E3 2011: Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters (Hands-On)

by: Tina - posted: 6/14/2011 3:11:00 PM

Game: Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters
Developer: Double Helix Games
Release Window/Date: June 7th
What works: Being empowered by the skills that come with the Green Lanterns’ power ring makes for some interesting combat moves. These work particularly well when combined for combo movements in between dashing to other enemies.
What needs work: While combat works well enough, the sequences repeated the same onslaught of several enemies at once. I have also yet to experiment with Hal’s mid-air movements, but am assured that it functions just as well.

Although being marketed in tandem with the upcoming film of (almost) the same name, the two platforms for Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters have very separate storylines. This is mainly to do with the constant flux nature of the production process of a film, we were told. Towards the start of the game based off the DC Comic hero, Hal Jordan can be seen learning the ropes of being a Green Lantern from none other than Kilowog. His brute strength and sheer experience lends to your newbie skills well.

Playing as the newly instated Green Lanter, players will initially have access to the basic minor and heavy attacks while they use experience points to earn new constructs. Experience will also allow you to tinker with statistics and other abilities to further customize your fighting style. Players will have to be mindful of the complementary abilities, such as the grab and bat moves that work synchronously together. Dashing back and forth between enemies will let you use your combos to their maximum without missing a hit. I opted for grabbing everything and throwing them together, including items at enemies and enemies at enemies. Watching your enemies be helpless toward your grab moves is a very gratifying experience if you’re the same kind of vindictive gamer that I can be. Altogether, there are 12 constructs of which you can use 8 at a time. Picking the best combinations will be up to you.

Because of difficulties in executing the game design of flight mode, the developers decided to create that separately to not interfere with the rest of the on-the-ground combat. We weren’t able to experiment with the Take Flight mode, but we’re told that anything that is performable on the ground is also available to you in the air. The game is already available on multiple platforms, including the three main consoles - 360, PS3 and Wii - should you want to pick it up and see for yourself.