This past week we were treated to the release of Watchmen: The End Is Nigh via PSN Store weekly update. It has received quite a bit of mixed feelings from many gamers and reviewers alike. Hopefully this review helps you decide as to whether or not you should spend your money on it.
The title is the first of two “episodes” that will be released over the PSN Store. This one coincided with the movie theater release. The second will occur at the DVD/Blu-ray release.
Gameplay-wise, Watchmen is and feels like an old school brawler. The only difference is that it’s graphically “next-gen”. If you were ever even remotely interested in those types of games in the past (i.e. Streets of Rage, Final Fight, Double Dragon, etc) then you will most likely enjoy this title. The game is a next-gen “beat ’em up”, and a good one at that. You have two attack buttons (one for normal attacks, the other for strength attacks). Stringing together various combos that are unlocked via medallions discovered throughout the game causes more damage. Other than that, there is the ability to throw your enemies. While it may seem very shallow from the description, it is a lot of fun pulling off a huge combo followed by one of the brutal finishers.
There is an offline co-op feature so 2 players can progress through the game together. It is quite fun to do this with a friend, though I wish there was an online option for this as well.
The player can also use a handful of weapons on the enemies they will encounter throughout play. These include baseball bats, crowbars, lead pipes, etc. Each have their own respective attacks and finishers on enemies.
Graphically the title is rather impressive as well. Easily one of the most impressive I’ve seen available from the PSN. The environment and various elements (lighting, weather, etc.) are impressive for a download. There don’t seem to be any hiccups either. There are times where there are a lot of enemies against you and your partner; the entire experience was fluid from start to finish.
The mixed feelings that I stated earlier are referring to the price and length, typically. I have seen a few people complain that it is a button-masher; those are people that must have no knowledge of what a “beat ’em up” actually is. They are meant to be simple and straight forward at first. As you progress through the game you flesh out your character more and more with features that are unlocked (i.e. health boosts, combos, special abilities).
When it comes to the length of the game, the complaints are most likely stemming from the overall price of the title. It is a bit high, and should have probably launched with a $14.99 pricetag. That would have been a lot better for the title overall seeing as how a $19.99 price will turn off a lot of people. Not sure why though, considering how much money I’ve seen people blow on downloadable content, but that is another discussion for another day.
Overall, the game comes with 6 full chapters for the gamer to experience. They offer differences in environments, ranging from prisons, to dark and brooding outside areas, to sewers. There is one boss, which of course occurs in the 6th (final) chapter.
If you are a fan of the comics, or the newly-released movie you will most likely enjoy this. If you are a fan of brawlers, you’ll probably like it. If you are a fan of all of the above then Watchmen: The End Is Nigh is a must-own for you. There is a demo available for you to get a look and feel for the title. The full title comes with trophies. For all you trophy whores out there: 7 bronze, 4 silver, and 1 gold.
PlayStation LifeStyle’s Final Score
Brawler combo system is easy to pick up. Graphically impressive for PSN, with no visual hiccups. |
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