Fantastic Four

Whilst reviews of the latest comic-book movie may have been decidely mixed, one thing that no-one can dispute is that it looks the part. From stretching torsos to vanishing ladies, all the amazing super powers are brought vividly to life with some flashy special effects.

All of which ensures the initial sight of the Fantastic Four mobile game can't fail to disappoint. Even those who've never seen the movie or even the comic book, will agree that this 2D sideways-scrolling action falls someway short of a visual feast. The developers have opted for an odd mix of visual styles, with the central characters in a quasi-comic book cell-shaded style, the robotic enemies in a simple 3D and both combined against decidedly dull flat backgrounds. This is further compounded by an overly ambitious camera which zooms in and out of the action rather haphazardly and some clunky animation of the characters to provide a rather messy feel overall.

Of course, beauty isn't everything and this lack of eye-candy is at least partially offset by some depth in terms of generous 14 levels of platform-jumping, hazard-avoiding and robot-smashing action on offer. These roughly follow events fromt he film as the heroes transform from regular folks into their fantastic alter egos and take on the increasingly tough dominions of Dr.Doom. Each level sees you taking the role of a different member of the team and as you'd expect, each has his or her own special powers, strengths and weaknesses. Mr Fantastic, for example, can stretch his arms and legs to strike enemies that would be out of reach of an ordinary human, whilst the human torch though a little jumpy around water, can literally fly through the levels! These special abilities are further enhanced whenever your character picks up a power crystal, (a glowing blue diamond that’s occasionally located within a level), and these elements offer a refreshing change of place and undeniably the most enjoyable parts of play. Mr Fanastic can transform himself into a human rubber ball and bounce from platform to platform; the Human Torch, already in his combustive state, gains a massive attack that’ll knock out anything and anyone in the vicinity.

Sadly these highlights are too few and far between to counter the visual messiness, some slightly sluggish controls and a general lack of inspiration in design of the levels. We much preferred playing Splinter Cell or Tomb Raider, both of which are similar sideways-scrolling games, and don’t look any worse for being over 6 months older. Don’t get us wrong, Fantastic Four isn't unenjoyable; if you’re a big fan of the movie then you’ll be drawn in by a storyline especially as it approaches the climactic showdown with Dr Doom. If you’re less excited by the comic book capers however, there are more satisfying games available elsewhere.