View Image

Batman Forever is a beat ‘em up game based on the movie with the same name. While it has received some negative critique because of its gameplay and controls, it is still an enjoyable game.

The storyline, as mentioned, follows that of the movie, albeit loosely. You may play as either Batman or Robin as you try to keep Gotham City safe from the Riddler and Two-Face by defeating their henchmen.

You fight in a very Mortal Kombat way, that is to say, using button sequences to release more powerful combos and send your enemies flying. At the beginning of each level you may also choose two gadgets to help you, alongside some standard ones, like the grapple hook. The latter helps you find secret areas with bonus items and it is worth mentioning that all weapons and gadgets have unlimited uses.

The graphics are nothing special, although the sprites are made using motion capture with real actors dressed up as the characters. The animations are fluid, but a bit choppy when switching between them, like when balancing on the fore-mentioned grapple hook. Save for Robin who looks a bit too colourful in his red-green costume for the scenery, the dark graphics fit the mood of Batman Forever.

The game has three difficulty settings which add a little to its overall replay value and it also features an interesting training mode. The training mode allows you to play as any of the characters found throughout the game one on one, or even in co-op, so Batman Forever actually has a fighting game side to it, as well. The normal mode can be played alone or with a friend, and the game can be set to keep track of the score collectively or separately.

Some of the complaints concern the fighting sequences; there are never more than two enemies on the screen at any time and it takes significantly more time to defeat them when compared to other games of the same genre. It should also be noted that there are many transitions between stages when the game loads and simply displays “Hold on”; it does not take a long time, but long enough for you to notice.

Granted, Batman Forever has its less than great aspects and it is by no means a perfect game, but it is definitely playable, if not fun.

Batman Forever features:

Play as Batman or Robin, each with a different selection of gadgets.
Single player or co-op mode with individual or total score.
Training mode which can act as a fighting mini-game.