Batman: Chaos in Gotham (GBC) Review (no fat)

Game Description

The title, Batman: Chaos in Gotham, starts following a massive outbreak in Gotham’s main prison facility, several of Batman’s most feared enemies, including familiar faces such as Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, and even The Joker, suddenly prowl the streets and resume their criminal activities.

Once again, it’s up to the legendary Dark Knight to take care of this merry bunch of convicts and to return Gotham to the occasionally peaceful city it was before they all managed to escape. Batman is accompanied by Batgirl, who is as slick as ever, and both heroes courageously trek through the chaotic Gotham in search of their foes. Batman’s best buddy, Nightwing, also drops in from time to time to lend a helping hand.

Batman: Chaos in Gotham Gameplay

Batman: Chaos in Gotham, while a typical action title at heart, nevertheless incorporates excellent game mechanics to make this adventure an interesting one. The first thing you will remark is that you don’t actually have to choose between the two main protagonists, Batman and Batgirl. The game instead lets you control Batgirl on a couple of levels when Batman magically disappears, probably to do some undercover work. Although both characters share the same actions, they each have distinct characteristics. Nightwing also makes an appearance during the game’s several cutscenes, but you never control him, which is somewhat disappointing.

You can both punch and kick your enemies, as you leap from platform to platform. Batman also has an impressive array of special moves he can rely on, such as a somersault and a sweeping kick. Moreover, should you get fed up of constantly physically attacking your foes, the trademark bat-items and bat-weapons are at your disposal. These range from bombs that you can just place around and will explode once your enemies stupidly walk on them to grappling hooks that will allow you to reach the most elusive item.

It is a shame that the weapons aren’t fully exploited though since the enemies, in spite of their abundance, are exceedingly dumb, and can be easily killed with a mere punch. They never really threaten you, and will most of the time simply walk around like zombies. You can even avoid most confrontations simply by jumping over your foes, as the latter will never bother tracking you down even if you were previously just in front of them. The absence of any challenge from the enemies obviously hurts Chaos in Gotham and makes the special attacks obsolete, but thankfully, the solid gameplay makes up for it.

Moreover, while the basic controls are excellent and your physical attacks come out without any problem, using your gadgets and weapons rapidly gets frustrating. This is because you need to select the item you wish to use by browsing your inventory via the Select button. Once you select a specific item, you will automatically use it until you revert to your punches. While such a control scheme is understandable since this is the Game Boy Color, it nevertheless feels awkward and makes the whole process tedious.

In spite of these flaws, Batman: Chaos in Gotham is a great game thanks to the 18 diverse levels. In addition to the typical side-scrolling levels, you’ll find yourself completing mini-quests that add a certain depth to this title. These bonus mini-games involve driving the infamous Batmobile through Gotham, or controlling one of the numerous vehicles included in the game. These extras are always challenging and fun, and constitute an excellent alternative from the generic (lack of) fighting required in the normal stages.

Batman: Chaos in Gotham Visuals

Visually impressive, with excellent animation throughout the game, Batman and his partner benefit from superb character models that are reminiscent of the animated shows. Gotham is brilliantly displayed with a collection of gloomy and detailed locales that plunge you into a gripping world. On the other hand, the fact that you sometimes can’t tell the difference between the background and platforms can get very irritating.

Batman: Chaos in Gotham Sound

The game has average and repetitive music that, while never memorable, fits the game. The sound effects are similarly of decent quality. They very often don’t even come out, which can be surprising the first few times, but this doesn’t make such a huge impact on your adventure.

Batman: Chaos in Gotham Overall

Batman: Chaos in Gotham is good action title in spite of a couple of flaws, such as the excessively dumb enemies and the weird controls when using your weapons. The game benefits from its intuitive mini-games and superb level designs, along with a brilliant animation, and is consequently thoroughly enjoyable.

Batman: Chaos in Gotham Cost

The game currently retails for $19.99.