The Punisher

Can THQ bring the comic-book hero's creative crime fighting to life on PS2?

Frank Castle (better known as The Punisher) may ultimately be a crime-fighting hero, but he's still not a very nice guy. After losing his family in a mob crossfire, the guy has come a bit unhinged in search of revenge. Spider-Man cordially hangs criminals by a web from a building; The Punisher tosses criminals off buildings' then make a wise crack. In bringing The Punisher to PlayStation 2 and Xbox, THQ and developer Volition have vowed to maintain the integrity of the gritty Marvel Comics character. The result is a third-person shooter that has captured a Mature rating and then tossed it off the nearest building.

Pistols and Rifles and Bombs...Oh, My!

As with any modern action game, you have an arsenal with which to dispatch the many baddies that cross your path. When something less traditional is preferred, Punisher resourcefully takes advantage of his surroundings. For instance, you can fire up a forklift so it rolls into a support column and take down a gunman on the catwalk above.

Further showing off Punisher's people skills, interrogation provides pertinent info tidbits (and health benefits), as well as more cheap thrills. By grabbing the nearest foe and wiggling the analog stick just right, you'll menace him until he breaks (emotionally) then after he tells you what you need, you can break him (physically).

9.0 from the Russian Judge

Still more vengeful variety is offered at spots designated by a floating Punisher logo, at which you can make a "special interrogation" (such as pushing a criminal's face toward a whirring grindstone) or relieve him of Castle's misery via a "special kill" (such as chucking him out a window). Style points are earned for creative life-taking, though some especially nasty takeouts result in points being taken away. (Perhaps THQ didn't want to seem too eager to reward lethal ingenuity, even if it's in pursuit of retribution.)

The Punisher's fun at first, but soon becomes repetitive-both in terms of the Punisher's actions and the criminals' voice responses. Add to that weak graphics and animation, as well as not enough opportunities to "enjoy" Punisher's originality, and you end up with an adventure that turns a bit stale too quickly.

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