Batman: Dark Tomorrow

• Release Date: March 19, 2003
• Genre: Action
• Style: Third-Person 3D Action
• Similar Games: Batman: Vengeance (Nintendo GameCube), Spider-Man (Nintendo GameCube), Superman: Shadow of Apokolips (Nintendo GameCube)

Game Description

With a story co-written by DC Comics' Scott Peterson and Final Fantasy scribe Kenji Terada, Batman: Dark Tomorrow draws its inspiration from the Dark Knight series of comic books which feature a solemn, resolved Batman as he fights crime amidst the rain-soaked urban decay of Gotham City. Commissioner Gordon has been abducted, gangs rule the night, and an unknown villain from Batman's past has targeted Arkham Asylum.

Played from a third-person perspective, the game features a total of 23 areas, each navigable by a transparent overhead map in the corner of the screen. Play involves a mix of hand-to-hand combat against multiple thugs, using gadgets found in the Caped Crusader's utility belt, and solving puzzles to advance deeper into the game. Moves under Batman's repertoire include leaps from buildings, spin kicks, a double jump, an array of punches, and a crouching maneuver used primarily for stealth.

As Batman makes his way through the environments, which include Gazette Square, Arkham Asylum, and Wayne Manor, Batman can make use of the Batcable to swing from building to building, the Batcuffs to ensnare foes, the Batarang for distance attacks, and the Batgrapple to shimmy up ledges. Other items include a universal tool for picking locks, smoke capsules to divert attention, night vision goggles to see in total darkness, medical kits to replenish health, and a fingerlight to search for hidden clues or documents.

Villains and their henchmen will confront Batman as he progresses, including Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, Black Mask, Ratcatcher, Killer Croc, the Ventriloquist, and the Joker. While Batman is alone throughout the game, some help is available via radio contact with Oracle. From the Batcave, Orchid will monitor Batman's progress and piece together the clues needed to unravel the storyline. Batman: Dark Tomorrow also features a stage where players can fly the Batglider, but the Batmobile and other vehicles are only viewable through cinematic cut-scenes.

Review: Overall

Batman: Dark Tomorrow seemed to have the right ingredients for a hit, even despite the shaky track record of publisher Kemco, whose biggest titles have been games in the Top Gear racing franchise. Yet if you're going to acquire a license as big as Batman, you have to be prepared to deliver the goods or risk irreparable harm to credibility and future sales -- neither of which a small publisher can afford to lose in an industry dominated by companies like Electronic Arts. And Kemco certainly seemed up to the task. The dark story penned by Scott Peterson, the orchestral soundtrack recorded by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and special effects supervised by Hollywood's Terrence Mason all point to a solid effort.

The opening cinema effectively sets the dark and moody tone, but everything else unravels from that point on. What's left is a mess of a game that appears hastily thrown together in an attempt to curb further development costs and generate as much money as possible before the public realizes they've been duped. It worked for Titus with Superman on Nintendo 64, and perhaps Kemco was thinking the same audience would do the same on GameCube, upholding the legacy of poor superhero games in the process. The only positives this title has going for it are the cinematic cut-scenes, the music, and the idea that Batman has full control of his utility belt gadgets right from the start.

Someone in the art department must have taken the Dark Knight moniker a bit too seriously or else wanted to hide a number of deficiencies, with graphics so dark that players immediately have to tweak the gamma slider on the options screen. Once that issue is dealt with, players will notice a problem they can't fix: the camera. While some games have cameras that are problematic because they move too much, Dark Tomorrow has one that rarely budges at all. Rather than follow the character as he moves throughout the levels, the camera remains in a predominately fixed position as seen in games like Resident Evil. While the controlled camera angles in a survival horror game can help create tension, they do nothing in an action game but give players the worst possible views imaginable.

The act of swinging using the batcable, for instance, quickly switches the view to an angle looking toward Batman for no apparent reason other than to show off his front. Handcuffing a thug quickly switches the view to an overhead perspective for no apparent reason other than to show off the top of his cowl. These momentary flashes are not only disruptive but also disorienting, often causing players to lose their bearings in midst of the action. Of course, the game design isn't worth persevering through the faulty camera. Batman can punch or kick foes until they tumble to the ground, but neither move is apparently strong enough to knock a thug out. He must then walk up to the body, press a button and watch as a cinematic shows him automatically using the batcuffs. If Batman fails to use the batcuffs, the enemy will get up and start attacking again.

Since there's no technique involved with putting the batcuffs on, or no practical purpose of having them other than to give players a mundane task to accomplish, they shouldn't have been included in the first place. It soon becomes evident that the developers were hurting for items to stick into the utility belt; some don't make any sense while others could have been combined into one tool. The batcable, for example, allows Batman to swing across areas, but he can't climb or descend while on it. The batgrapple lets Batman climb and descend, but he can't swing across, even though it's a rope that attaches itself to an invisible sky.

If players can overcome the gloomy graphics, irritating camera, and puzzling gadgets, they can look forward to swinging from rooftop to rooftop, punching dozens of enemies using two moves over and over again, ducking behind walls like Metal Gear Solid, and even taking to the skies in an awkward controlling Batglider. Alas, there's no Batmobile level to speak of, which could have offered a momentary break from the tedious and dizzying action sequences. Batman: Dark Tomorrow was an important title for Kemco to establish itself as a legitimate publisher of A-list titles. If this is the fruit of the company's efforts, they should have been content with releasing just another Top Gear game or perhaps dusted off Kid Clown's giant red shoes for another run. Instead players are graced with yet another superhero game destined for the bargain bin.

Review: Enjoyment

The camera, quirky control associated with gadgets, and simplistic fighting engine make for an unpleasant experience.

Review: Graphics

The dark look of the game is too dark, requiring players to turn up the brightness on their television screen or tweak the gamma setting in the options. Animation is basic and the environments are sparse.

Review: Sound

The orchestral score is effective in setting the tone for the game, but the voice acting could be better.

Review: Replay Value

Players can collect CDs and newspaper clippings for boring artwork and other "goodies," but most will want to shelve this title the first time through.

Review: Documentation

The short manual skips over the levels, objectives, and much of the gameplay.

Production Credits