Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects is imperfect and there's no getting away from that fact. I just thought I better get that out of the way before we start. However, this game isn't without its moments either. If there was ever a game that's a real mixed bag of rough and smooth, then this is it. Some parts came out and hit me in the face as darn good, while other aspects hit me in the groin as idiotically stupid. It's all going to boil down to preference and how easily pleased you are with fighting games such as this one.

Frankly I would have expected more from the ex-developers of the upcoming Starcraft Ghost, but then one has to ask the question, why are they ex-developers? Were they not very good? Then the stories here are done by top comic guy, Mark Millar - and on the face of things you'd think that the game would rate well. Unfortunately, I can't really distinguish which mode in this game is supposed to be the main core of the gameplay - leaving it a little too wishy washy for my liking.

You see, the Vs mode is like a 3D arena fight, where two super heroes battle it out, face to face in a destructible environment. All well and good, and yes, this sounds like a blast. And then there's the story mode, where you play as various super heroes, visiting different locations and basically killing your foes. To unlock characters for the Vs you have to play the story, but to be able to play the story mode you will have to pump caffeine directly into your veins with a three-inch needle. Coffee just won't do here.

The story mode bored me to tears. It's not the storyline that's the boring part either; Mark Millar has done a good job with the story, there's no question about that. Another neat thing is that the story is played from many super heroes' viewpoints and some of the stories weave in and out of one another, which creates something rather unique. The only trouble is, the repetitively short levels soon grow tiresome. Most of the game involves you playing as one of the many super heroes, punching a weakling enemy two or three times. Rinse and repeat. There's hardly any challenge here, let alone a fun factor.

The only thing that the levels, and this includes the VS mode too, have going for them are the destructible environments and the boss battles. The destructible environments, while nothing too new and innovative, add a level of destruction that is much needed to give super heroes that super-heroic feel. Just look at The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. That wouldn't be as good without the destruction, would it? You wouldn't feel half as super. So when you throw your foes into vehicles and then everything smashes up, it feels rather good.

This said, it's worth noting that the level of the destruction here looks like child's play when compared to Hulk. The boss battles are the only thing that offers any degree of challenge whatsoever. These battles are essentially what you can expect from the Vs mode - a nice lengthy fight against some good AI, in the same kind of destructible environments. While I won't grow tired of the boss battles here, the weakling few and far between foes I have to plow through to get to the bosses simply don't make the whole venture worthwhile - so you might as well cut right to the Vs. But wait, you have to play story to unlock anybody remotely worth playing as! Can you see the predicament here? The Vs mode areas are a little better for fighting in actually, as they're specially made with destruction in mind!

Probably the final straw here for me is that the super heroes don't feel all that super. There moves are very limited to jump, block, punch and another primary attack. You can also modify these actions with movement and super power buttons. The movement button normally makes your character sprint, but on Spider-Man for example, he uses his web. These movements can actually be combined with a kick or a punch, or even a jump for some web slinging fun. The super power button, whilst held, makes your character special for a short amount of time. It basically makes your hero into the hero he or she should have been for the whole time. Pressing the hero button on Wolverine ejects his claws, allowing him to slash away at his foes, which feels like it has no kind of special impact at all.

The graphics in the game aren't half bad really. The characters are almost cel-shaded, but not quite, to give a sub-comic book feel. Not as much as Ultimate Spider-Man, but still authentic all the same. The destructible environments are nice, if a little unimaginative. My main graphical gripe is that the enemies hardly look threatening - they look like giant cute cuddly ants, or something. Aside from this, most effects are eye pleasing and the menu system looks extremely professional too. The sound is about as evenly matched as the graphics too. We have a nice blend of heroic sounding music throughout the menu systems, although the music in fights doesn't sound as dynamic, and is bordering on repetitive. The effects do a good job of backing the destruction though!

I'd love to recommend this game, but I simply can't. It might be worth a look if you love your super heroes dearly, or if you fancy an arena based fighting game - but if you are getting it for the arena matches, then be prepared to wade through the bad to unlock the good. Vs mode can be played with a friend too, which adds to the lasting appeal of the title, if you decide to pick it up. All in all, Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects is a mixed bag of imperfection and rather jagged diamonds that should seriously be weighed up before purchasing. And hey, if you're bent on getting a decent and destructive super hero game, then consider The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction - Chris would recommend it without a second thought!

Reviewed by Dexter Pearson for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).