Superman: Shadow of Apokolips

It?s a bird! It?s a plane! It?s an actually decent Superman game!

The Son of Jor-El comes to the PlayStation 2, punches a lot of robots, and goes home having saved both the world and his own gaming reputation?but just barely.

Kal-El, Robot Fighter
Lex Luthor has a secret benefactor giving him extremely high technology with which to fight Superman. Suddenly, Metropolis is besieged by robot soldiers, robot tanks, and more robot soldiers ready to cause trouble for the Blue Boy Scout. Of course, Darkseid, Superman?s ultimate nemesis, is behind it all, and you must stop him before the world fills up with identical robot soldiers.

It all sounds great, but the game actually evens out around ?decent.? Infogrames nailed Supes? powers and their applications rather well, and flying, lifting heavy objects, and using heat-vision and freeze-breath really feel genuine and fun. Unfortunately, the ?power? you?ll use most is Supes? ?punching lots of identical robots? power since the game?s repetitive mission goals and bland objectives will have you doing the same thing over and over and over and over. The cel-shaded graphics look great in some instances but fail hard in others, making far-away characters look like extras from Double-Dribble on the NES. The actual voice-actors from the Superman cartoon rescue the soundtrack from the depths of mediocrity?but just barely.

The Man of Still Room To Improve
It?s disappointing when a game finally nails the hard parts of reproducing Superman (the powers) but blows it with ho-hum missions and repetitive gameplay. If you?re dying to be Superman and don?t mind fighting the same enemies over and over, then this is as close as it gets for now.

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