Hulk

Published by Vivendi Universal Games
Developed by Radical Entertainment
Platform: PC & PlayStation 2
Released - Out Now
Price : £34.99 (PC) £39.99 (PS2)
PEGI 12+

We've had quite a few games based on films this year and it's fair to say that most have been poor to average at best. The Hulk is one of those characters that could make for one heck of a game though. The combination of the mild-mannered Bruce Banner and the primeval Hulk has the potential to make for a fantastic experience. We've looked at both the PC version and PlayStation 2 version of The Hulk.

As you would expect the game is based upon the Universal Pictures film and attempts to follow on from the events of the film. As with all Hulk stories, there are two central characters, Bruce Banner and the Hulk. You'll play a variety of levels as both and the game feels very different depending on who you are controlling. Whilst you're controlling Bruce Banner you have to be stealthy and use your brains to solve puzzles (although they are not difficult). Whilst controlling the Hulk, the game becomes a smash 'em up as the green monster destroys seemingly everything in his path.

As the game begins Bruce Banner get a phone call from a fellow scientist who tells him that he has found a way to banish his alter-ego, the Hulk, forever. However the scientist is one that Bruce doesn't trust and with good cause too. As you would expect it's a trap and before long a whole heap of trouble is made for both Banner and the Hulk.

Whilst the game has a mix of Banner and Hulk levels, it's the Hulk levels that most gamers will enjoy, although they can get repetitive rather quickly. There is an impression collection of attacks that the Hulk can make. In addition to the more basic attacks and the ability to pick items up to throw at your enemies, the Hulk has some special attacks that can be performed using combo moves whilst the Hulk is in rage mode. The Super Overhead Smash and the Super Sonic Clap are just two of these and very powerful they are too. In fact they are so powerful that using one of these attacks will end rage mode so you won't be able to string a succession of these moves together.

The game has around 30 levels altogether and the lack of a mid-level save function will mean that you won't finish the game too quickly. You can however, collect blue orb like objects which act as a checkpoint to which you will be returned if you are killed. Collecting the green orbs will replenish your health and the red orbs will fill your rage meter. Every once in a while you'll come up against the mandatory boss levels. Enemies such as Flux, Rampage and Half-Life will provide a stiff challenge. Mercifully you'll have to use a lot of variation from your usual tactics if you're to beat these fearless enemies.

Whilst controlling the PlayStation 2 version is absolutely fine because you have Dualshock 2 controller to use, it's no fun at all using the keys in the PC version. Of course you can setup a gamepad if you have one, but the game has a nasty habit of defaulting to the keyboard controls and it's a real pain to have to reconfigure the controls every time you load up the game.

In addition to the main game there are also some bonus features for you to unlock. Challenge mode offers two Endurance modes where you have to survive for as long as possible whilst the two Time Attack modes see you having to defeat as many enemies as possible within a give time. Finally there is the Hulk Smash mode where you have to destroy as much of the environment as possible within the given time. There are also some special features such as the movie art and film clips, which are not subtitled.

Visually the game looks good on both the PC and PlayStation 2. The developers have gone for a more serious cel-shaded look and it's suits the game very nicely indeed. There doesn't seem to be any framerate issues either which is always good to see. The camera angles are generally OK but you do come across the odd occasion where they prove to be a pain but there is nothing that spoils the game. The PC version, again, has a nasty habit of defaulting to the default 640x480 resolution every time you reload which is annoying. Once you've raised the resolution in the PC version though it looks better than all the console versions (as you would expect).

For deaf gamers The Hulk is not as enjoyable as it could be. Both the PC and PlayStation 2 versions are not subtitled which makes following the story more of a problem than it should be. At the beginning of each level you receive brief text objectives which tell you what to do. All tutorial messages appear in text so learning the games controls is fairly straightforward. Occasionally you'll receive a text message during a mission that instructs you to follow someone, which helps. When fighting the various enemies, particularly the bosses, the taunts are not shown in text so you'll be unaware of those. Despite the omissions though the game is not impossible for deaf gamers. The force feedback, on the PlayStation 2 version, is generally good and adds to the excitement of the game.

Overall The Hulk is a good game but it's a shame that it wasn't fully subtitled as it would have allowed deaf gamers to enjoy the game in the manner it was meant to be enjoyed. Personally I would opt for a console version over the PC version as the one or two problems it has with the control and graphical options returning to their default settings, are very irritating. Still fans of the Hulk will be pleased with the game.

PlayStation 2 version

Overall Game Rating: 7.0/10
The Hulk is an enjoyable title that only really suffers from too much repetition in the Hulk levels and not being subtitled, which makes it less enjoyable for deaf gamers.

PC Version

Overall Game Rating: 6.5/10
In addition to the above comments the PC version rather irritatingly has some extra problems with your control and graphics options returning to default each time you load the game up.

Deaf Gamers comment:
There are no subtitles which makes following the story very difficult. Tutorial messages are given in text but the enemy taunts are also unsubtitled.