The game is played from a sort of fixed camera viewpoint; it's an attempt to make the game feel cinematic, and for the most part it works - but more about that later. You start the game as Hulk, and you quickly get educated in-game on how to punch, sonic clap, pick stuff up and either use it as a club or a missile, and generally smash the crap out of everything (and everyone) in sight. The amount of damage you can cause is very pleasing to the latent Hulk that lurks inside all of us; concrete gets cracked, metal gets bent, wood splinters - and there's plenty of dust and rubble to go around as well. Hulk levels see you fighting your way through samey military installations or Alcatraz (where the evil boss's base is). Enemies range from ordinary soldiers with automatic weapons through robots to mutant guards and monstrous mutant hounds (they're huge, toothy and would be quite comical if they didn't keep chewing your arse). The Hulk levels are highly enjoyable initially, but soon become repetitive as the numerous enemies swarm around you. Amazingly, at these times when you're surrounded by bad guys, sometimes you'll trigger a door or similar and the camera will cut away from the action at the most inopportune moments, leaving the Hulk uncontrolled and enemies still attacking you - not very fair is it? It's also mildly annoying that a monster that can throw cars at helicopters and punch tank's shells back at them needs three punches to dispatch an ordinary soldier - still, you can always grab them by the throat and use them as a missile…

The sections that you play as Bruce Banner couldn't be more different. Gone are all your super powers and physical size, and you find yourself sneaking around avoiding all contact and violence wherever possible. Fighting and attacking guards and scientists is an option, but Banner is best off sneaking everywhere and only performing risky stealth kills when they're absolutely necessary. These sections are played from the same kind of cameras as the Hulk bits, but sometimes Banner is so far away that you can't clearly see what is going on, or where you're going (thankfully there's a first person look option). Strangely all the Banner levels are completely independent from the Hulk ones, and you never get to see the dopey Dr lose his temper and kick some arse. This seems completely at odds with the ethos of the Hulk story, and means that the Banner levels are never anymore than a dull series of obstacle courses (with a few number-shuffle puzzles thrown in).

   

The Hulk's game engine may not allow for a lot of freedom or exploration, but the sheer amount of havoc that you can wreak when playing as the Hulk is wonderful. Sadly the game lacks variety and the sneaking sections aren't very well done and merely ape MGS2 and Splinter Cell like a really bad impressionist. The game just seems to throw an increasing number of bad guys at you until you get fed up. Determined to unlock all the DVD extras and cheat modes I flogged on and finished the game, but I fancy gamers who lack patience will tire of it well before the end. However, some of the Hulk sections are just so much fun that this game is surely worth a look…