Just like clockwork, Sega has pumped out another comic book-licensed video game to coincide with the release of a major film of the same name. They did the same thing with Iron Man, its follow-up Iron Man 2, and this summer’s previously released Thor, and all three of them have managed to suck almost completely, give or take slight saving graces that indicated how much better the games could’ve been. Would Captain America: Super Soldier be the game to break the trend, or suffer the same fate? Before we get to that answer, let’s tell you about the game. You portray the physically enhanced Super Soldier, who was once a scrawny little kid and has since become a beefed-up powerhouse, as he invades the castle of Armin Zolo, a diabolical madman who has taken technical engineering to new heights during the 1940’s. That would be a good thing, except he’s a prime member of the Hydra organization, a group of Nazi types that are headed up by the mysterious Red Skull. As the Cap, it’s your job to infiltrate the headquarters and stop Zolo’s plans before it’s too late.
So the game doesn’t necessarily follow the plot of the film, where Cap takes on Red Skull directly, and that might throw some people off. The game feels like a secondary adventure as a result, and while that’s not a complete disappointment, it would’ve been nice to have some kind of related moment where you actually face off against Hydra’s main guy, rather than his lackey. The fact you never touch a motorcycle hurts too. Captain America looks so badass riding one in the trailer. The majority of Super Soldier takes place in Zolo’s castle, and while there are some sublime moments in design – most of them taking place outside – most of the environments are made up of drab inside rooms and buildings. They look the same for the most part, with only some bright moments in terms of technical terrors or puzzles to solve sticking out from otherwise average design. What’s more, Captain actually has to activate a secondary sense to see where poles or other objects are to move ahead in the level. The fact they’re disguised in plain sight may throw off younger players who just want to keep going in the game. (And besides, Wolverine did it better with his Feral Sense in X-Men Origins a couple of years ago.)
As for the rest of the game, like the outdoor areas and the Captain itself, they’re not bad. When you take part in a turret shooting sequence, hitting soldiers from across a canyon, it’s actually pretty cool, and leaves us wondering why the rest of the game didn’t meet that level of excitement. Furthermore, Cap is rendered wonderfully, particularly when he runs under lighting effects. Shame the same can’t be said for the Hydra agents – they’re clearly a dime a dozen. Even the super flame-thrower carrying soldiers seem like they’ve paid a visit to the generic factory. The game’s audio is okay, consisting of some decent in-game music that resembles the film’s soundtrack and some decent sound effects. (The sound of your shield hitting objects, for instance, isn’t half bad.) The highlight, though, is Chris Evans, the actor who plays Cap in the film – and in the game. He says his lines with a lot of American pride, though some of the dialogue goes over the top on Americana sometimes. Hey, that’s a super hero for you. It’s forgivable.
This feature review concludes on the next page, please click Page 2 below to see our final thoughts on Captain America: Super Soldier.
