GamesRadar+ Verdict
Pros
- +
Hellboy is red. Just like in the book
- +
HB
- +
Liz and Abe voiced by actual actors
- +
New
- +
if sucky
- +
story
Cons
- -
Fighting is shallow
- -
Epic monotony
- -
Camera blows
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Granted, Hellboy is not a terribly sophisticated comic book character. His super powers are basically just that he's remarkably durable, kinda strong and has a stone hand he uses to punch things. Thus, even though his comics tend to have interesting characters and storylines (not to mention fantastic noir art), we didn't expect his games to be about riddles or gadgets or sorcerous cults or anything else that says "brainy" instead of "brawny". What we did expect was something other than Hellboy merely lumbering from one boring screen to the next, spamming bad guys who are all the same with two kinds of punches: hard and extra hard.
One would think that the other two playable characters, firebug hottie Liz Sherman and brainy aquabat Abe Sapien, could add some pizzazz and gameplay variety. However, there are two flaws to that theory: First, they don't. Forget what they can do in the comics; here, they're slap-fighters. And second, they're only playable during the split screen or online co-op modes. Suffering through this by yourself? You'll never get them. The graphics are fair, but like the fighting, they grow redundant too quickly, and the story couldn't get the game noticed even if it were drunk, topless, and the only woman in a bar full of sailors. Yes, you could technically do worse than this, because there's nothing functionally wrong with it (okay, maybe the fixed-position cameras). But you deserve better.
Jul 9, 2008
