WatchMen - The End is Nigh 2 PC Game Full Version Free Download
The End Is Nigh serves up
light beat-'em-up fare with a Watchmen flavor. Those hungry for anything
substantial will be disappointed.
With all the
critical acclaim for the Watchmen comic series and all the hype surrounding the
new movie adaptation, it's possible that folks might have certain expectations
for the new video game set in the same universe. However, if you are hoping to
find some of the comic's depth and maturity here, or are looking forward to
reliving your favorite scenes from the movie, you will be sorely disappointed.
Watchmen: The End Is Nigh is a shallow beat-'em-up game set years before the
events of the comic. Its narrow scope may disappoint some, and the Watchmen
veneer isn't very deep. Yet thanks to lively, brutal combat and impressive
visuals, Watchmen: The End Is Nigh is a fun, fist-flinging romp for the few
hours that it lasts. The $20 price tag is a steep one, but for anyone who
enjoys a good old-fashioned beat-'em-up, The End Is Nigh delivers.
Rorschach is
surprisingly agile in that outfit.
Pretty much all you
do for the entire game is beat up bad guys, and the combat is good enough to
stay fun throughout. Whether you're playing as Rorschach or Nite Owl (the only
two playable characters), the fundamentals are simple: light attack, heavy attack,
block, and throw. Peppering your opponent with attacks works well, and there
are some nice animation touches that make even this basic combat enjoyable.
Throwing enemies is particularly delightful, whether it be into a crowd, off of
a ledge, or into a wall. As you progress, you'll encounter tougher enemies that
block your basic attacks, so you have to use the various combos you learn along
the way in order to stun them or knock them down. These combos add new
animations to the mix and are generally a bit nastier than your normal attacks.
However, the best animations are the finishers, which you activate by matching
the button prompt that appears over the head of a weakened enemy. The camera
zooms in during these brutal flurries, allowing you to appreciate every blow.
While Nite Owl's no slouch, Rorschach is the clear standout here: his finishers
are so manic and so vicious that you can't help but cringe and cackle with
delight as he just keeps hitting a guy who is clearly unconscious.
Basic attacks,
combos, throws, and finishers make up the bulk of your fighting move set, but
Rorschach and Nite Owl have a few other tricks up their sleeves. They can each
counterattack easily, disarming any armed opponents and positioning themselves
for a strike. Rorschach will even hold onto these weapons, and his brutal
finishers get even nastier when there is a crowbar involved, though watching
him wield a knife like a bludgeon is a bit silly. Each hero also has two
special attacks that drain energy from a meter in the corner of the screen.
Rorschach can do a short bull rush or freak out and do more damage for a short
period of time. Nite Owl's grenade stuns anyone nearby, and he can use the
electric charge in his suit to zap a large radius of foes.
As you fight your
way through the rough areas of town, you'll encounter a few different breeds of
thug and lowlife, some tougher than others. It's easy to die if you get
yourself surrounded and try to punch your way out, but judicious use of
counterattacks and special moves should be enough to get you out of any tight
situation. There are throwaway actions here and there, like lever-pulling or
valve-turning, and an oddly tricky lock-picking minigame that seems a bit out
of place in a game that's all about brute force. Despite these extraneous
tasks, a creeping sense of repetition looms over The End Is Nigh, and it's
possible you'll grow weary of pounding your way through wave after wave of
goons. Though the game mixes up your enemies' fighting styles in order to make
you use your entire arsenal, the action can often teeter on the edge of
button-mashing boredom. Those inclined to revel in the perverse joy of cracking
skulls will be able to keep repetition at bay, but the relatively simple
gameplay will quickly wear thin for others.
Yes, that is about
to happen.
For all its merits,
the combat wouldn't be nearly as fun if it wasn't paired with top-notch
graphics. The sharp character models are fashioned after the movie costumes,
and the smooth, realistic animations make the action exciting and extremely
satisfying. You'll chuckle when Rorschach jams his hands in his overcoat
immediately after furiously maiming an entire biker gang, and both he and Nite
Owl pack a wickedly pleasing punch. There are occasional physics-based
oddities, especially when throwing your enemies, but the animation is still
consistently impressive. The detailed environments provide a rich setting for
your beatdowns, and stark lights and deep shadows (occasionally too deep)
create a dramatic look. The quasi-animated cutscenes provide a few pages' worth
of story across the six chapters of the game, and the sinister machinations at
work fit nicely into the Watchmen universe.
Though you can have
some split-screen fun with a friend, it's baffling that there is no online
cooperative mode. That would have made the $20 price tag a little easier to
swallow, but as it stands the price feels a bit greedy. Those inclined to tire
of repetitive gameplay will find the price of entry too high, but there is some
value here. The impressively animated combat is fun and brutal, and the
sumptuous environments provide the perfect pugilistic playground. The many
unlockable combos and achievements provide some replay incentive, and the
combat is surprisingly fun to come back to even after you've beaten the game.
Though it may be shallow, overpriced, and likely to disappoint anyone hoping
for more weighty fare, Watchmen: The End Is Nigh is ultimately a simple,
well-crafted game that will please those looking to dish out some good old-fashioned
beatdowns.
No comments:
Post a Comment