Score
Gameplay:	7
Graphics:	6
Sound:	6
FunFactor:	7
PlasmaFactor:	6
Overall:	6.4

Fantastic Four Review
July 18, 2005 by Brian Callam

by BrianC - July 18, 2005

From comic books to the big screen ending up on the PS2, the Fantastic 4 are delivering fun that can only be the result of a space-based radiation bath. Fantastic 4 is a beat-'em-up style game based off of the recently released motion picture.

It's Clobbering Time!

The gameplay presented within Fantastic 4 mocks some other of Activision's other super-hero based games such as X-Men Legends. The basic concept behind the gameplay is this: run around as whichever character you control for the level and beat up all the bad guys. Now that may seem quite simple, it is not entirely true. The basis may be for you the player to run around, hack, and slash, but there are still other aspects of gameplay that make the game worthwhile.

During the game you can control a variety of the Fantastic 4 via a click of a button. This is beneficial on many of the missions where you have to use a certain character�s special ability, such as Mr. Fantastic's ability to hack electronic door locks or The Invisible Woman's ability to hold down certain monster's hands. Each character has an arsenal of combos and special moves that they can perform when they walk onto a 'hot spot'. These are spots in which certain characters can perform special actions to advance the plot and gameplay.

The combat that you will encounter in Fantastic 4 is fairly basic and does not get too complicated. At certain points of the game when you have the option of switching between characters, you can initiate team combos , such as by grappling an enemy, switching characters, and then performing combo attacks. Mastering combos allows you to not only inflict extra damage but also scores you bonus objectives on most missions. Besides combos, each character has a super move which is used by combining their cosmic power and jumping. These moves inflict the most damage. The powers and combos of the Fantastic 4 can be upgraded using points that are gained through combat.

The controls are amazingly simple and yet somehow they just do not deliver when you need them. They lack the precision needed for combat with huge groups of enemies. You have the ability to lock onto targets although half of the time you can not lock onto the correct enemy or even switch between them. The levels presented add a little to the game, as towards the beginning the levels follow the movie fairly closely while later on they vary somewhat. While they do differ from one another the basic idea behind each level is run around the entire area destroying as much as you can get your hands on. And that includes The Invisible Woman (only if you are Mr. Fantastic that is).

These graphics The Invisible Woman when she's invisible...

The graphics are not close to living up to the name 'Fantastic'. The scenery does not offer anything to please the eyes at all and there are a few items within the levels that you can smash up but that still doesn't provide the quality of visual stimuli that we gamers love to have. The game feels cartoon-ish with the graphics which would be fine if the game was based off of the comic book rather than the film.

We be jammin'...oh wait no we aren't

One of the highlights offered in the audio department is the use of the actors from the motion picture for the voiceovers in the game. While Jessica Alba is amazing even if it is just her voice, the cast of voice actors doesn't make up for the lack of sound effects that can be found throughout battles as well as a soundtrack leaving you wanting something that will heighten the experience of playing as Mr. Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, The Human Torch, and The Thing.

Fantasi-Factor

One of the aspects of the game that makes it worth while is the co-op mode. If you thought that running around on your own and either blazing the surroundings up or smashing them as The Thing was fun, wait until you get to do it with a friend at your side. The only downside to the co-op mode is that only two of you can play at a time, not four.

Plasmacannon! Zap zap fizzle!

This beat-'em-up provides somewhat of an entertaining platform for gamers to get their kicks, but if you aren't that big of a Fantastic 4 fan then chances are this game will be collecting dust on your shelf after the first mission. The arena adds some change to the overall blandness of the game, although the arena mode tends to get old real fast as well. Perhaps levels that needed more complex strategies would have boosted the quality of the game, but it is too late for what-if's.

 

 

Fantastic 4 is something that only fans of the comic will likely enjoy. While they will probably snag this game as soon as they can get their hands on it, other gamers should definitely consider renting before buying with this title, and if you do rent it chances are you will have it clobbered long before you decide if you wanted to buy it or just return it before you get charged a late fee.