by Marvel Comics’ latest film adaptation, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, has been receiving rave reviews in the run up to its release this Friday. Gameloft’s universal iOS beat-‘em-up of the same name has a fair bit going for it, as well, with solid presentation and quite a bit of content, but ultimately doesn’t captivate over the long haul. Spreading a small number of game mechanics and levels as thin as possible muddles what could have been a pretty strong action affair.
While the first Captain American movie game took the odd (but enjoyable) approach of a Mirror’s Edge-like side-scrolling runner, The Winter Soldier matches its super-powered subject well by letting you pummel ample goons and whip your star-emblazoned shield with ease. Using virtual buttons, taps and swipes, or a combination of the two control styles, you’ll wander through vertically-scrolling streets and metallic corridors, executing easy combos by hammering the single melee attack button, swiping to launch Cap’s shield, and occasionally using the suit-specific special ability—like a leaping ground-pound maneuver or a shield-driven rushing assault.
Simplistic as the combat may be, the brawling action is engaging at first, and you can recruit a pair of computer-controlled allies to support you with firearms—or occasionally call in Black Widow or Falcon to clear the screen of foes. The comic-esque aesthetic is generally solid, though the rare camera freak-out can be rather disorienting. The Winter Soldier’s main issue, however, comes with repetition. While expected from a button-mashing brawler, it’s amplified here by using the same handful of backdrops and enemy types over and over again for large chunks of its campaign, which totals nearly 100 brief missions at launch. Halving that total and offering more variety would’ve made for a really fun little brawler, but retreading the same ground ad nauseam proves tiring.
The Winter Soldier augments its main storyline action with various side elements, but none feel fleshed out or essential. You can battle random online opponents in the A.R.E.N.A. mode, but it amounts to nothing more than picking your squad members and flicking through a couple of menus; the “action” is totally automated and never shown. Meanwhile, the ability to combine and equip gems to enhance characters is unclear in spots, and spending coins to upgrade your buildings to house more allies than you’d ever actually need seems totally tacked on. Needing to be connected online at all times to play even the single-player story missions is also a frustratingly unnecessary aspect.
The bottom line. Solidly enjoyable (albeit super streamlined) brawling action makes The Winter Solidier an intriguing comic affair, but serious repetition and underwhelming side elements wear out its welcome.
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