Gaming Target - PlayStation 2: Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu

Written by D'Marcus Beatty on August 11, 2003

First Impressions: The Dark Knight returnsЕ againЕ for a second time. Let's hope they get him right this time.

Fans of comic books really haven't had much satisfaction in the arena of videogames. Most games about superheroes either lose the spirit of the protagonist, making a generic game with a licensed face attached, or they are just plain bad. Fantastic Four, Superman, BatmanЕ almost every hero has a game that represents him badly. Well, towards this year's end, Ubi Soft is hoping that the latest iteration of Batman games will change gamers' bias against superhero games.Their new game, entitled Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu, will take a different but appropriate approach to the Batman universe.

Batman, as a character, is very multifaceted. Any developer looking to make a game based on this very popular character could go a number of routes. Batman is cerebral enough to evoke a role-playing game, his established and respected world could easily host an adventure game, and he is personally tough enough to warrant an action game. Ubi Soft has decided upon the latter approach, taking Batman and some of his allies to the streets of Gotham in a side-scrolling action beat-em-up along the veins of Streets of Rage.

In Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu, the player can choose between Batman, Batgirl, the new Robin, or Nightwing (the old Robin). Each character has a distinct fighting style, and each should have over 35 different attacks and the ability to string these attacks together into combos. Also, you will be able to fill up a power meter by defeating foes. When the meter is full, your character will be able to unleash a special attack. In addition to this, characters will unlock new moves over the course of the game.

In addition to a number of punches, kicks, and grapples, each character will have a few miscellaneous items you can use to aid you on your quest. One example of this is the batgrapple, which your character can use to swing from lampposts to attack enemies.Oh, and in case any Batman fans were wondering what Sin Tzu refers to, Ubi Soft has solicited the talent of comic artist and creator superstar Jim Lee to create a new villain for the Batman continuity. Sin Tzu isn't currently an actual Batman villain, but there is a possibility that he could translate over into the comics if he proves popular enough.

Sin Tzu is a hunter, much like Kraven of Spider-man fame, who searches out for challenges. He was an orphan who learned military and martial arts skill after he was adopted by a cult by studying the texts of an ancient warlord. He also learned a mental discipline that allowed him to channel mental energy and physical energy back and forth, and also allows him to hypnotize weak-minded people, turning them into powerful warriors. Apparently, he decides that Batman might be a worthy challenge and decides to wage war on him. Sin Tzu sounds like an interesting character, and should prove a worthy opponent to one of comic's oldest and most respected heroes. Sin Tzu has also recruited Bane, Scarecrow, and Clayface to help him fight the Dark Knight, so Batman will definitely have a battle in his hands.