Review: Watchman: The End Is Nigh - if only

Mike Bantick
Sunday, 16 August 2009 08:44

Entertainment

There is undoubtedly a core of Watchman fans that will lap up a video game version of their favourite flawed super-heroes, but for the rest of us we can only hope the end comes soon.  Herein lays a review of Watchman: The End is Nigh Parts 1 & 2.

Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment must at times feel a little hamstrung linked to its parent movie making company, for it means being shackled to licenses in a marketing way that puts the burden of producing a title in line with the hype of a movie release.

Watchman: The End Is Nigh
	Developer	Deadline Games
	Publisher	Waner Bros Interactive Entertainment
	Rating	M
Xbox 360, Reviewed on PS3

Hence we end up with games that have obviously had a great deal of work put into them, but come out feeling unpolished and uninspired or forced.  Witness Terminator: Salvation , well Watchman: The End is Nigh out-uninspires even the soulless Terminator offering.

When I received this compilation of the two downloadable W:TEIN parts, I was ready to immerse myself in the Watchman mythos.  You know, ready the graphic novel, watch the movie and then relive the universe in-game. 

Having not ventured down the fictional path of Watchman, I was looking forward to it, but a few hours in I realised I needed to treat this game as purely a game, and in no way encourage Watchman fans to consider checking this out.

Combined, parts 1 & 2 feature nine chapters of cartoon introduced grime.  Taking place 10 years before the recent movies’ timeline, players can choose either to run around with your hands in your pockets as Rorschach the down-on-society brawler or as Nite Owl with his more positive outlook and higher tech approach to battle.

Either way it won’t take long to be bored.

There is a premise of co-op, which the game is built around, but this is so lamely implemented as joint door opening, switch pulling or the occasional - very directed – splitting of directions that you wonder why they bothered.

Playing solo, will see the AI take control of your buddy, and do an okay job, mainly due to the simpleton game-play and enemy AI that you will find yourself up against.

Nothing was funnier than standing next to a riverside dock edge and watch the enemy charge at my heroes only to fall off into the water before reaching them – hilarious.



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