Review

First, came the hugely ambitious comic book series, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Then there was the 20 years of wrangling to bring the hugely ambitious movie to the big screen. And now, there is Deadline Games’ hugely ambitious attempt to bring Watchmen to the world… as a scrolling beat-em-up. Err, wait a minute, what?

Well, maybe it makes sense. The developers have set Watchmen: The End Is Nigh as a prequel to the movie, taking events mentioned in the original story, and expanded them. The result is manageable in a downloadable game, and yet filled with small references to the larger plot. The game sees our two playable heroes, Rorschach and Nite Owl, on the trail of notorious crime villain, Underboss. And from the moment they gatecrash a prison riot at the start of the game, they really get to tour the grimiest sections of the city’s very grimy underbelly, in pursuit of their prey. The script is by Len Wein (original editor of Watchmen, and co-creator of Wolverine no less), but if truth be told, the plot is paper-thin, and really won’t offer anything to excite fans of the series. But then this is a beat-em-up, and when did we ever need much of an excuse to wade through wave after wave of evil henchmen?

It’s a two-player brawler (even in single player, your partner will be there, controlled by the AI), and before you know it, you’ll be tapping out combos with your X and Y buttons and diving for the Dodge/Block button to set up a counter-attack. Faced with large groups, you can often expect to be surrounded by six or eight bad guys in a small area, and combat is violent. Weakened and stunned opponents can be left open to a finishing move, triggered by a button press at the right time. Rorschach, in particular, has a range of brutal groin shots, uppercuts and savage blows to the head that can really cause you to wince. Teeth will be spat out, bones (and necks) broken, and joints pulled from sockets before you’re even a short way through the game.

It has to be said, the graphics are excellent for an Xbox Live Arcade title. There may be plenty of repetition in the buildings and surroundings, and each level only offers a few enemy types, but this is still pretty stuff. Character animation is lovely, and the combat is fast and smoothly animated, with some nice variety in the attacks you’ll be using most often. And rain slick streets lit by street lights set a mood and stick to it. Repetitive or not, it’s simply a standard that isn’t seen elsewhere on Live Arcade.

Voice acting’s good too. Actors from the movie are on hand for the two leads. And you’ll find yourself grinning sometimes, at some cynical observation said in Rorshach’s trademark growl.

So how does it add up? Well, combat is patchy. It’s most fun when plowing through large groups of varied enemies, but it takes a while to get there, and the game is too short to stay there for long. Playing co-op with a friend always brings added fun, but the lack of online co-op feels very much like a missed opportunity. And worse, three to four hours will see you through your first playthrough, and while the two characters and various achievements might bring you back for more, it won’t likely be for much more.

Really, the game is so short, that the end is nigh, almost as soon as you’ve started.

If you're a Watchmen fan, move along... there's nothing to see here. But if you're looking for a beat-em-up, there may be better retro titles out there, but none with these glossy looks. That said, with no online co-op and little variety, it's hard to recommend strongly. Reviewed before scoring policy, score taken from gamerankings.com.

One Response to “Watchmen: The End Is Nigh”

1. Jake
   March 8th, 2009 at 10:37 pm

   Nice review :)

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