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Brainiac is at it again. He's found a talking hunk of meteor that's promised him ultimate power for a few favors in return. All he needs to do is produce an army of genocidal robots and put in a call to some of his super villain buddies, because he knows he can't sneeze without those meddling Justice Leaguers showing up with a Kleenex.
Snowblind Studios amazed the world with just how good Playstation 2 games could look, and in the process created a new genre with Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance. Their latest effort, Justice League Heroes, makes DA look like a PSX game. From the cityscape of the first stage, I was struck by how much detail had been poured into both characters and environments, from the wavy motion of Superman's cape, to the shimmer of concrete on a hot summer day. Secret labs, cold war bunkers, alien landscapes... there's enough visual ammunition for this game to stand toe to toe with next generation offerings and not flinch. My favorite was the hidden city of the gorillas, with its flowing streams, bamboo platforms, and baskets of apples that would spill out when you picked one up to clobber a disgruntled monkey with.
some might find Justice League a bit short, but it's done in a way that doesn't overstay its welcome, and remains fun through a second play at a higher difficulty, especially when you get to keep all your progress and unlocked characters.
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That's another thing. These environments aren't just pretty, they're interactive. Nearly every object can be ripped up and swung around, and those that can't usually end up smashed and beaten with fragments of debris filling the air. Making use of these makeshift weapons is almost half the fun, and they're not just for throwing. A great big tree becomes a great big club for some henchmen home runs, while a massive steel crate can squash them flat. Even stunned enemies can be swung around to smack their former allies before both explode in a shower of green globs (experience points). All of this action backed by an impressive musical score that manages to be grand and powerful, creating the feeling of an epic unfolding.
JLH features your standard weak and strong attacks, along with blocking that I never used as much as I should have. The attacks can be mixed to produce several canned combos, to strike for extra damage or launch your enemies into the air, applying a final jab to send them flying. Most of the heroes in the game can fly themselves, which adds a new dynamic against airborne enemies. There's even a few stages that are all or mostly done from the air to help change up the gameplay, and add an additional level of strategy. Of course, no boss is without the ability to squash such flies.
Still, there's nothing that super about fisticuffs. Each character has five powers they can whip out any time they have the energy for them. These vary pretty wildly while keeping with the comic book traditions of the characters involved. Superman has his heat vision and frosty breath, the Flash is still a pinball wizard with a cyclone on the side, and Wonder Woman likes to tie thugs up with her magic lasso. The amount of powers is a bit disappointing though, especially when you'll have them all ready to use after the second level up, not leaving you much to look forward to. Some of the unlockable characters have a measly four abilities, though leveling combined with power up orbs means they could still clobber the forces of evil.
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