Mixing up your numerous attack options against large groups is where the game is at its best, with slow-motion finishing moves highlighting Cap’s power in an extremely satisfying manner.īoss fights come thick and fast, but not to the point that they feel forced. Counter attacks and other more advanced special moves can be unlocked as your earn credits, so the game’s combat evolves just enough over the course of the adventure to keep things interesting.Įnemy variety is handled well too, with new enemy types cropping up regularly – each requiring a slightly different approach to take them down. Projectile attacks can be blocked and deflected back at enemies if you get the timing right, which not only takes out the pesky soldier responsible but also helps recharge your super attack energy. On top of this there’s a grab button, the ability to throw your shield at enemies or objects in the environment, and a modifier that lets you perform special attacks as long as you’ve got enough juice in the super meter.ĭefensive play is just as important as going on the attack, with Cap’s shield able to withstand some heavy firepower.
Taking its cues unashamedly from Batman’s successful outing, you’re given a single button to dish out punches and kicks, all chained together in a way that looks far more spectacular than it has any right to. The opening sequence, which sees Captain America turn up in some trenches to take on the evil Hydra army, isn’t great, but soon enough you enter a pseudo open-world interconnected by a sewer system and the game’s quality is elevated up a good few levels.Ĭombat is the key to the game’s success as a fun superhero title. While the world Next Level Games has created has a nice solidity to it, there’s no denying that certain areas are very bland, the frame rate is almost always below par, and lighting at times looks like it’s been lifted from a previous generation. Creating a side story to the film no doubt gave the development team more room for creativity.įirst impressions aren’t brilliant. Film villain Red Skull makes an appearance, but your main foe is scientist Armin Zola, who is trying to recreate the serum which gave Rogers his powers. While you get many of the same characters, including Chris Evans as Steve ‘Cap’ Rogers, the game is set within castle grounds in the Bavarian mountains. One of the reasons Captain America turned out as well as it did could be that the story here isn’t really that closely tied to the movie. What I got was a heavily Batman: Arkham Asylum inspired action title from Next Level Games which, while a little rough around the edges and clearly in need of its own dose of Super-Soldier serum, is a fun comic-book romp with satisfyingly meaty combat. It’s quite fair to say that SEGA doesn’t have a great track record when it comes to its Marvel titles (Thor anyone?), so I went into this expecting the worst. Captain America: Super Solider could well end up being the best surprise of 2011.