The interrogation idea is fundamentally quite a good one, but it’s been implemented badly. It would work really well in an RPG or a more open adventure game, but in the context of a plain action game it adds very little. The primary objective is killing people, and most of the interesting bits are actually optional. You generally don’t achieve much from expending the extra effort to stop and ‘chat‘, and in the case of the ‘special interrogations’ you feel downright dirty when you do. If the primary objective had been to find stuff out, the player would be so much more involved in the questioning process and the extreme moments would seem all the more poignant : maybe even making The Punisher as shocking as it would like to be. But because you feel more of a spectator than a participant they usually just seem unnecessary and a bit ridiculous.
The Punisher then… underneath all that black leather, it’s just another one in the crowd. Fans of the comic who aren’t after anything more than an average action game might quite enjoy it; fans of average action games featuring much blood will definitely enjoy it, but otherwise it’s a rental at best. The only original feature is that you can interrogate characters in a variety of unpleasant ways, and even if that’s something you’re desperately keen to fully explore, there’s little else of merit. The graphical style is functional, but lacking in any wow factor, and the animation is disappointingly jerky for a comic-inspired title. The comic-inspired story’s OK, but if that was a priority, we’d have bought a book (maybe even a comic-book). It’s a huge shame, as The Punisher license could potentially make for a classic, but here it’s seemingly been used as a ‘most violent game ever’ attention seeking exercise.
SPOnG Verdict: C
The Punisher offers all the over-the-top gore that it should, given its heritage. And it does have some (naughty but) nice touches here and there, but there’s a prevailing sense of mediocrity. Although there is some potential with the sickening interrogation theme, most will find any novelty appeal quickly wears off: leaving only a skeleton of formulaic gameplay that lacks the technical flesh needed to truly impress.
