Comic book games have really been hit or miss over the years. For every Spider-Man there has been a Batman Beyond or Fantastic Four. The last Hulk game (aptly and simply titled The Hulk) was a severe disappointment. Mixing poor stealth gameplay with average Hulk abilities turned out to be a disaster. While it wasn’t the worst comic book game ever (that dishonor belongs exclusively to Superman 64), it certainly wasn’t the best either. Now Sierra has tried their hand at another Hulk game called The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. Is it a Batman Begins games disaster? Or does HULK SMASH all previous Hulk games into dust?

If there is one thing this game does right, it’s that it makes you feel like Hulk. You are, without a doubt, the scariest thing in the game world most of the time. Whether it’s picking up a boulder, ripping out telephone poles, or leaping miles at a time, this game captures the feel of being Hulk like no other. Every single control is tight and responsive, with no confusion as how to do what. Considering the multitude of attacks and abilities at the Hulk’s disposal at any one time (especially later in the game), that’s a minor miracle in and of itself.

What makes it especially fun is the Weaponization system. Simple everyday objects get turned into weapons of mass destruction in the hands of the Hulk. Small cars get pounded into gauntlets. Got a wrecking ball truck? Smash it to bits and use the ball as a yo-yo. Tanks and buses can be turned into skateboards, and larger cars can be used as shields to protect you from the more vicious enemy attacks. There are a lot of fun things that can be done with items, and experimenting is part of the fun of the game. For example, with just three button presses, you can leap with a Shield, block a helicopter missile, and yo-yo the shield into the helicopter with minimal effort.

That’s not to say you’ll need a lot of the extra items, though. Hulk’s moveset is fully realized with everything from his famous Sonic Slaps to Ground Stomps. Is that Hulk-Buster annoying you? Grab it out of the air, give it a few good pounding attacks, and launch it into nearby water tower to knock it out of commission. Helicopters missiles giving you problems? Latch unto it with the grab button, pound it s few times, and then kick off of the helicopter to latch unto the next one. You can even just pound enemies like an ape if you choose.




Just when you thought The Hulk couldn't get any scarier, they take away his pants and hair.

The Story mode of the game almost feels tacked on despite the fact it’s filled with great voice actors, like Ron Pearlman (Hellboy) and Neal McDonough (Walking Tall, Minority Report). The mission types range from the fun (Smash Puny Human Military Convoy), to the annoying (Defend this Building). Also, while it is fun to smash things to tiny bits in Hulk fashion, you really want to avoid doing that as the game progresses, as the more Hulk smashes, the tougher the enemies get. It also should be noted that Hulk tends to kill a lot of people in this game, which is unusual, as Marvel doesn’t tend to allow its characters to do that.

The graphics aren’t really anything impressive, which is not a big loss, but a little disappointing. Top-notch graphics aren’t a necessity in an action game like this, as long as the framerate is stable and there’s no slowdown as you play. There aren’t many small details, but with the magnitude of explosions, windows shattering, and tanks being turned into Hulk fodder, the lack of little things can be forgiven. The sound is great, but not outstanding. As I mentioned before, the game is filled with top-notch voice actors, but that’s just where it begins. From radio announcements to police officers screaming for you to give up, sound adds a lot to this game. The Hulk sounds particularly brutal and mean, while every explosion will bring a smile to your face. The music is orchestral, but not amazing. In short, it’s just a little above average in the sound department, but not as good as say, Jade Empire.

There is no multi-player or Xbox Live functionality to speak of, so online play and replay value are really non-factors. Once you beat the game one time, there’s little reason to play it again, unless of course, you’ve had a really bad day and need to smash things to tiny bits for fun. In short, while The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction isn’t a long or involving game, what is here is fantastic and deserves a look. Rent it for fun, but only buy it if you are a Hulk fan, or need stress release.