The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction

Often times license character games are horrible. Maybe the fact that the developers have to follow strict guidelines, or maybe it is the fact that they are often rushed leads to the complacency. Whatever the reason, it is rare that anyone comes across a game featuring characters we all know that is worth the play time.

One exception to the rule happens to be “The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction”. Developed by Radical Entertainment, this free world gem takes what an unpopular character (lets face it, outside of the comic world, The Hulk has taken some tremendous losses) and turns The Hulk into what a game featuring the green giant should be, resulting in total destruction and a little piece inside of you screaming “Hulk Smash” every so often.

The free roaming world that you encounter doesn’t really seem to get old. You’re The Hulk, and after an intro mission, you’re unleashed in an unsuspecting city. You are able to do just about anything you want, from throwing citizens into buildings up to destroying the buildings themselves. There are also side missions for you to take care of, as well as check on how much destruction you can cause before the man comes down on you.

Yes, you are able to do that from the beginning of the game, but there is also a nice story waiting in the wings. Your mission is to find a cure to save yourself from…yourself. Evil Hulk is about to unleash himself on the world. Seems quite simple right? Wrong, as there are more than enough people around to try to interrupt Bruce Banner’s quest for inner peace. The Hulk is still being chased by the military, and there are some other elements that are out to destroy everything The Hulk may stand for.

Not the perfect game by any means, there are segments that feel kind of boring. There is the move set, which while robust, eventually whittles you into using the same moves. These moves make the game incredibly easy at times. Also some missions can just feel like you’re doing busy work until the boss battles. The enemies tend to be limited as well, which makes the game feel redundant.

No matter to those flaws though, this fame was an important stepping stone for Radical Entertainment and provided The Hulk with something that is actually playable. If improved upon, their latest, Prototype should have some GOTY buzz in a year of heavyweights such as Metal Gear Solid 4, Call of Duty 5, Mario Kart Wii, Grand Theft Auto 4 and Super Smash Brothers Brawl. If you have it, go enjoy and if not, I am sure it’s available for cheap at your local shop.

Prototype Trailer: