Who is The Punisher? He’s a lone, anti hero type character and one that comes from the heritage of Marvel Comics. The Punisher’s aims and objectives seem to be admirable as he goes about taking care of lowlifes and criminals. However, his name isn’t purely there for show, because as “The Punisher” he gets to do a lot of punishing in a variety of gruesome ways. So forget the clean cut antics of Superman and Spiderman and welcome to the world of The Punisher.

Gameplay:

The Punisher is a 3rd person action game where you the player get to clean up the gloomy downtown streets of New York City. However, the game is played retrospectively as from the offset you see The Punisher cuffed and being interrogated by two detectives down at the station. It seems that The Punisher is a man of few words here, as the detectives grill him over his vigilante antics; which although he is doing it for the greater good, it’s his method of total carnage that has landed him here in the first place.

After the introduction is over the first port of call is a local crack house where it’s Punisher’s Job to literally clean up. It is here where players will get to grips with the core game play which begins by interrogating a criminal who has just mugged a helpless woman. Alternatively you could simply give the criminal a few slaps and take him down but the interrogation is actually quite novel and fun. Here’s how it works.

Firstly you need to get close to your criminal of choice, and then you need to grab him; which is done by simply pressing a button. Once grabbed, your criminal can then be used as a handy human shield (although he’s no use to you if he is dead). Once a criminal has been grabbed you can then select an interrogation method, such as choking or punching him in the face until you break his resolve. Obviously if you inflict too much damage here, then you will kill the victim and perhaps lose some vital information. Once the information has been gained its then up to you if you wish to knock him out or go for a quick kill which sees you taking him out in perhaps a rather over complicated manner and is anything other than quick, as the command implies.

These interrogation moves are actually quite fun to mess around with especially as the criminals all have some witty lines to say under the pressure. What is more, there are certain spots which allow the Punisher to perform some special interrogations. These are more interactive with the environment and are actually pretty funny. For example you might use an industrial drill to put the spook on a criminal. Or you might dangle him from a great height, perhaps feeding a criminal to the sharks if he doesn’t talk. Either way these moments can be gruesome if you push your point too hard. Funny but gruesome all the same; and you’ll lose some valuable information and perhaps some health too, as a successful interrogation results in replenished health.

When you are not busy grabbing criminals, then you are most likely going to be filling them with bullet holes a plenty. There are a wide number of guns in the game ranging from shotguns, pistols, rifles, grenades and such. You are of course going to need these and considering you can only carry 2 at a time, means that keeping an eye on your ammo count is key; especially during the many intense shootouts that you will come across throughout the game. In a similar fashion to the special interrogation spots in the levels there are a number of special kill spots which again offers another gruesome way to take care of whining foes.

Punisher, whilst being rather handy with guns and such is also quite a powerful melee fighter. At the touch of a button and when your meter is filled you can enter slaughter mode which temporarily grants The Punisher extreme power to maim and kill. In this mode the screen turns to black and white whilst you unleash your inner fury using blades. These criminals don’t stand a chance and considering how easy the game is on default settings makes you almost feel sorry for them. Not.

Graphics:

The levels on offer during the game are actually very well designed and also look very much the part. However the graphics on display don’t really do the levels justice and are not in the same league. Character models display signs of some rag doll physics however their design is rather basic and a lot of repeated models are used. That said the main character looks crisp enough even though you will mostly be looking at him from behind. The Punisher appears on all formats and whilst the Xbox version might look marginally better, there is no way that the graphics push the console in any way, which is a shame really. That said, the game does run smoothly and is full of pleasant details.

Sound:

The Punisher is voiced in a suitably gruff manner that you would expect from such a character, and often he has various comments to make during play. The enemies also are quite vocal and will often use some adult language which adds to the authenticity. Some reasonable voice acting is used although most of the dialogue is rather cliché. Other sound effects are as you would expect and the musical score is suitably dramatic, perfect for a hero. Overall the sound is pretty good and will sometimes make you laugh out loud.

Longevity:

The Punisher features 16 levels to commit total carnage as you take out the crime bosses across the city. However some of these levels are rather short and as mentioned earlier are quite easy. The game does have a points system which you can then spend them on various upgrades. This encourages you to replay levels at will to try and attain a higher score. Challenge mode is also available which aids in unlocking the many comic book covers that seem to be a part of every superhero game. Slaughter mode is unlocked by doing well on some levels which offers maximum carnage for those who persevere. Completing the game on hard mode and attaining gold rankings will net you some cheats, so there are some things to do here once the game has been completed.

Overall:

The Punisher is a solid title featuring an emphasis on violence and gritty realism. Whilst being compared to titles like Max Payne I think The Punisher has enough basic carnage to satisfy action and comic hero fans. Whilst the game might not be the longest, some of the locations are rather good and entertaining to play. The interrogations are unique but do tend to repeat themselves frequently; although whilst playing are rather fun to mess around with.

The Punisher might be worth a purchase if you get into the anti hero type persona or love anything that is Marvel Comics. For those who are unsure then I suggest a rental, as this game is fun albeit a little basic.