Hell Hath No Fury

Sydney Morning Herald

Monday September 1, 2008

Jason Hill

HELLBOY: THE SCIENCE OF EVIL

Xbox 360, PS3 M Price $109.95

Rating 1.5/5

Developed by Australia's Krome Studios and released to coincide with the new Hollywood flick, this Hellboy adventure begins promisingly.

The inimitable Ron Perlman delivers amusing quips, you can combine punches, throws, weapons and pistol fire to dispatch enemies and there's a co-operative mode that lets friends join in the action including faraway online buddies. Yet all too soon the game reveals itself to be a dull and repetitive brawler lacking imagination, originality and challenge.

Throughout the six chapters there is precious little variety - just a series of foes that can stomach an ever-increasing amount of damage before they are felled. Disappointingly, dispatching them rarely requires much more than button bashing and Krome did not even bother with any defensive blocking moves.

The occasional puzzle can cause some head-scratching but it's usually because the game is a little too vague on what you are supposed to be doing next. For example, players might get frustrated at being unable to locate another flaming spear to light yet another door-opened lantern, only to discover this time they should have been using flammable bullets instead.

Being able to equip Hellboy's trusty sidearm with a variety of ammunition types works well, although bullets are usually scarce and reloading is slow so, you cannot rely too much on firepower. You can also hurl items at foes but it's not often worth bothering as pummelling them with your Right Hand of Doom is faster and more effective.

The nonsensical storyline, which has our demonic anti-hero travelling through areas such as forests, graveyards and castles in different eras battling Nazi zombies and cyborg gorillas, proves disappointing. In the end, even the most fervent Hellboy devotee should probably steer clear and enjoy the likes of God Of War, Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden instead.

Endgame A monotonous fighting-based adventure not worth your precious money or time.

BUZZ! MASTER QUIZ

PSP PG Price $49.95

Rating 3/5

Many will consider that it was a foolish idea for Sony to bring its popular trivia series to the PSP. A small handheld cannot replicate the social experience that a big-screen TV and Sony's delightful buzzer controllers provide.

Wisely, the limitations and strengths of the PSP are acknowledged in Buzz's handheld debut, letting travellers enliven their next long trip with some trivia fun.

The game has more than 5000 entertaining questions covering topics such as music, sport, movies, TV, celebrities, science and general knowledge. More than 1000 pictures and videos help spice up the multiple choice format.

Master Quiz is at its best in the Pass Around mode, with friends able to exploit the fact their competitors cannot always see the screen. In the Weak Spot round, a player gets a preview of a question and can pass it onto whoever they feel will most struggle to answer it correctly, while in the Snapshot round you can choose the most obscure section of an image to display to the next player who must guess what it is.

Up to four players can compete in wireless battles each using their own PSP (and just one copy of the game).

The Quiz Host mode lets one person play quizmaster and keep the PSP to themselves, reading questions aloud and recording scores for up to six players. Some challenges amusingly depart from trivia questions, such as giving points to whoever has the biggest feet or can perform the best bird calls.

Importantly, solo players are provided with a reasonably comprehensive mode. Varied rounds, trophies and medals help bolster replay appeal.

Endgame An enjoyable portable trivia game that copes reasonably well with the limitations of the handheld format.

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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