The
End Is Nigh serves up light beat-'em-up fare with a Watchmen flavor.
Those hungry for anything substantial will be disappointed.
With
all the critical acclaim for the Watchmen comic series and all the hype
surrounding the new movie adaptation, it's possible that folks might
have certain expectations for the new video game set in the same
universe. However, if you are hoping to find some of the comic's depth
and maturity here, or are looking forward to reliving your favorite
scenes from the movie, you will be sorely disappointed. Watchmen: The
End Is Nigh is a shallow beat-'em-up game set years before the events of
the comic. Its narrow scope may disappoint some, and the Watchmen
veneer isn't very deep. Yet thanks to lively, brutal combat and
impressive visuals, Watchmen: The End Is Nigh is a fun, fist-flinging
romp for the few hours that it lasts. The $20 price tag is a steep one,
but for anyone who enjoys a good old-fashioned beat-'em-up, The End Is
Nigh delivers.
Rorschach is surprisingly agile in that outfit.
Pretty
much all you do for the entire game is beat up bad guys, and the combat
is good enough to stay fun throughout. Whether you're playing as
Rorschach or Nite Owl (the only two playable characters), the
fundamentals are simple: light attack, heavy attack, block, and throw.
Peppering your opponent with attacks works well, and there are some nice
animation touches that make even this basic combat enjoyable. Throwing
enemies is particularly delightful, whether it be into a crowd, off of a
ledge, or into a wall. As you progress, you'll encounter tougher
enemies that block your basic attacks, so you have to use the various
combos you learn along the way in order to stun them or knock them down.
These combos add new animations to the mix and are generally a bit
nastier than your normal attacks. However, the best animations are the
finishers, which you activate by matching the button prompt that appears
over the head of a weakened enemy. The camera zooms in during these
brutal flurries, allowing you to appreciate every blow. While Nite Owl's
no slouch, Rorschach is the clear standout here: his finishers are so
manic and so vicious that you can't help but cringe and cackle with
delight as he just keeps hitting a guy who is clearly unconscious.
Basic
attacks, combos, throws, and finishers make up the bulk of your
fighting move set, but Rorschach and Nite Owl have a few other tricks up
their sleeves. They can each counterattack easily, disarming any armed
opponents and positioning themselves for a strike. Rorschach will even
hold onto these weapons, and his brutal finishers get even nastier when
there is a crowbar involved, though watching him wield a knife like a
bludgeon is a bit silly. Each hero also has two special attacks that
drain energy from a meter in the corner of the screen. Rorschach can do a
short bull rush or freak out and do more damage for a short period of
time. Nite Owl's grenade stuns anyone nearby, and he can use the
electric charge in his suit to zap a large radius of foes.
As
you fight your way through the rough areas of town, you'll encounter a
few different breeds of thug and lowlife, some tougher than others. It's
easy to die if you get yourself surrounded and try to punch your way
out, but judicious use of counterattacks and special moves should be
enough to get you out of any tight situation. There are throwaway
actions here and there, like lever-pulling or valve-turning, and an
oddly tricky lock-picking minigame that seems a bit out of place in a
game that's all about brute force. Despite these extraneous tasks, a
creeping sense of repetition looms over The End Is Nigh, and it's
possible you'll grow weary of pounding your way through wave after wave
of goons. Though the game mixes up your enemies' fighting styles in
order to make you use your entire arsenal, the action can often teeter
on the edge of button-mashing boredom. Those inclined to revel in the
perverse joy of cracking skulls will be able to keep repetition at bay,
but the relatively simple gameplay will quickly wear thin for others.
Yes, that is about to happen.
For
all its merits, the combat wouldn't be nearly as fun if it wasn't
paired with top-notch graphics. The sharp character models are fashioned
after the movie costumes, and the smooth, realistic animations make the
action exciting and extremely satisfying. You'll chuckle when Rorschach
jams his hands in his overcoat immediately after furiously maiming an
entire biker gang, and both he and Nite Owl pack a wickedly pleasing
punch. There are occasional physics-based oddities, especially when
throwing your enemies, but the animation is still consistently
impressive. The detailed environments provide a rich setting for your
beatdowns, and stark lights and deep shadows (occasionally too deep)
create a dramatic look. The quasi-animated cutscenes provide a few
pages' worth of story across the six chapters of the game, and the
sinister machinations at work fit nicely into the Watchmen universe.
Though
you can have some split-screen fun with a friend, it's baffling that
there is no online cooperative mode. That would have made the $20 price
tag a little easier to swallow, but as it stands the price feels a bit
greedy. Those inclined to tire of repetitive gameplay will find the
price of entry too high, but there is some value here. The impressively
animated combat is fun and brutal, and the sumptuous environments
provide the perfect pugilistic playground. The many unlockable combos
and achievements provide some replay incentive, and the combat is
surprisingly fun to come back to even after you've beaten the game.
Though it may be shallow, overpriced, and likely to disappoint anyone
hoping for more weighty fare, Watchmen: The End Is Nigh is ultimately a
simple, well-crafted game that will please those looking to dish out
some good old-fashioned beatdowns
Processor=1.8GHz
RAM= 1GB
Graphics=128MB
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