Another superhero game based off the comics and subsequent TV series which I remember always being shown Sunday morning when I was about 8 or 9 years old and also during the time when I was made to go to church. However on occasion I managed to stay at home and watch the amazing escapades of the Fantastic 4. That’s aside the game seems to follow the progress of these scientists as they embark on experimentation for the benefit of mankind. However something goes wrong (as always) as the team are exposed to harmful particles and before you know it the Fantastic 4 has been born.

Gameplay:

Each of the four characters has special abilities which as the story unfolds you are introduced to each one as they fight their way from the confines of their ship and return to Earth. Their DNA has been altered and the ship’s security bots fail to recognise them as friendly and therefore it’s all out war. The game is basically a 3D 3rd person roaming fighting game and players can switch between each of the four characters or go off on sub missions with just the one character when the story dictates. As mentioned earlier, each character has their own special abilities and there are several points in a level where a character can stand on a highlighted point to do a predetermined action, for example in the case of Mr Fantastic (the guy who can stretch his flesh) if he touches blue marker points then he is able to hack doors. These moments are a little too scripted for my tastes but I’m sure will appeal to younger players who like having their hands held.

What more can one say about this game other than you switch between characters (sometimes at will) and you basically kick butt using special moves, the odd team moves and then some more special moves. There are boss encounters which are merged within the regular combat and on occasion the team will have to work together to accomplish certain goals, which can be neat.

Graphics:

Not that great although the opening movie CGI is very good the actual in game graphics are perhaps a little dated looking. The camera is also not very dynamic and can be a little fiddly at times. That said there is some destructible scenery and plenty of bits and pieces flying around the screen when the action heats up and yes for sewer fans there is an extensive sewer section in the game (how original). I guess with this game the onus is on smashing things up with the 4 and not really caring how things are looking as long as you are using your powers and generally having some sort of fun doing so.

Sound:

Sound is typically stale and I assume features the cast from the movie. The fact that after each sentence you have to push a button to continue the conversation seems a little weird and perhaps damn right annoying at best. The general sound effects are reasonable if you like the sound of destruction but other than that not really anything to write home about or make you go wow. So basically the sound is very generic.

Longevity:

Not one of the games better points either as the whole game can be completed in one extended sitting. There are bonuses to find that give the 4 some extra power but I’m not sure how keen anyone but the most loyal fans will be to want to replay the game again other than for a quick 20 min fight every now and then. There is a co-op mode available which unfortunately is only for 2 players, which kind of defeats the point of having 4 people but I guess 2 is better than no co-op at all.

Overall:

Fantastic 4 is one of those movie based games that you always see when a new movie is released. The words “cash” and “in” immediately springs to mind as the amount of love put into the game is a bare minimum as far as I can tell. I guess there are going to be a number of people who enjoy the game because they love the characters and the concept behind them which admittedly at times does work. However the game is rather mindless and linear and may not satiate those looking for something a little more fulfilling. I guess these types of games are always going to be around and one should be semi pleased that we get to play as those we see on the big screen. That said as a gamer we kind of expect a lot more and so when an average game comes along then we really do feel it especially as the potential is always there with these types of games.

Fantastic 4 is not so fantastic and a game that I would say is disappointing considering the possibilities of the characters. The whole thing is decidedly average and really not up to standard on Xbox both visually and aurally. If you are interested in this title (maybe you’re buzzing after seeing the film) then I do suggest a rental first just in case that buzz is quashed the moment you put the disk in your console and play for an hour. One for die hard fans only.