Punisher: No Mercy is the latest videogame from the Marvel stable, available exclusively in North America and Europe as a digital download on the Playstation Network from today. Produced by Zen Studios, the game uses the Unreal engine to power the fast-paced first person shooter action.
Playing as Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, you battle hordes of villains, including comic luminaries such as Bushwhacker and Jigsaw as you make your way through familiar Punisher locations such as shipyards rife with contraband to the birthplace of Punisher’s archenemy Jigsaw. As you would expect from an FPS the game is incredibly fast paced, it’s very much a “think fast or die” game, much like the classic FPS’s Unreal 2 and Quake 3. You start Punisher: No Mercy with minimal weaponry and skills, with the ability to unlock more as you play the game. Alongside the option to unlock weapons, you also have the ability to unlock and play as other Punisher characters such as Silver Sable.
The story mode is wrapped in amazing cut scenes that tell a brand new story, brought to life through artwork from artist Mike Deodato. There’s plenty of Punisher-esque elements to the game, which includes very strong language – think of this game as more a Punisher Max game than Punisher: War Journal. In addition to the solo gameplay there is an amazing online experience to be had. Players fight alongside, or take on, Punisher allies and villains in traditional arena-style multiplayer matches that feature solo and team-based missions for up to eight players. Check out the trailer below:
Punisher: No Mercy feels like an old friend, full of familiar gameplay but with a Marvel twist. Playing No Mercy online took me back to the days when we used to play LAN games of Quake 3 and Unreal 2 on the early shift at work before the boss came in! It’s obvious that the game owes a lot to the Call of Duty franchise and if you’ve played those to death like I have, you’ll feel right at home with Punisher: No Mercy.
Graphically the game is one of, if not the best looking game made for PSN, however there has been some compromise on graphics to allow for faster online gameplay – but not so much that it is noticeable to the untrained eye. Multiplayer works well – there were some early postings on Twitter regarding lag during online play, but I have experienced none so far via the EU PSN…
Punisher: No Mercy is definitely worth buying at the bargain price of $9.99/£6.59
