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 With
one of the best looking digital recreations of a main
character from the movie it was based on, Constantine
does manage to get some things right.
This
game is based on the movie which was based on the
DC Hellblazer comic book series which are actually
graphic novels penned by various British sci-fi and
horror authors. John Constantine is the demon hunter.
He has supernatural powers at his disposal. His origins
are different in the movie version than in the books.
Suffice to say that he is a chain smoker diagnosed
with lung cancer and is currently investigating the
serial killings of psychics and magicians. He has
the power to send demons back to Hell as well as the
ability to visit Hell for certain purposes that can
be beneficial to the gameplay.
I
find that the game tends to gloss over things too
much with the cutscenes. There's not enough clarity
to the plot. I suppose one should be familiar with
the movie in order to fully understand the concept
although it works the other way around and should
pique players' interest in seeing the movie or reading
the books. The cutscenes are interesting and imaginative
if not a little bit esoteric. The demon-fighting concept
lends itself perfectly to a videogame although I don't
think the Hellblazer series was done justice. The
movie is a horror version of the Matix and the X-Files
which obviously inspired elements of the game. It
does take some liberties even with the movie plot
but if it's going to last five times as longs it simply
has to.
Creatures
range from malevolent decomposed bodies to flying
half-angels and all varieties of supernatural monsters
in between. Throughout the game you will hunt for
clues to unravel the mystery of the serial killer
while solving puzzles and inadvertently stumbling
across the aforementioned demons. Constantine uses
pistols, shotguns, machineguns and flamethrowers which
have all been upgraded to supernatural specifications.
The use of magic spells will unleash more devastation
on the beasts. You must enter a four-button code within
a short time period to cast them. Spells will exorcise
demons, unleash lightning storms and swarms of flies
among other attacks.
 Going
to Hell allows you access to inaccessible things on
Earth that will help you gain access to new areas
by unlocking doors or moving crates to reach higher
areas. Working in two dimensions is a neat concept
but it's relegated to nothing more than a novelty
in this game. The visuals of Hell are done well but
it looks like the textbook version of what we all
think it should look like with waves of fire and legions
of demons engaged in various evil activities. I find
that for all the fire in Hell, some areas are much
too dark and empty. It's somewhat inconsistent.
The game is very straightforward. These enemies don't
put up much of a fight in terms of intelligent interaction.
They either head straight for you, swarm you or display
predictable patterns as in the case of the bosses.
The challenge comes from the limited resources of
weapons, spells and ammo. Not all of the weapons,
spells or techniques are effective on all demons so
you'll have a little strategy on your hands learning
what to use and what to conserve.
The
image of John Constantine looks amazingly like Keanu
Reeves but the voice is the work of an impersonator.
It sounds like Las Vegas magician, Lance Burton, doing
the delivery. It's exaggerated and has traces of that
famous Jack Nicholson dry wit.
 The
sound effects are great but the music is flat. Graphics
are sharp and animate nicely. There is a natural smoothness
inherent to all of the animations. Characters are
well detailed and display some unsettling means of
locomotion in relation to their construction as they
slither, slink, hobble, fly and float through the
two dimensions.
Constantine
is a no-frills game. There are no unlockables and
no extra modes such as multi-player online modes.
It's not very long and the gameplay is not entirely
original. It will probably serve its purpose after
seeing the movie if you still have a little of that
Hollywood magic sparkling in your imagination. Definitely
a rental.
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Constantine
is the newest adventure game from Bits and THQ. It
will be based on the huge Warner Brother's Movie coming
out in early 2005 starring Keanu Reeves who will play
the main character, John Constantine. For those who
know their comic books, yes, this is based on the
DC comic series written by Alan Moore. Fans will know
the series as Hellblazer. The story is about a guy
who is not your typical comic hero. In fact he is
part thief, mage and con artist. Let's just hope that
Keanu does not have one of those cheesy lines where
he looks at the camera and goes "Whoa Dude".
The role should fit Mr.Reeves very well since he has
the look of the character already.
The
game will be in a third-person view where gamers will
control John on his way to solving some bizarre paranormal
events. The graphics will feature stunning CGI and
will showcase some fantastic visual effects. After
all, John Constantine is a paranormal investigator
who just happens to possess some unique hidden talents.
He can enter the same realm he is assigned to investigate.
He has charm, he can con and he can kick some demon
ass when need be. Players will need to use his talents
to reach the next objective. Of course, the game will
tie in very closely to the Movie and stay true to
the comic series. The twist in the game is the fact
you will play in LA and the evil plane that exists
but can only be seen through the eyes of John Constantine.
Hellblazer
fans will be happy to know there will be extras added
for fans of the series. Visuals look great. We will
have more on this truly different adventure game when
the date gets closer. For now take a look at the great
screen shots of the early demo and stay tuned for
more on this one!
