"Captain America: Super Soldier" is a fun, but flawed video game
As Marvel Studios continues to churn out their blockbuster superhero movies on the road to "The Avengers," the gaming industry is graced with the obligatory video game tie-ins. So far these tie-ins have ranged from the acceptable "Incredible Hulk" and "Iron Man" games to the abysmal "Thor: God of Thunder."
Developer Next Level Games breaks this cycle of mediocre movie tie-ins with "Captain America: Super Soldier."
Much of what "Super Soldier" does right can be attributed to where it draws its inspiration. The game is modeled heavily after the critically and commercially successful "Batman: Arkham Asylum."
Like "Arkham Asylum," combat is fluid, graceful and brutal. Though the game presents an odd button layout and clunky or sometimes unresponsive movement, the thrill of knocking out Hydra agents is never hindered. Of course, what sets Captain America apart is his famous shield, which can be used to charge enemies, deflect bullets or thrown to take down groups of enemies from a distance.
Taking another cue from "Batman: AA," the entire game takes place in one walled off Hydra outpost. Unfortunately, areas of the map are not intuitively connected making the city somewhat difficult to navigate. The game world also lacks the variation and attention to detail that was seen in "Batman: AA." Not only is the city itself boring to traverse, but it would have been nice to see Captain America trotting across the globe hunting the Red Skull in various exotic locations rather than relegating him to the same repetitive mansions and train yards.
In a seeming attempt to keep the environment interesting, "Super Soldier" is chock-full of collectible Hydra briefcases, maps and secret recordings for Captain America to find. It seems however that Hydra is suffering a severe breach in security, as all of these collectibles are right out in the open. Not only are they easy to spot, but they are everywhere. It seems Captain America's real mission is to collect Nazi paraphernalia first and win the war second.
The story of "Captain America" is somewhat disappointing. It's not an origin story, nor is it the story of the star-spangled avenger's battle with his arch nemesis, the Red Skull. Instead, the story is shoehorned within the time frame of the film.
"Captain America: Super Soldier" won't be winning any gaming awards, but it does a fantastic job of capturing the feeling of playing as a genetically enhanced weapon for freedom.
"Captain America: Super Soldier" is available now for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS and Wii. It is rated T for Teen by the ESRB.