(PSN) Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 2
Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 2
Can prostitutes really be stronger than Rorschach & Nite Owl?
Back in March, Warner and Deadlines Games released Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 1, the first of a two part game series taken place before the events of the Watchmen movie. Today, we present you our review of Part 2, a few weeks after it was released over the Playstation Network and just in time before it hits the XBLA platform on August 26. Both games are also available on disc since July 21 (date of the release of the move on DVD & Blu-Ray)
I don’t often start my reviews negatively but I’ll be honest: I was hoping that Deadline Games would have learned from the mistakes made in Part 1 before releasing the final chapter of the two-part series or at least getting something as equal in terms of value and quality. Sadly, Part 2 does not meet my expectations, completely destroys the decent work done in Part 1 and feels like a big pile of poop wrapped in latex. You will understand more about this comparison somewhere in the middle of the review.
Gameplay
The story of Part 2 starts as Rorschach contacts Night Owl to help him solve the case of a missing girl named Violet Greene. Along the way, Nite Owl discovers that Twilight Lady, a woman from Nite Owl’s past and obviously the baddie of the game, is involved with the disappearance.
If you played (or read my colleague’s great review of Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 1), you will notice very quickly that Part 2 is only a change of set-up and storyline as it brings the same brawler gameplay elements as in the first game. Aside from the fact that you won’t need to unlock all the abilities (they are given to you right from the beginning), playing Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 2 won’t be as fun or challenging as the first game. The variation in the enemies you encounter is once again very small as you will be fighting hordes of thugs, all with the same attacking patterns. Of course, due to the sadomasochistic themes of Part 2, you will fight against prostitutes and man-whores, who apparently are as skilled as fighters as they seem to be towards sex. Honestly, for a game that is so repetitive and uninspired, I wish the developers would not have overpowered the enemies in the third chapter (a.k.a the Whore House level) on purpose. That’s just idiotic.
On the bright side of things, Part 2 has only three chapters. If Deadline Games headquarters was near my house, I would bake them the finest chocolate cake and hug them to death for not making it a six-chapter game like in Part 1. The nice looking comic book styled cut-scenes where brought back and act as huge life-savers on the presentation level. Finally, Part 2 lets you play in co-op locally which is certainly the only high point of the game, considering how frustrating the game is when playing alone. At least, you will have a friend to share some laughs...if he wants to stay around to play. And if your co-op friend happens to be a SHE, I would be very surprised if she will enjoy making her way through skilled and hardened high-heeled hookers.
Graphics and Sound
While it wasn’t a true masterpiece, Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 1 had decent visuals for a downloadable (although expensive) title. Curiously, Part 2 doesn’t look as polished compared to the previous effort. Pop-ups, texture tearing and other visual bugs make this second chapter very difficult to enjoy. Rorschach and Nite Owl are once again well rendered but the same can’t be said for their enemies.
Sound wise, both Patrick Wilson and Jackie Earl Haley return as Night Owl and Rorschach and they do an excellent job, especially when you know how bad the rest of the voice-over cast is. The musical score is good and the environmental sounds during the street level are certainly among the highest points of the game. However, the rest is very forgettable.
Value
Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 2 can be completed between two and four hours. Overall, the Part 2 experience is so forgettable that going back to it to finish it as either Nite Owl or Rorschach (depending on who you would choose on your first playthrough) could be easily qualified as madness. Trophies/Achievement hunters might be the only ones brave and crazy enough to go back. Even if Part 2 is five bucks less expensive than Part 1 ($15 on Playstation Network or 1200 MS Points on the Xbox Live Marketplace), it remains an extremely difficult game to recommend.
Conclusion
Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 2 (and Part 1) could only be enjoyed by fans of either the book or movie. I don’t see how someone who isn’t remotely knowledgeable of Watchmen could enjoy these games, especially Part 2. I would recommend at least giving the demo a try before considering a purchase. The cool thing about the bundle disc is that in a few months, you may see it in a clearance bin for five or ten bucks, a price that I would certainly pay instead of the current $40 price tag. Since downloadable games seems to take time before they see a price cut, I would say wait until the disc gets on sale somewhere or your friend decides to use it as a cupholder.
Pros
+ Excellent voice work by the main characters
+ Good soundtrack and environmental sounds
+ Combo system remains very fun
+ Co-op does bring something to the table
Cons
- Repetitive and linear gameplay
- Visuals are inferior compared to Part 1
- Lack of enemy and environmental variety
- Short experience
- Still expensive (either as a download or disc)
- Doubtful replay value
- Can prostitutes be that skilled as fighters?
Final Verdict
Here's a small guide to help you understand our evaluation of games.
PRESENTATION GRADE
Can be from the game's box to the contents of the booklet, and even the game introduction. (Intro, menus, options, etc)
GRAPHIC GRADE
Up to what point the graphics have been worked on my the developper. The design type, the effort used for textures and environments, as well as animations and framerate.
AUDIO GRADE
Is the soundtrack a good match to the game's style, he ambient sounds keeping with the gameplay and the sound effects clear and convincing?
GAMEPLAY GRADE
Placement of the controls and the inferface that the player with be using during the game.
REPLAY VALUE GRADE
The most important factor in the evaluation of a game. It identifies the lifespan of the game and the fun of coming back again and again.
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