Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters

Posted June 10, 2012 by Speed - 0 comments

In Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters you take on the role of Hal Jordan in a game that’s supposed to give the recently released movie a bit of extra attention. It’s a typical movie game, but one that manages to add the necessary fun to its simple gameplay so that fans of the comic hero actually can enjoy it. For the rest of the gamers it’s an easily digestable snack.

Most of the time you’ll be fighting and the good news is that this is implemented well. Your hits, moves and throws are done nicely, you get clear feedback and thanks to a generous line-up of extra weapons and possibilities you regularly get something new. The shitload of weapons is also necessary to kill the thousands of robot-like creatures in the storyline. The world needs saving and as all too often that means killing enough opponents to fill a large city.

Those who don’t know much about the Green Lantern – and that seems to be just about everyone over here – probably won’t get immersed in the story. The makers don’t really try to introduce you to the universe of this comic here, let alone that they take the time to build the character and let it evolve. Fans on the other hand will find enough references and everyone can enjoy the superpowers which are even a lot more fun in co-op. You’ll have to sit in the seat together, but this is one of those games that you enjoy playing on a Saturday night with a friend to have some quick fun.

It certainly helps that you never have to think too much, will get lost or stuck because the opposition is too strong. In other words: it’s a relaxing game of fighting through typical linear hallways and the necessary big arenas with enemies that are just strong enough to provide some challenge. For variation you now and then get to solve a puzzle and do your thing in the air, but these side-scolling intermezzos are a bit disappionting due to the limitations present. You don’t have to do much more than fly around and aim in the right direction.

You’ll never have to look up the control scheme and with a minimum of effort you get maximum reward in the shape of spectacular combos, explosions and murdering Manhunters. Those who have some experience with action games will find their thing thanks to the necessary subtlety in the evasive and block movements but at the same time they’ll get bored with the endbosses. There’s little creativity and all too often in cheaper productions the challenge lays in the amount of times you need to hit an opponent, not the in the way how you hit him. Again, the perfect balance between depth and superficial fun you need for a relaxing evening, but never anything more than that.

Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters is in other words a good game for fans of the movie and hero. You get a very accessible and decently worked out game with enough variation and fan service so that everyone can have a couple of hours of fun with it. Admitted, you never get any real challenge and the makers never intended this to become a masterpiece. Too bad this wasn’t allowed to become more as we can think of worse games that were made as a snack for your console.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Resistance 3