The Hulk is fueled with gamma radiation and fury. He has the power to demolish anything in his path. His video game history is littered with smash-up titles. Some have tried to add variety by creating boring levels that feature puny human Bruce Banner, but most just rely on player having fun destroying building and vehicles.
In the new game Avengers Initiative, for the iOS and Android platforms, players take on the role of the green goliath. The Incredible Hulk job is to bash and smash all the bad guy that were released from prison as a result of the insidious in-game event known as the Pulse.
Avengers Initiative is an episodic series that begins with the Incredible Hulk's tale, and will later feature chapters starring Thor, Captain America and Iron Man. The game plays exactly like the Infinity Blade games, which is great because you are the Hulk and he loves to smash.
The plot revolves around S.H.I.E.L.D director Nick Fury sending the Green Machine on a mission to capture the escapees from The Vault, a top-secret S.H.I.E.L.D. facility located in the Rocky Mountains. Fury then goes to gather the other heroes of the Avengers. There are few brief cut and dossiers that provide additional plot information.
The game is truly simply you tap the screen to hit, dodge or parry. You can deliver bigger hits by rapidly swiping the screen. The clocking mechanic is little hard to use, I personally preferred to just dodge and try to counter strike. Although as the Hulk I should just get stronger the more angry I get, but that is only a tiny flaw. When Hulk's rage meter fills, player can unleash some of the green giant's signature moves like thunder claps. The Hulk also finishes certain characters with special moves. I wont spoil them but they are pretty cool.
The upgrade system if pretty good and offers player some cool Hulk skins to purchasing, like Gladiator Hulk, Maestro Hulk or Ultimate Hulk. Players can also unlock other powers like Hulk roars and Never-ending Fury. There is cool mini-game that lets you smash-up a crystal formation to earn extras.
Graphically this is a pretty sweet looking game, the environments are detailed the player models look as good as say a Wii title. The voice acting and music are also nicely done. For $6.99 and more episodes coming soon, the game is a definite buy for Marvel Comic fans. I love the Hulk and I give the game a 9/10.
Watch the trailer below and remember "The Avengers" comes to DVD and Blu-Ray on Sept. 25.