Gaming Target - GameCube: Spawn: Armageddon

Written by D'Marcus Beatty on October 07, 2003

First Impressions: Angels everywhere bewareЕ

Todd McFarlane's Spawn character hasn't had much positive publicity until lately. His movie was fairly mediocre, poorly attempting to cram the rich, quasi-spiritual mythos of the McFarlane creation into a scant hour and a half movie. Spawn's games have similarly been disappointing for fans of the antihero, offering poor gameplay and blatant exploitation of the license. However, recently Xbox owners had the opportunity to experience Spawn's cameo in the recent, critically acclaimed Soul Caliber II, one of Spawn's few non-comic book appearances which accurately captured Spawn's gruff, tortured hero personality and take no prisoners and take no lip attitude. And now, Namco, the company who was responsible for Soul Caliber II, will get another shot at bringing Spawn to the video game arena with the soon to be released and long overdue Spawn: Armageddon.

For the comic-book uninitiated, Spawn is a dead soldier, Al Simmons, who was one of the greatest, most efficient killers ever employed by the government. Killed by a double cross, Simmons makes a deal with the demon Malebolgia to be able to come back to life, a contract he agrees to because of his love for his wife, Wanda. However, Malebolgia neglects to tell Simmons that he will come back as one of his agents, a demonic killer, and that his return would be years after his death. When Simmons returns, he finds his wife married to his best friend, and his own memories scrambled.

Armageddon will attempt to stay true to the spirit of the Spawn stories, which always takes a rather unconventional look at the war between good and evil. For example, Spawn's main adversaries in the game will be a group of overzealous angels with the aggressive goal of destroying hell. However, the weapon that the angels will utilize is so superfluously powerful that it will also inadvertently annihilate earth as well. Spawn obviously decides to stop the angels, and that both sets the storyline for Armageddon and explains the name.

The gameplay will be action orientated, and has already drawn comparisons to the original Devil May Cry. Simmons will have four basic attacks, which consist of attacking with Spawn's ax, using firearms, using his mystical hell-endowed powers, and long-range attacks using his animated chains. Gamers will mix the attacks as well to create formidable combos. Also, Spawn will have the ability to double jump, and naturally, he can use his cape to glide.

Loyal fans of the Spawn character will be ecstatic to know that Armageddon will give them the opportunity to interact with familiar foes and friends, such as Redeemer and Violator. The game also will have appropriate settings replete with preternatural foes. Spawn will be battling his enemies in the streets, in warehouses and docks and there will also be a great deal of interaction with the environment.

Another special addition to Armageddon will be revelations about the previously unnamed Spawn character Mammon. Mammon , a mysterious character that advises Spawn from the shadows, will have some of his history revealed in Armageddon, a disclosure that hasn't even occurred in the Spawn comic series yet. This will be a special treat for McFarlane fans, and perhaps a first for comic characters, allowing some essential history to first be revealed outside of the actual comic.