Spoilers Ahead.
Since I was a child I have always been fascinated by the character of The Batman. I watched all the shows, collected endless toys, and read unhealthy amount of comics. But, one thing I failed to do as a youngling was to play and finish his video games. I don’t remember exactly how I came to acquire the Batman: Vengeance game for the Gamecube, but it was my first Batman game. I used to play it on the Wii thanks to backwards compatibility but every time I attempted the game I would fail.
After completing the first mission Batman arrives back at the Batcave and undergoes a training tutorial, which I was never able to complete.
Until now. As of March 1st, 2021 I finally completed Batman: Vengeance.
Story
Set during the events of The New Batman Adventures television show, Batman is thrusted into a mystery following the death of The Joker and is forced to battle other villainous characters as he unfolds the circumstances that surround Joker’s death.
Gameplay
The game is played in a third person perspective and features three different modes of gameplay: Batman, the Batwing, and the Batmobile. While playing as Batman you have a variety of gadgets and skills at your disposal such as Batarangs, Bat Grapnel, Nets, Remote Charges, Electric Batarangs; martial arts, gliding, and climbing various objects.
The game focuses on a platforming and action gameplay. When you encounter an enemy in the world you are locked in a fighting stance. On the Gamecube you have a few different moves. While in combat the A button unleashes a kick, the B button smacks the enemy with a punch, and the X button blocks incoming attacks. To disengage from the encounter press Y to retreat.
While in the world the A button allows you to jump. Holding in A after completing a jump permits Batman to glide. This action is useful when falling from extreme heights or crossing between large gaps. B is a strike, useful for getting the first hit in before a fight, X covers you in your cape, protecting you for a limited time from attacks. Using the R button changes the camera to a First Person perspective. While holding down the R button you are able to freeze time and equip one of his many gadgets, however you are able to hit the L button to switch from one to another while in the first person mode.
After defeating an enemy in combat they will lie motionless on the ground. After a short period of time they will regain consciousness and continue the fight. To prevent this, Batman is equipped with a few Batcuffs that will restrain the foes and keep them from attacking once again. These Batcuffs are sparse so managing when to use them is vital.
The vehicle sections are rather bland and are short lived. You only use the bat themed plane and car once and their controls are rather simple. You have a boost, guns, and the ability to turn. Nothing special or challenging.
Bosses
The game features a small amount of boss battles and they range from infuriating to boring. The first boss you encounter is The Joker, which is a simple fisticuffs scuffle. You then fight him on a wrecking ball that has a tiny hit box and makes the fight last forever.
After that you fight Mr. Freeze which is the hardest boss of the game. This is only due to the fact that you are given no direction on how to defeat him. After an hour of attacking him head on and with the many gadgets you have, I finally attempted hitting him with a canister that hangs above his head. Tada! I did it.
Poison Ivy is next and all you do is throw batarangs at tentacles then hit steam pipes. Simple.
Next, is a helicopter where you throw remote charges at the lights. Easy enough.
Then finally you battle Joker again in hand to hand then he attempts suicide by leaping out of a blimp. You race after him and dodge his attacks until you get close enough to save him.
And that is it. After you defeat Joker one more time you have beaten the game.
Collectibles and Pickups
During my play through I found one collectible and it gave me nothing. No artwork, bonuses, health, nothing. All you unlock are achievements per every level that add up to a meaningless score.
Throughout the levels you can find white boxes that store health, gadgets, and Battcuffs.
Final Thoughts
After years of avoidance I finally completed this game in less than four hours. When the credits finished rolling I felt, disappointed. Although I had a good time with the game it felt lackluster. Too few bosses, the majority of gadgets were useless, collectibles give you nothing, and the runtime was short. However, I would recommend this game as it is one of the best Batman games ever made, which isn’t saying much.
Batman: Vengeance in 2001 on the Playstation 2, Gameboy Advance, Gamecube, Xbox and Microsoft Windows. Developed and published by Ubi Soft, in addition to Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Comics. It was met with mixed to positive reviews and received a followup in 2003: Batman Rise of Sin Tzu.
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