Regarding superheroes and video games, it varies whether or not there were good video games featuring those superhero. The Punisher had a game on NES and DOS but neither game was excellent. The Punisher had an arcade game where he teamed up with Nick Fury and that was the last game that The Punisher would have except for cameos. Then in 2005, The Punisher came out for Xbox and PlayStation 2. Is this the one definitive Punisher game?
The game is a run-and-gun game where you run through the levels and shoot every enemy you come across. As you go through those levels, you will see specific enemies with a punisher icon above them. If you get close to those enemies, you can interrogate them by trying to force them through a woodchipper or holding them by the leg outside a second-story window. When you interrogate the enemy, you have to push the enalog stick until you fill-up the yellow part of the meter. If you fill-up the whole gray meter, you will just kill the enemy. However, if you fill the yellow part of the meter for a few seconds, the enemy’s spirit will be broken and he will tell you what he knows. After that, you can kill the enemy in that special way or let them go.
If you kill the enemy, you will lose points. The points you earn are currency that you can use to upgrade your weapons to make them stronger, increase ammo, or attach accessories. So it might be tempting to see the special kill that you can perform but you see the special kill at the risk of not being able to upgrade your weapons as much as you could have if you didn’t perform the special kill.
If one of your meters at the bottom has some blue in it and you press triangle on the PlayStation 2 controller then you will go into an invincible state where you have unlimited throwing knives and every person you kill gives you more health while you are in that invincible state.
The controls for the game are very simple to pick up and play. Even when you do the interrogations or special kills, the controls are still simple. So there is nothing I would change about the controls.
The story of the game is played through flashbacks. Frank Castle is being interrogated at Rikers Island and as he explains what happened, you play through the levels. The Punisher is a man who had his whole family wiped out during a mob hit. Frank was shot but survived and now he punishes the people who prey on the innocent.
The graphics are average for PlayStation 2 standards. The special kills from interrogations are in black and white so The Punisher on PlayStation 2 would avoid an Adults Only rating. You can still see the kill so it’s not as bad as a game like Manhunt but since the special kills happen in black and white, a lot of the gore in these kills have been removed or at least censored.
The sound for the game is great. The music that plays during the levels puts you in the correct mood and I love the voices during the cutscenes. There is nothing I would change about the sound in the game.
One part where this game is lacking is replayability. While the game is fun to play through, there is no reason to play it again. Some bosses also take more gunshots to kill than any human could take. That does take away from the game a little bit.
The game is fun to play and the game is easy to pick up and play. The controls could not be more simple. The story is engaging and makes sense. I also have no problems with the graphics or sound. There is no replayability and some bosses can take up to a dozen headshots to kill. So I give The Punisher on PlayStation 2 an 8 out of 10. It is a fun game to play and should be tried by anyone who likes shooters.
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