XB Batman Begins review:3 stars (A good play but not much depth) - Initially my review of Batman Begins was going to be a lot harsher but then I remembered my past Batman gaming experience - that would be Dark Tomorrow. The three hours I lost attempting to play that maddening, unrewarding, poorly animated game were among the least satisfying of my life... I'd have to say it was more disappointing than playing Pac-Man on the Atari 2600 back in the day.

But Batman Begins is a galaxy removed from Dark Tomorrow and, indeed, any other super hero-based game I've ever played. The visuals are superb, smooth and life-like. Backgrounds are rendered with great care and sensitivity to the Blade Runner-aesthetics of the source material (the film). The audio also is top notch. The game producers managed to get nearly every cast member from the movie to voice their characters which, to their credit, they perform with aplomb.

The problem arises with the game play itself. It is a terribly easy game; it seldom allows you to really screw up. For example, when on a ledge, Bats automatically goes into "careful mode", creeping along the ledge until he gets to a point of safety and you have to hit a release into order to resume a normal posture.

Another oversight has to do with the weapons. One of things that makes Batman Batman is, in the words of the Joker, all those "wonderful toys" he carries in his utility belt. Indeed, this was an element I figured would have been a slam dunk for the producers. Even the god-awful Dark Tomorrow allowed the player to access an array of offensive and defensive weapons whenever he or she desired to use them. In Begins, the "toys" are few : smoke bombs, flash bombs, throwing stars (well, "bats"), a "batarang" (used once during the whole play), a hacking tool, and a grappling hook. But the relative poverty of the utility belt is not the problem. The problem is access to the tools themselves. The game only allows the player to use them during scene-specific moments. So if you had the thought that it would be good to throw a smoke bomb before you entered a room in order to disorientate your foes, forget it. You have to go into the fight first before you are given the option of using an item from the belt.

And this is the general problem with the game. There isn't a lot of agency on the part the player. You intuit where you need to go within a very minimal geographical perimeter. You can never get "lost" because the game subtly pushes you forward and lets you know what you are to do next. Everything is laid out of you.

There is some strategy involved with figuring out how to get the drop on your opponents, but usually there is only one way to do this - spooking your foes to get them to drop their guns, then fighting them hand to hand. The actual fighting is fairly fun as Batman has a good array of attacks and combinations.

The Batmobile missions are pure candy. Anyone who has played Grand Theft Auto, or even Simpson's Hit and Run, will not need too much practice to get the hang of the car. But the geography is even more limited than the "walking around" world. The player essentially follows a "track," drives real fast, occasionally smashes into cars (where, inexplicably, no one seems to get hurt - perhaps its a difficulty-level thing), and does the Speed Racer jump over the occasional obstacle. Again, fun, but not necessarily challenging.

The thing about living in the post- Grand Theft Auto III world is that players are now expecting a lot more versatility with the worlds their digital counterparts inhabit. One of the supreme charms that the GTA3-generation of games offers is the ability to do things before, during, and after missions. In fact, while in my own play of GTA Vice City, I have spent so much time scooting around the airport doing jumps on my motorcycle that I haven't really picked up a mission in weeks! Sadly, Batman Begins offers no such off-mission fun whatsoever. This is a shame considering Bat's detective persona. He could bop around Gotham fishing for clues, hooking up small-time criminals, or even having Bruce Wayne moments at a basketball game. Perhaps the makers have this in mind for the sequel. There is obviously a lot room to grow. Might I suggest a RPG modality?

Final verdict, if you are not already a hard-core gamer, or if you are and would like to play something just for the visual thrill, then Batman Begins will provide at least two or three hours of fun.
3 stars (I was expecting more) - I saw Batman Begins and I thought it was pretty good. I was very excited when I heard there was going to be a game based on the movie. When I rented it I was very disapointed. This game is so short that I got frustrated about it. The best thing in this game is using stealth and scaring your emimies. The game is very repeditive. Overall it's a rent.4 stars (Alot of fun) - This game was one of the easiest I have ever owned, but it was still one of the most fun games I have ever played. The controls were a no-brainer to figure out and it was just about impossible to screw this game up. It doesn't allow you to go anywhere or do anything that isn't required to finish the game. If you are looking for strategy, this game isn't for you. if you have seen the movie and you love Batman, then you will love it.
XB Batman Begins Features:
Video Games
Xbox (x box)
Microsoft
Action
Adventure
XBox
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Action/Adventure

XB Batman Begins is the Video Game version. The full version can be purchased by clicking on the "CLICK HERE TO ORDER" button below for around 39.88USD.