Batman Begins Xbox Review

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July 7th, 2005 Jason Rybka Leave a comment Go to comments

Fans of the Caped Crusader have had rough times over the years. The first movie was great and captured the look and feel of the character better than most expected. Interestingly though, the movie series has suffered with lower quality and bad storylines with the arrival of each new movie. This parallels the Batman games that have suffered as each new one has been released. The best game I can remember is the one that appeared on the Sega Genesis 16-bit console. It was the first game to show off full motion video and was a solid game. Then there was the PS2 game based on the animated series a few years ago called Batman Vengeance. While having some of the most irritating puzzles, it managed to capture the animated series very well.

Then there was, well, nothing worth mentioning and that’s the way it has been for fans of old Bats. Now EA has brought out Batman Begins. While not perfect, it has the feel of the movie and captures some of the old Batman characteristics that fans have waited for. Batman is not a real superhero at all. He is a vigilante who happens to not kill but use fear to capture and get into the minds of his enemies. I know long-time fans will say but what about the days of the Dark Night series where Batman was carrying around a 45 magnum and blowing away the bad guys? Well, it was a series that soon was dumped and if fans remember even Batman spent some time in Arkham Asylum.

The new Batman goes back to the real roots and fear is his main weapon. Of course he has those great toys, his side kick and Butler Alfred to help him out. The question is does the new game do the Dark Night justice or is it another bad movie-based game? Read on and see how the new Batman game holds up.

Gameplay

Batman Begins uses a lot of footage from the movie to help the story along. It is impressive and the quality is amazing. Die-hard fans may be a bit disappointed though because the game designers made the game a bit too boxed into the main mechanics. Simply put, you don’t have the freedom to think for yourself or try different things, although you will get to play with the toys and new devices. It’s just a case of being limited as to where and when; the game is more stealth and creating fear. In fact – you’re rewarded for creating fear. While this is fun and the levels have many great features, Batman is more of a brawler and has to use his martial arts background more in this one. Lock picking and other detective skills are still used in the game.

With the fancy video features added, it looks good. It would have been better to have more options and paths in each level, but at least the game is playable and enjoyable. In each level of the game you learn more about Batman’s early days and the training he went through. You will also learn about his own fears and the choices that he made that have come back to haunt him. The overall story is really good and the new fancy video screens add to the game. Although some fans of the series may think the game is a bit easy and will miss those puzzles and other added features, this one takes a different approach. It works and offers plenty of things to unlock and earn along the way.

Batman Begins also seems to borrow a bit from other EA games and that is the one bad part of the game. When you get behind the wheel of the Batmobile, you will think of Burnout 3 Take Down. The two missions where you drive the Batmobile are the best ever seen in any Batman game but not original. It is fun though and you can play them again in the bonus area after completing the game. Another thing that fans will notice is Batman is known for his gadgets and devices. The game features the best yet â€œHigh Frequency Responderâ€ that calls a swarm of bats to attack. The rest of the gadgets are limited where you can use them and this did make me shake my head a few times. I mean come on, this is Batman and if I want to use the Batgrapple or Batarangs, I want to use them for more than knocking over crates to find items.

So the game has a few things that are not perfect, but it is fun. The game has a great story that goes well with the movie and you get the chance to unlock some cool customes, interviews and movie clips. For some it may be over a bit too quick, but then again they do have a harder setting and fans will be happy the game plays well and for the most part makes sense.

Control / Playability

The control system is top-notch and set-up well. You also will get messages on more advanced controls that can be viewed at any time by looking at the notes. The controls are not hard but will take some time to master. The left analog stick moves Bats around and the right controls the camera view. Controlling the camera is a bit tricky at first but is well thought-out.

The other commands are basic for any comic book game. For example, â€œAâ€ jumps, â€œB’ to use the knockout attack, and so on. You go into stealth mode by clicking down the left stick and another click to get out of the mode. I would say the learning curve is about 30 minutes. There is no lag or poor response time on the controls which is great and something they managed to pull off very well.

Graphics / Presentation

No question here, the game looks great and certainly can claim to be the best looking Batman game ever. The time spent to make each character look real is simply amazing. Some even look better in the game than in the movie clips and that is a compliment. Batman looks like the younger version he was meant to be and the facial expressions are well done and dead on. The additional video feeds and the spy cams make the game seem more like you’re in Gotham City fighting crime. The details of each level are done well and look great. The fire effects are realistic looking and even the after burner on the Batmobile looks cool. All around the game is certainly one to show off to friends who may not own an Xbox.

Batman Begins Xbox Screenshot

View all Batman Begins Xbox Screenshots in the XBS Gallery

Audio

All the cast returns and lent their talents for the game; at times it may be actual dialogue from the movie but either way all are well done (although Christian Bale at times sounds a bit more like Wolverine then Batman but that’s just a die-hard comic fan talking). The cast includes Michael Cain, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes and Morgan Freeman. Michael Cain has some of the better lines in the game and it’s just funny to hear him because he is Michael Cain in a video game, oddly cool. The amount of time to make the voice over work and all the effects paid off. The game really is great sounding and nothing much to complain about.

Replay Value

Of course fans of this genre are going to get the most replay value from this one due to the fact it takes time to unlock everything. The average gamer may not want to do this or care all that much about it. They threw in a lot of neat extras and three costumes. I wish the old Batmobile was unlocked and in the game but instead gamers will get to drive the prototype instead. For fans of Batman it is safe to say there is plenty of replay value. Other video gamers may decide a rental is enough to get their fix of the action.

Overall Score

Overall Score: 8.2/10 [not an average]

Additional Comments

Batman Begins is not perfect and does in some ways limit your options during the game. Despite this it is well-made, looks great and is fun to play. EA has something going here and the game showed enough impressive features that if they do a sequel, I am almost sure they will make the game a bit more open-ended and give players a bit more freedom, well, at least we can hope for that. It is certainly a must for any fan of Batman!

XBox Solution