With the new live action movie, Green Lantern, due out in a matter of days, Warner Bros. continues their big push with a merchandising bonanza that includes the new videogame, Green Lantern: Rise of The Manhunters. At E3, I got the chance to play the PS3 demo of the game based on the live action movie. According to Warner Bros. Interactive, the story is a supplement and adaptation to the movie that takes place after the events of the first movie. The demo begins with the Manhunters invading the Green Lantern’s home planet of Oa in a full scale attack. Gamers play as the Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, who is voiced by the live action movie’s star, Ryan Reynolds.
In the demo, you fight an onslaught of Manhunter robots. Manhunters are highly advanced robots that were originally created by the Guardians of Oa before the Manhunters rebelled. And now the Manhunters want revenge. As the Green Lantern Hal Jordan, you are armed with your power ring and a number of various powers. You get a basic quick attack which is in the form of sword green lantern constructs. The heavy attack are the large energy fist constructs. Another shoulder button lets you block attacks by creating an energy shield bubble, and you can unleash a dashing construct drill attack. Jordan is also armed with a number of various alternate construct attacks. There is a good variety here. The game looks promising because it actually lets you have the powers of the most powerful weapon of the universe at your disposal. As the game progresses, gamers can also upgrade their powers and unlock new ring powers and attacks. The additional lantern construct attacks are limited to your lantern power gauge. This can be recharged when the ring is given time to "cool down" from overuse and also when Jordan in select spots can charge up his ring in a green lantern power battery. At certain points you also get a special charge of unlimited construct power to pummel enemy Manhunters with.
The controls in the game work well and are responsive. The action is fun as you get to go around bashing the Manhunters in the Oa stage. You receive help from the likes of Kilowog and Sinestro. The power ring also speaks and gives advice to Jordan. One of the drawbacks of the demo is that the Oa stage got a little repetitive after a while. Eventually, Jordan starts fighting massive flying Manhunter Towers that he must defeat the same way again and again. Eventually, Reynolds exasperates, “Oh wow, another tower?!” That sounds like a little unintentional humor there. Eventually Jordan makes it to the gateway of Oa and faces off against an Ultra Manhunter in the demo’s boss fight. The boss fight provides a suitable enough challenge before you eventually beat it.
Besides Oa, Warner Bros. Interactive said you can travel to other worlds in the game such as Zamaron. Mogo, the living planet that is actually a Green Lantern, makes an appearance later in the game. Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters is out now and available on the Playstation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, PSP, DS, and 3DS.
