Publisher: Vivendi Universal
Ages: teen & up
Parental
Advisory:
Violence
The summer has barely begun and already, there are several highly-promoted movies and their related console games. The latest is Vivendi Universal's Van Helsing, a gothic-themed action adventure that is based on the movie. Van Helsing is not an outstanding game, but those who enjoyed the movie can have a good time playing this interactive "monster mash."
Deep within the mysterious land of Transylvania, there are monsters that include the powerful Count Dracula, Frankenstein Monster, Wolf Man and more-22 villains in all. As legendary monster hunter Van Helsing, players battle these creatures with an array of weapons that include: spinning tojo blades, dual pistols, gatling and elephant guns and more.
The game is a single-player action adventure that serves 13 violent missions where players fight their way and solve a few puzzles. And there are some spectacular moves for players to perform.
The controls are intuitive and responsive and the game's camera work is adequate. The game looks good and does a solid job of evoking the movie's characters and gothic settings. As you would expect, the title is a violent one that features lots of fighting that's served with some bizarre imagery.
Van Helsing is a pretty decent game. However, there's superior (and bloodier) gothic action to be found in Vivendi Universal's Hunter: The Reckoning (Daytrum Review).
6/1/04 www.daytrum.com Editorial Staff
