Hulk - PS2

Summer 2003, and a new Hulk hype machine hoves into view. There's a new film at the multiplex, and in the grand tradition to which we're now accustomed, there's a video game for your perusal. After all, if Blade, Spider-Man and the assorted X-Men can do it, The Hulk certainly can.

As in the movie, Bruce Banner is exposed to a near-fatal dose of gamma radiation. He survives, but now whenever he is aggravated, angered or attacked, he turns into the green brute that is The Hulk. The change leaves Banner's life in tatters and sends him and his longtime sweetheart Betty on a journey to look for a cure. The military, led by Betty's father, General 'Thunderbolt' Ross, soon learns of the existence of The Hulk and moves rapidly to capture and contain the perceived threat.

Now, if you haven't seen Ang Lee's film yet, you may want to skip the next paragraph - in order to explain what happens in the game, we need to tell you a bit about what happens at the end of the movie. So here goes...

The game begins where the film ended, after the destructive battle in San Francisco. Believed to be dead, Bruce Banner escaped to South America, leaving Betty behind. Since then, a year has passed, but Banner has been unable to shake off the effects of the gamma radiation. Still searching for a cure, he returns to San Francisco, the place where it all began.

Hulk cleverly mixes the genres of stealth, puzzle-solving and earth-shaking boom-boom "please turn the volume down!" wanton destruction as it goes along. As Bruce Banner, you must rely on your intellect and stealth. He's not the kind of guy to go looking for trouble, so you must guide the doctor through the levels and try to avoid confrontation. Try to sidestep detection by using Banner's ability to crouch as much as possible as you gather clues - the game environment is littered with surveillance cameras and guards - and fight only when necessary. If Banner starts to have a bad time with the likes of over-eager security guards, then a transformation is probably very near, but not always. Transform into The Hulk unnecessarily, and maybe you'll fail your mission.

As The Hulk, there are no limits to your destructive powers. Capable of smashing through buildings and defeating groups of enemies, The Hulk uses a selection of special moves and his unmatched strength to unleash a whole world of pain, and when the transformation happens for the first time, it really is quite spectacular. On-screen indicators give clues as what to do next within each level, and the lovingly rendered cut-scenes propel the story along nicely. As for the story itself, expect the unexpected.

Hulk is a one-player game with a central character that is essentially a two-for-one guy. Top value, then. The fact that we started to empathise with Banner too improved the game. He's a decent bloke who's having a personal crisis, and anyone can identify with that. We care, Bruce, and we like your game a lot! more