Captain America: Super Soldier

UPC: 010086680522

Platform: Xbox 360

Publisher: Sega of America, Inc.

Developer: Next Level Games

Category: Action

Style(s): Third-Person 3D Action

Synopsis: Captain America: Super Soldier is an action-driven adventure game, created in conjunction with the 2011 feature film, The First Avenger, and inspired by more than 70 years of Marvel Comics mythology. Players control Cap through third-person sequences of free-flowing combat, exploration, and infiltration, employing his enhanced strength, super-human agility, and expertise with his special shield. Regularly outnumbered by multiple foes, the hero can string together combo attacks for extra damage. Although the full game is rendered with polygonal 3D graphics, some acrobatically oriented sequences are presented from a side-scrolling perspective by default, for more precise platform-jumping control. Captain America's shield is useful not only for blocking attacks, but for reflecting gunfire back at attackers as well. The shield can be thrown, like an oversized discus, to take down opponents from a distance and to activate remote switches. The hero can also make tactical use of stationary objects, and even enemy characters, as he battles through each new area. Experience points collected throughout play are used to purchase upgraded powers. Enemies become more sophisticated as the adventure progresses, but the game can be played with relatively simple, accessible controls. Advanced players can attempt more demanding "Zola Challenges" along the way, for additional experience and glory. Although the plotline and play style are similar across all platform versions, the Xbox 360 edition of the game can be played in stereoscopic 3D on compatible television equipment. Following other movie-based games starring future Avengers -- including Thor, Iron Man, and the Hulk -- Captain America: Super Soldier is published by Sega. As hinted in the subtitle, the game involves the hero's origin story, and follows him on a World War II-era assault against Red Skull, his enduring arch-enemy. Along the way, Cap faces other recurring comic book foes, including Iron Cross and the elite soldiers of the Hydra army. The game's story is by Christos Gage, a lead writer of Marvel's Avenger: The Initiative comics. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Package Contents: 8-page Instruction Manual

Controls: Joystick/Gamepad

As what has become the rule rather than the exception regarding video games based on movies, rare is the quality gaming tie-in. Whether their faults lie in rushed deadlines or uncaring publishers, the gaming landscape is cluttered with forgettable movie-based titles. So if you're in a hurry and need to get a superhero title on shelves, better to pilfer elements from one of the few successful comic book games. Seasoned gamers will experience d?j? vu while playing Captain America: Super Soldier, as developer Next Level Games is clearly tipping its "Cap" to 2009's excellent Batman: Arkham Asylum. Super Soldier has players guiding Cap around the grounds of Hydra's Castle in an attempt to stop Red Skull from creating his own army of super serum-enhanced soldiers. Like Arkham Asylum, players are primarily confined to one region, but unlike Arkham Asylum, Hydra's Castle is more enclosed, so gameplay is more linear as a result. Yet Captain's course isn't always well-marked, forcing players to rely on the protagonist's "tactical vision" to illuminate paths and collectible objects that may otherwise be missed. The game is at its best when Cap is engaged in battle. Employing a familiar third-person combat style, Super Soldier has players chaining together a variety of attacks to take down enemies. While most takedowns can be accomplished through simple button mashing, some enemies can only be defeated by using powerful combos, which reward players with bonus experience points that can be used for combat upgrades. Cap's iconic shield literally and figuratively shines on offense and defense by serving as a highly accurate projectile for long-range attacks as well as a means of deflecting and redirecting bullets back at his assailants. Cap can also quickly dodge attacks by using gymnastic moves that would put Mary Lou Retton to shame. Comic fans are also treated to appearances by many of Cap's allies and enemies, including Bucky, Iron Cross, and Red Skull. Sadly, Super Soldier never truly excels. The atmosphere and generic set designs are at odds with what players might expect from a comic book universe. Enemies, particularly "grunts," are largely repetitive and predictable, while the thrill of defeating a well-armed boss is marred by the intrusion of quick-time events. Collecting items is also a chore due to their sheer volume. Dossiers, in particular, are littered across the castle grounds, giving the impression that Hydra has laughably lax security protocols and a janitorial staff to match. Challenge modes and alternate costumes become available as the game progresses, but even these feel as if they were tacked on to pad a short main adventure. Despite its flaws, Captain America: Super Soldier is a movie-licensed game that manages to stand out among the many that have fallen before it. The jaded gamer may dismiss Super Soldier as an Arkham clone, but it's still a fun and fast-paced title that captures the spirit of its summer blockbuster counterpart. Super Soldier does not have the depth or variety of Arkham's atmospheric offering, but it does provide an experience that is more accessible to players looking for the gaming equivalent of a popcorn flick. ~ Chris Cavanaugh, All Game Guide

the game requires Joystick/Gamepad.