Let’s face it.
If video game tradition has taught us anything, it’s that any third person action adventure worth its pixellated muscles – and especially a super hero one – is going to stock you with a decent armoury.
Thor has his magic hammer, Iron Man has his super gizmo-y robot suit, and God of War’s Kratos has an arsenal that wouldn’t look out of place in a Saw/Evil Dead crossover.
So what is comic-dom’s favourite star spangled beefcake armed with as he heads into the 237th video game adaptation of a 2011 summer blockbuster?
A glorified bin lid.
Such is the joy of Captain America as not only a character but a game – a dorky principle that will always resonate more with hardcore fans than the general gaming public. Because while SEGA have actually managed to make the shield-slinging cool (you can deflect bullets, bash goons in the face, fling it around like a boomerang), the whole adventure is hampered by bland visuals, a stuttering frame rate and a regressive set-up.
The story, as per this summer’s Thor tie-in, doesn’t mirror the movie but instead acts as a self-contained sub-plot. The Red Skull finally gets fed up going fist-o-fist with Cap and begins attempting to manufacture his own super soldiers to fight him instead. Which leads Cap to the Skull’s mountain fortress, and a self-contained hub world agogo.
The action itself though just about hits the sweet spot. Mimicking Batman: Arkham Asylum’s combat is a bold move, and while the proficiency and depth with which it’s executed falls behind Batman’s, the mechanic is an inherently fun one – in short, you’ll be bouncing around like a super gymnast, clobbering Nazis and engaging in slow-mo evasion moves before you know it.
Similarly, the platforming sections are gifted a cinematic flair that breaks up the monotony, but with such a structured and pointed set-up (it’s often a case of propelling yourself from one ledge to another in ordered button presses), there’s a fluency that’s missing in making Cap a fully fleshed out athlete you actually enjoy controlling.
Looks-wise, while the movie had a warmth and nostalgic tinge to its predominately browny-grey hue that helped set the mood. Here, the palette and quality of the textures are miserably dull. Still, Cap and his trusty shield looked suitably detailed.
Also criminally missing from the movie is the utter dirth of retro-futuristic gadgets and gizmos – if you’re expecting explosive, by the seat of your pants plane/bike/submarine sections you’re out of luck.
As a movie tie-in, it’s inoffensive stuff, and for fanboys it’ll scratch the nerdy itch, but – like the titular hero himself – you can’t help but feel the whole game’s a little behind the cutting edge curve.
[Rating:3/5]
Captain America: Super Soldier is on General Release now, and available on PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo 3DS and DS.
