Catwoman [GC]

The issue, however, isn't the scope of her abilities. It's their execution. As part of EA's trend to use the analog controls come hell or highwater this pretty looking but vexing game suffers most from its annoying control scheme (followed by its hellaciously disturbing camera setup). Using the analog controllers and trigger (shoulder buttons) in conjunction to pilot Catwoman around, players are placed in old-school, trial-and-error physical puzzles. They're required to pull off precise moves with imprecise controls. Things like the whip arch are tough to pull off because Catwoman seems to often drop the whip in mid swing. Other times, you cannot see the next object because of the camera's insistence on facing Catwoman at all times. That's when you fall 10 stories and have to start over.

And once you've fallen several times, you might find yourself wondering why you bought this game. Is it really worth the trouble? There is something terribly false about the whole Catwoman premise. It feels and plays like a cheap, quickly-made game. It feels like an excuse. It's based on a movie that looks so bad in the movie trailers alone that even a diehard comic book guy like myself won't see it. There is so much focus on glitz and Halle and sexiness that the core, whatever that might have been, seems quickly shucked in favor or purely visual tomfoolery.

The combat system, while upgradeable, is super simplistic, and the enemy AI is limp. The Capoeira-style moves (Wha??!! Catwoman knows Capoeira??!!!) make you feel like you're doing awesome things, but really you're pulling off the simplest of combos. Again, it's visually appealing, but after a fight you're left feeling hollow and empty. Like you've beaten up a kid or stolen cookies from the Girl Scouts. Not such a fantastic emotion.

The standing animation alone is a perfect example of where this game's priorities are. Let Catwoman idle for about a minute and a looping peep show begins its run. Berry grinds her hips, feels the slick leather on her legs, and licks her hands like a cat, finishing off with a wink at the camera. It's pure fluff.

Despite all that, there is some fun to be had. It's just far and few in between the hateful times. The tracks or footprints left by your familiar cat friend are smartly laid out, giving players a hint of where to go next. Each new room is like a big maze, in which you must trace the clues to climb, jump, or swing to the next stop. When you're successful in beating a level a certain level of satisfaction does set in (mixed with rage, of course).

At the end of each level you earn points from the execution of moves (all of which are rather confusing in the beginning), and you can buy new ones, about 10 or so. The upgrades do improve the fights a bit, but they can't repair what's already an overly simplistic fighting system.

Graphics If there is one thing that is done well in Catwoman, it is EA's ability to make Halle Berry's digital re-creation look excellent. Catwoman is slender, sexy, she moves well, and she is motion captured well enough to fool the eye into believing she's moving with grace and style. There is also a health lighting system that gives Catwoman a nice aura, a glow, softening her edges, and once again giving her a sexy sheen.

The rest of the graphics are rudimentary, dull, and unimpressive. The enemies are bland looking, Sharon Stone's character looks like someone else entirely, and the backgrounds are plainly textured, and forgettable from a color and design standpoint. What does stand out visually is the complex arrangement of objects organized for Catwoman to jump onto and from. Otherwise, forget this one in the graphics department.

Sound The music in Catwoman hardly stands out above the sleepy roar of everything else. The theme song, presumably from the movie, is pretty good -- dramatic in fashion, a little Danny Elfman-esque, and somewhat moving. It's rather overused, even though it never actually gets in the way. The cutscenes are a joke, filled with sleep-inducing lines and poor voice acting.

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