Batman Forever

Description

Batman Forever on the SEGA Saturn, released in 1996, attempted to bring the dark and atmospheric world of Gotham into our living rooms. Although the game was inspired by the film of the same name, the end result unfortunately comes across as a mixed bag of conflicting impressions.

The first thing the player notices is the graphics. The developers used digitally processed images of the actors, which was popular at the time and added a realistic feel to the game. However, instead of bringing authenticity to the game, this technique sometimes comes across as comical. The animations are choppy and the characters look clumsy, which greatly detracts from the overall gaming experience. While some of the game's scenes may look impressive in static shots, all the charm is lost when moving.

Gameplay is another point where Batman Forever stumbles. The combat system is quite complex and inaccessible. Unlike typical beat 'em up games of the time, where players could execute various strikes smoothly and intuitively, here most players had trouble understanding and correctly applying the various combinations of attacks and special moves. This leads to frequent frustration and confusion, especially for less experienced players.

The audio aspect of the game is surprisingly strong. The music captures the dark and tense tone of Gotham City and the sound effects are adequate. Unfortunately, the quality of the soundtrack can't save the game's other weaknesses.

Although the storyline faithfully follows the plot of the film, the game's missions become monotonous. Over time, a sense of repetitiveness sets in that dulls any initial enthusiasm. The game's levels are non-linear, which might normally add to the appeal, but in this case it only adds to the player's disorientation and further confusion.

Ironically, Batman Forever on the SEGA Saturn is fascinating in its inability to fully exploit the potential of its source material. While it does contain some bright moments, such as an atmospheric soundtrack and an attempt at a realistic visual style, most of the time it unfortunately hovers on the borderline between average and below average due to unintuitive gameplay and choppy graphics. It may have some nostalgic value for Batman fans, but for other gamers it fails to offer a memorable gaming experience.