Game Review: Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters

Billy O'Keefe - Mclatchy -Tribune News Service

Reviewed for: Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. Also available for: Wii and Nintendo DS

From: Double Helix/WB Games

ESRB rating: Teen (mild language, mild suggestive themes, violence)

Numerous games have, let's say, paid homage to the "God of War" series since its 2005 debut.

Some of them do it subtly. Others, like "Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters," don't conceal it at all.

But if "Lantern" has to pilfer shamelessly, at least it does so competently. And for all the imagination it lacks with its fundamentals, the game redeems itself by using its license in enough clever ways to (slightly) carve its own path.

Initially, it's in earnest, thanks to the abilities made possible by Hal Jordan's (the Green Lantern, for those unfamiliar) amazing Green Power Ring. The ring allows Hal to project solid-light constructs that assume the abilities of whatever object they're mimicking. So instead of slamming two blades to the ground with extreme force the way Kratos does in "God of War," for instance, Hal whips out a giant glowing hammer and unleashes damage that way.

The amount of fun "Lantern" becomes is directly proportional to the rate at which you unlock new constructs for Hal's ring. Early on, it works as a makeshift blaster, allowing Hal to attack from long distances. A terrific grappling leash - which, at its tip, resembles a giant cartoon hand - lets him pick up enemies or objects, draw them in close, and throw them at other targets or clear off a ledge for an easy kill.

But wait, there's more! A baseball bat lets Hal channel his inner Albert Pujols and whack projectile attacks back at the source of the attack, while a Gatling gun lets him go Scarface on whoever is nearby. Other powers include droppable (and throwable) mines, a fast-punch attack that mimics a piston engine, and even the ability to briefly transform into a mech and (albeit slowly) unleash ridiculous damage on any nearby enemies.

The wealth of clever constructs easily provides "Lantern" with its best feature, and some thoughtful controller mapping means you can assign up to eight at a time to button shortcuts that are easy to call up even when things get hairy.

Beyond that, though, there's little here you haven't seen elsewhere. "Lantern" competently mimics "God of War," but it borrows the bad as well as the good. That game lacks enemy variety and this game lacks enemy variety, and if you don't like the quick-time events that cap off battles against that game's stronger enemies, you'll be sorry to see them here as well.

Though it provides occasion to take good advantage of Hal's constructs, "Lantern's" general level design isn't terribly exciting, either. Beyond the occasional clever puzzle, expect to see the same patterns of enemies pop up in places that often look similar and present simple objectives - switches, powering up dead battery ports - you've seen before. Even some of the bigger boss fights feel a little too familiar. Remember that enemy you've seen in other games who is 100 times your size and tries to kill you by sweeping his hand across the entire level? He's still getting work.

Fortunately, in spite of these issues, "Lantern" is fast and technically refined enough to remain fun throughout its campaign. What it lacks in terms of presenting diverse problems, it somewhat redeems in terms of diverse solutions. Mix up your constructs cleverly, and "Lantern" will feel significantly less repetitive than it probably should.

Unfortunately, once the campaign wraps, there's little else to do. "Lantern" supports two-player co-op, but only offline. And while "God of War" pads its value with challenge rooms and reasons to replay the main quest, "Lantern" opted not to copy that step.

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