Fantastic Four

Written by D'Marcus Beatty  on March 04, 2005

First Impressions: Fantastic Four plus 7 Studios equalsЕwe'll see.

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Outside of comic readers, few people probably know about the Fantastic Four. The world's first super family doesn't have the high visibility of Spiderman, Superman, Batman, or the X-men. However, the Fantastic Four do have incredible tenure, as they were the first actual team of superheroes as well as the first superhero family. Before long, however, the world will be exposed to the FF as this year will see them gracing both the big screen and the console scene.

The Fantastic Four are a family that was exposed to cosmic rays that endowed them with incredible powers. Reed Richards, the team leader and world's smartest man, has the ability to stretch his body many times over, while his wife, Susan Richards, can turn invisible and project invisible force fields. Her brother, Johnny Storm is the human torch, who can fly and ignite his body into flames as well as throw fireball projectiles. Finally, Ben Grimm is the wisecracking tragic hero, who is incredibly strong but is trapped in a disfigured rock body. Their nemesis, Dr. Doom, is Reed's rival as the world's smartest man and the dictator of a foreign country. This dynamic sets the stage for the FF's many adventures.

The Fantastic Four game that was released on the original Playstation has the dubious honor of being considered one of the worst games ever made. Hopefully, 7 Studios, the new developer, can erase that stigma by offering a game that makes angry FF fans forget about the previous title. Looking at the development so far, this goal seems within reach.

One of the defining characteristics of the Fantastic Four as a team is their teamwork. The FF are more than just a group of people who have superpowers and fight together. They are a family, with the problems that come along with being a family. However, along with the problems, the team also has understanding, an almost unspoken telepathy that comes from being close. They work together as both a team and as a family. The upcoming game seeks to emphasize this point, eschewing the route that many games would take in having you choose one member to finish a stage. Similar to X-men Legends, most of the time the player controls one FF member while the other members are controlled by A.I. Players will also have the option to allow a friend to join in and enjoy a two-player cooperative session, but the expected four player option seems dubious.

Each character has a different style of play and different abilities. Ben, known as the Thing, is all about brute strength and handles like a brawler. Sue, the Invisible Woman, is much more subtle, and can turn invisible for one-hit stealth kills and can use her force fields both offensively and defensively. Johnny can throw fireballs, fly, and create walls of flame, and Reed can attack enemies from afar a la Dhalshim and can contort his body to make objects like giant hammers to attack foes. The variety of attacks is formidable, as each character has 40 moves, many of which are upgradeable and character-unique.

There will also be stages where only certain characters are available, as well as stages that have solo efforts and full team attacks. Also, mini-games that make use of the teamwork motif are planned. One example of this is a stage where the Thing must save a truck from falling over a bridge, and the mini-game has him mustering his strength to pull the vehicle from falling while the other members help Ben and rescue endangered citizens.

The graphics are very detailed and appear to be doing an effective job of recreating the superhero feel. Effects like the Invisible Woman's force field, the heat shimmering from the Human Torch, and Reed stretching slightly when hit make the game seem even more УfantasticФ.