“The Punisher” lets you take control of Marvel Comics character Frank Castle, a Vietnam vet whose family was killed in a mob hit. Outraged by criminals killing his loved ones, he hunts them down and kills them. To understand his character you have to understand his motive – revenge. He’s not looking to protect other families from suffering the same fate; he just wants to kill. His character is perfect for the video game world, were violence is the norm. In fact, this makes the game one of the more sadistic ones released in recent years.
The game is far from perfect; there are some technical glitches. My biggest complaint is that with all the dialogue in the game, none of the characters’ lips move. It becomes distracting and makes the game look cheap. Another problem is that running around and shooting feels clunky and taking cover behind walls is hard because you can really press up against anything. Plus small objects seem both glued to the table and immune to bullets.
The Punisher is rated “M” for mature, and it earns the rating. The language is quite vulgar and the violence is rampant. However, it’s nice to see the production team didn’t wimp out and make a more family-friendly “Punisher.” I just wish they showed the same level of commitment with some of the more technical aspects of the game. Overall, I give this game three of five “Louies.” It’s a must-play for “Punisher” fans, but not for anyone else.