The Punisher – XB – Preview

Comic
book vigilante The Punisher is coming back into the video game scene thanks to
Volition and THQ. The comic books have been around for quite some time, and just
recently the movie was released. While the movie didn’t follow too closely on
the plot of the comic, the game is definitely shaping up to be the comic brought
to life. This is for certain, because it’s taken straight from Garth Ennis and
Jimmy Palmiotti – the two most famous Punisher writers.

The
action genre is taken in a new direction with The Punisher; instead of just
running through a room with guns blazing, the game allows you to think and act
like The Punisher does in the comics. If you decide just to blow everyone away,
there are plenty of realistic weapons to do it with. I got to play with a
shotgun, dual uzis, and dual pistols. If you happen to get close to an enemy,
however, you are given more options. Pressing X will give you a quick kill where
The Punisher will do something a little more creative (or gruesome) than just
shoot the guy. Pressing A instead will grab the enemy, giving The Punisher a
human shield. From there you can throw him using the left trigger, and if you
aim at a ledge or body of water that’s where they’ll fall, or you can drag him
to one of many “hotspots.” These hotspots allow you to torture or kill your
enemy using objects in the environment. One example of this was using the
spinning chambers of a gatling gun to pummel a guy in the face. It can get
pretty gruesome, but I guess if you aren’t into that you wouldn’t be a fan of
The Punisher anyway.

The
Punisher is turning into a great comic adaptation and an excellent action game.
There will even be plenty of unlockable content in the final game and an armory
where you can collect and upgrade The Punisher’s arsenal. The Punisher was a
load of fun to play, and it still has awhile before its release. Get ready for
punishment Fall this year.    

For All E3 2004
Previews