Batman Begins Critic Reviews

Longtime Bat-gamers can consider Batman Begins the cave-engineered antidote to the Bat-crap that's been dropping on consoles in recent years.

The production values are outstanding.

I wish the old Batmobile was unlocked and in the game but instead gamers will get to drive the prototype instead. For fans of Batman it is safe to say there is plenty of replay value.

While it's easy and linear (not to mention short – 6 to 7 hours or so), Batman Begins excels where it counts, truly making you feel like the Dark Knight, stalking his prey and brutalizing those who target the weak and innocent.

It's good. Clichéd nonsense, but good.

The gameplay goes deeper than expected with stealth elements and the ability to build a fearful reputation and then kicks it into high gear with some thrilling racing sequences.

Batman Begins isn't just a good game, it's two great games that play great together. When you're the caped crusader, it's an action game in the mold of "Splinter Cell"... Then, when you're driving the Batmobile, the game morphs into "Burnout," with you knocking cars off the road as you careen through traffic.

The training levels are a little tedious, but serves it purpose to have you naturally thinking and reacting as if you're Batman by the heart of the game.

With perfect voice acting and sound effects, very crisp and good looking graphics, a truly wonderful story, but somewhat lacking gameplay…Batman Begins is at most a weekend rental for the average gamer, but is definitely worth a purchase by any Batman fan.

With a completion time of under eight hours and a few half-decent extras, one has to wonder if Batman Begins was essentially targeted directly as a rental game.

The decision to go stealth was a good one and even though scripted and prompted, the gameplay hits the broad mark.

While the storytelling is poor, the game does an excellent job of evoking the film's ambience, with striking visuals even better than those in the movie. The game's use of light as it streams through broken boards into a dark room is reminiscent of the wonderful art direction of the first "Splinter Cell" game.

Like most games in its genre Batman Begins isn't a game we're likely to remember in a year. It's a good game in most ways, but even if it introduces some interesting elements into the gameplay I doubt it'll be enough to appeal to those not heavily into Batman, or the action / third-person action genres.

Batman should be able to have options. He should have so many combat skills that it is almost impossible to learn them all.

Is it great? Heck no. Does it offer little substance, but an enjoyable handful of thrills? It does, more often than not.

Although repetitive at times, it does provide a few hours of fun. The game is incredibly short and can be finished in well under 10 hours.

The use of the fear aspect is slightly innovative but it can't help boost this game out of its heavily scripted and repetitive rut.

In the end or in the beginning if you like, Batman Begins is a good game, just falling short of great due to the linearity.

EA finally does some justice to the Batman license with this decent if not unspectacular action title that ends up far too linear and repetitive for its own good.

With extremely linear gameplay, a relatively flawed fear mechanic and basic combat system, Batman really isn't breaking a sweat in this title.