The Punisher Game: First Look

Details on the Upcoming Punisher Game coming from IGN. Big-time Punisher fans alrea

December 05, 2003 - Calabasas, Ca.-based publisher THQ today gave IGN the initial details of its first major Marvel comic book game, The Punisher, due on PlayStation 2 and Xbox in fall 2004.

With the license agreement originally being announced by THQ back in Las Vegas, Ca. at its Fourth Annual Gamers' Day, today THQ revealed that The Punisher will be developed by Champaign, Illinois-development studio Volition, creators of the Red Faction and Summoner series.

"The Punisher is one of Marvel's grittiest heroes delivering a unique brand of vigilante justice that is a perfect fit for the video game universe," said Germaine Gioia, vice president of licensing, THQ. "We look forward to working with Marvel in bringing a perfect blend of classic comic book and filmed franchise versions of The Punisher to console gamers across the globe."

Big-time Punisher fans already know the Jonathan Hensleigh-directed movie is coming to movie theaters across the nation in late spring 2004, and THQ hopes to do something a little different with its game in that regard. Volition plans on taking elements from both the Artisan made film and from the classic comic book series to create an intense action game that brings out the best of both mediums.

For instance, simply by looking at the first in-game character shot, you can see The Punisher isn't created to perfectly re-create Frank Castle from the comics, but he certainly doesn't look like a perfect re-creation of Thomas Jane either.

Aside from these early skeletal details, THQ wouldn't reveal much else. Thankfully, in many ways this action game reveals itself. For instance, the story will obviously reveal Castle's origins (something like...in the wake of his wife's and family's murder, the government-employed Frank Castle decides to take the law into his own hands.). It's probably going to offer a third-person shooter (so players can actually see that they're playing as The Punisher), and we know it will offer the opportunity for players to wield lots of guns. Even though we don't know which ones for sure, we expect to players to handle videogame Uzis, automatic rifles, 9mm handguns, grenades, and sniper rifles. And pretty much everything else, since the Punisher seems to own an unending assortment of weapons.

Given that the game engine is probably a newly enhanced version of Red Faction II, it'll probably also feature Geo-Mod levels too.

It's also more than likely that several Marvel Comics characters close to the Punisher will make some kind of appearance, too. Who? Seeing that Daredevil and Spider-Man are taken (they appear in games made by Encore and Activision, respectively), we could expect, possibly, Kingpin and perhaps even Agent X.

"The Marvel Universe and all of its characters continue to provide engaging content in the interactive arena and THQ is doing a great job translating this popular vigilante to the major consoles," added Tim Rothwell, president of Marvel's Worldwide Consumer Products Group. "This is a game that will satisfy long-time Punisher fans of the Marvel Comics' series as well as any new fans turned on to the character after his feature film adaptation this April."

We'll have more on The Punisher in the near future.

EarthsMightiestAdmin
12/5/2003
IGN

The Punisher Game: First Look

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