildings with his
bare hands in peace anymore before some authority figure steps in.
But let’s
backtrack a bit, and talk about the storyline.
“I’m a
big green time bomb, and I’m ticking.”
Branson
Military Base. A former NSA operative named Emil Blonsky has taken joint command
of a military division bent on the destruction of the Hulk with Gen. Thaddeus
Ross as sort of a co-commander. Blonsky has a profound hatred for all
Gamma-irradiated creatures, and that puts The Hulk at the top of the list of his
personal targets. When they destroy a cabin where Bruce Banner was trying to
conduct experiments to quell the beast within, Blonsky spies in the ruins a
container of bio-material. He grabs for it before it is destroyed and, as a
result, he is flooded with a massive dose of Gamma radiation.
Ok, it may
be predictable, but you just know that Blonsky is going to turn up as a
variation of that which he hates the most.
Meanwhile,
Bruce’s friend, Dr. Samson has come up with a way to tap into Bruce’s psyche and
unleash the energies that turn Bruce into the Hulk. This, apparently, is a way
to understand what triggers the change and learn to control or eradicate it. It
is also a way to use the Hulk to acquire what is needed to build a machine to,
perhaps, eradicate the Hulk from Banner.
(And we just
know that is not going to work, but hey, give them props from continuing the
underlying theme of all Hulk properties.)
Samson’s
little hideaway is a church, and the Hulk uses jump points to leap into the city
and then back to the church. The church not only serves as a drop point for
stolen items, but the Hulk can convert accrued smash points into new abilities
at the store there.
Players can
also find comic book covers (or icon representing them) scattered about and that
translates into more cool stuff. There are a variety of power-ups and special
attacks, and the Hulk will need them as the game progresses. Each step of the
way he will be harangued by military helicopters, tanks, soldiers firing
bazookas and other missiles. It is so nice to be able to rip a car in half and
then wrap the sections around the fists for an impressive power boost. Those
enhanced fists do wear out though.
Also, each
time you destroy one of the humans, they emit a green glowing orb that helps
restore life to the Hulk. And each time you return to the city, all that you
destroyed has been restored, to some degree, meaning you can destroy it some
more.
Because of
his raw power and leaping ability, the Hulk is able to run up the side of
buildings, jump from the upper reaches of the city and land with devastating
force on the ground. The first time you land on a bus, and watch it disintegrate
is truly a pleasurable moment.
The sound is
spot on and the controls are very simple to use and grow accustomed to. About
the only problems are the rare clipping problem and the camera that, again it is
a rare thing, gets a bit hung up. The missions are a nice variety, from getting
in to steal an item by breaking through barriers and snuffing the opposition, to
a timed mission in which you have to accomplish a task (like early on when you
must destroy the tanks trying to demolish a building) within the time limit.
Some of the
side missions are a little on the young side, and lack a little creativity, but
hey, you didn’t play the game to record the fastest time on an obstacle course –
the draw is the destruction, and that is here in spades.
While it may
be a little simplistic in tone, The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction makes
up for it in just entertaining gameplay. This is a title that is fun because of
what it presents, regardless of what it is missing.
Marvel fans
in general, Hulk fans in particular, and all those craving a good PlayStation 2
comic-book adventure should definitely check this out.
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Gameplay:
8.3
The camera can be
a little obstinate at times, but the game is very easy to pick up and learn to
play. The developers made certain that the joy of this title is in playing the
game, not mired in trying to learn how to play it. And the game does have a fair
share of load times.
Graphics:
8.7
A few stumbles
but jumping from the top of a tall building to land in the midst of several cars
and watching the devastation that it causes is a ton of fun.
Sound:
8.0
Solid audio
supports the mood and style of the game.
Difficulty: Medium
The game has a
couple of difficulty settings, but by the time you run into Blonsky’s alter ego,
you should have the tools for the ramped-up challenge.
Concept:
7.8
The side quests
are too simplistic and detract from the story, and the missions seem pretty
short. The story is also somewhat predictable, but give Radical props from
creating a Hulk game that is about the Hulk and does a very good job of
representing his abilities.
Overall:
8.5
Jumping, landing
and destroying in raw, unabashed fashion – that is what the Incredible Hulk is
and that is what is presented here. If you are a fan of the Incredible Hulk, you
will be happy to know that a game has finally done him justice.
