As gamers and comic book fans we have seen a lot of superhero based titles come and go. The earlier titles from way back were weak but still accepted because of fact they were the only ones out for that time. But as time has progressed, so has the way in which we approach gaming. A new superhero game has emerged in the new age of gaming, and it is great to see that developers have cranked things up a notch for the superhero genre. The first game out the gates is Batman Vengeance which was released last November by Ubi Soft. For those who are fans and familiar with the popular Batman cartoon series, be prepared to actually step inside the cartoon and become the Dark Knight.

Ubi Soft has gone for the cell animation look that replicates the popular cartoon series. And I must say it works on all levels. At times when I was watching the game, it was as if the television program was on. The in game graphics are great and the cinema screens look even better. The level of detail must have been easy to achieve, especially with the character design. The characters are exact reflections of the cartoon as they are drawn with simple features. When playing the game I did notice one slight problem with the character design. It seems as if they are a few frames short in terms of movement. The movements are not as smooth as they could have been as at times Batman flickers when he is controlled at different angles. This could also be because Ubi Soft has had the task of making a cartoon into a 3D playable environment. In the future this will most likely change. Keep in mind that this is a second to third generation game for the PS2, so room for improvement can be seen but trust me, it is not that noticeable and it takes nothing away from the overall playability of the game. The A.I. on Batman's cape is outstanding. It separately moves from Batman's own body movements. In the end, visually this game is eye candy with graphics and stays true to its television style presentation.

This game wins gold stars for its PS2 owners. The game provides 5.1 Dolby Surround sound. If you have this set up with your PS2 then be prepared to have eargasims. You will really feel like you are in this game fighting evil crime in Gotham City. The voice acting is another bright point. All of the original actors from the cartoon are here to lay it down for our personal enjoyment. The game would have lost big if it was not for this essential feature.

The gameplay in this game did take time for me to learn. Not only can Batman be controlled in third person action but there is also a first person perspective mode. In this mode is where a lot of your weapons are used. From Batarangs, nets, bat grappling hooks, and more. Therefore gamers will need to pay close attention to the training mode that is offered and learn how to utilize his special attacks. Although there may be a slight training lesson involved in order to become oriented with Batman's weapons, it is worth the hassle as you get to use all of the neat tricks and gadgets that our dark hero uses.

The total value of this game is worth the purchase. Presentation, graphics, sound and gameplay are all here to offer a complete superhero experience for gamers. So if you felt that past titles on older systems just did not cut it, this will be redemption for you. This holds especially true for Batman fans who will love the effort that has been made to make it authentic for the most serious of fans.