Hulk is a video game based on the
2003 movie of the same nameHulk is a 2003 American superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character of the same name. Ang Lee directed the film, which stars Eric Bana as Dr. Bruce Banner, as well as Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, and Nick Nolte...
. It was developed by
Radical EntertainmentRadical Entertainment is a video game developer based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 1991 and previously developed games for game publishers such as THQ, Microsoft and Fox Interactive. It is now an entirely owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard after being acquired by...
and published by
Vivendi GamesVivendi Games, formerly known as Vivendi Universal Games, was the holdings company for Sierra Entertainment and Blizzard Entertainment. Vivendi Games was founded as Vivendi Universal Games after Vivendi bought Universal Studios in the early 2000s...
. A signature feature has
Eric BanaEric Bana is an Australian film and television actor. He began his career as a comedian in the sketch comedy series Full Frontal before gaining critical recognition in the biopic Chopper...
reprises his role of
Bruce BannerThe Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
. The plot does not follow the same story of the 2003 movie, but is instead more related to the comics.
Plot
The game begins in a
dream sequenceA dream sequence is a technique used in storytelling, particularly in television and film, to set apart a brief interlude from the main story. The interlude may consist of a flashback, a flashforward, a fantasy, a vision, a dream, or some other element. Commonly, dream sequences appear in many...
where a man named Bruce Banner transforms into a large and powerful monster dubbed the
HulkThe Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
and destroys waves of soldiers and tanks sent by the military to attack him. Upon awakening, Bruce Banner is contacted by his old mentor
Dr. CrawfordRavage is a fictional character in Marvel Comics. He is also one of the Hulk's enemies.-Fictional character biography:...
who explains that he has developed a cure for the Hulk called the Gamma Orb. Unfortunately, military troops led by the corrupt
General John RykerGeneral John Ryker is a fictional character, a villain and an enemy of the Hulk in the Marvel Universe. He is obsessed with the Hulk, and tried to make attempts to capture the creature.- Fictional character biography :...
have raided the lab.
Bruce Banner sneaks into the lab and discovers that General Ryker wants to obtain the Gamma Orb. After reaching Dr. Crawford, Bruce allows his old mentor to use the Gamma Orb on him, but Crawford uses it to steal the Hulk's energy. Crawford touches the Orb and absorbs a part of Bruce Banner's power transforming himself into a Hulk-like creature called
RavageRavage is a fictional character in Marvel Comics. He is also one of the Hulk's enemies.-Fictional character biography:...
. Simultaneously, Banner transforms into the Hulk.
After a chase of Ravage over rooftops and through sewers with Ryker's forces in hot pursuit, Hulk finds himself at a dead end where he is ambushed by the vampire
Half-LifeThere are two fictional characters in the Marvel Universe that are named Halflife with two distinct origins. They are detailed separately below.- Halflife :...
. Hulk defeats Half-Life who explains that Ravage has taken the orb to Alcatraz but will kill a hostage there if the Hulk is detected.
Bruce infiltrates Alcatraz which has been secretly occupied by the
LeaderThe Leader is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #62, and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. In 2009, The Leader was ranked as IGN's 63rd Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.Actor Tim Blake...
and his private army. Bruce deactivates the Gamma detection device using a security terminal which shows live footage of a Gamma chamber used to mutate the Leader’s henchmen into Gamma-irradiated super soldiers. It also shows the
MadmanMadman is a supervillain within the fictional Marvel Comics universe. The character is portrayed as one of the Hulk's enemies, and as the brother of Samuel Sterns, better known as The Leader...
taking the hostage Betty Ross to the irradiation chamber after being ordered by a mysterious voice to "dispose" of her when she refuses to further aid them in their schemes.
Seeing Betty in distress causes Bruce to transform into the Hulk decimating the research facilities and defeating Madman after disabling the irradiation chamber. Betty tells the Hulk that she has been exposed to the Gamma radiation and must be taken to the military Gamma base.
The Hulk takes Betty to the base, but is incapacitated by a force field. Bruce is sedated and strapped to an operating table where General Ryker plans on dissecting him. Betty frees Bruce, who (disguised as a soldier) formulates an antidote, transforming into the Hulk and fighting the military while trying to find and destroy the shield generator. Hulk finds the generator, but is confronted by
FluxFlux is a fictional gamma empowered soldier in the Marvel Comics universe. He is one of the Hulk's enemies.-Fictional character biography:Private Benjamin Tibbits, a soldier with unresolved mother issues, was a Private First Class in the United States Army...
, a Hulk-like soldier. The Hulk defeats Flux and throws him into the generator, destroying it.
Hulk escapes and returns to Alcatraz. After fighting through the Leader's forces as Hulk and Bruce Banner, Hulk finally confronts Ravage, who was guarding Leader's teleport device. Ravage is defeated and returns to the form of Dr. Crawford. Crawford informs Bruce that the Gamma Orb is at Leader's control center (called New Freehold) and Bruce teleports to it. After being ambushed by Half-Life and Madman, Bruce once again transforms into the Hulk and confronts them. Madman escapes at the middle of the fight, leaving Half-life to battle Hulk alone. After beating Half-Life, the Hulk finally confronts the Leader.
The Leader uses the orb to cure the Hulk, but in order to save humanity from the Leader's Gamma army, Bruce sacrifices his own, and after touching the Orb he unleashes the Hulk, who beats the Leader despite his powerful psychic attacks. As New Freehold begins to collapse, the Leader escapes by teleporting himself. The Hulk manages to reach the teleport chamber, but he encounters one final fight with Madman. After defeating Madman, the Hulk teleports himself and escapes.
The ending shows Dr. Crawford trying (and failing) to create another Gamma Orb, General Ryker experimenting on Flux, and Bruce Banner walking alongside a highway attempting to hitch a ride home. Banner's shadow was that of the Hulk.
Reception
The game received favourable reviews upon release.
IGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
rated
Hulk an 8/10. They were fond of the "fun" Hulk missions but criticized the Banner missions for being too lengthy and difficult.
Audio
The music of the game was composed and arranged by Graig Robertson. The voice acting was directed by
Michael DonovanMichael David Donovan is a voice actor for many TV shows and anime. He is most known for his voice on the series ReBoot for his voices of Phong, Mike the TV, Cecil, and Al. He has also provided the voice of Sabretooth for X-Men: Evolution and Carnage for Spider-Man Unlimited. He played the lead...
,
Terry KlassenTerry Klassen is a Canadian voice actor and voice director in Vancouver, British Columbia. He co-created Yvon of the Yukon. He is the voice director for shows including Martha Speaks, "Johnny Test", "George of the Jungle", "Ed, Edd n Eddy", several "Barbie" movies, "Transformers", "CardCaptors",...
and Phillip Webster. The confirmed voice actors are
Eric BanaEric Bana is an Australian film and television actor. He began his career as a comedian in the sketch comedy series Full Frontal before gaining critical recognition in the biopic Chopper...
as Doctor Bruce Banner and
Michael DobsonMichael Richard Dobson is one of the three Dobson brothers , all of whom have made themselves known prominently in the voice acting community...
as the Leader. The rest of the voice cast (whose roles are not specified in the credits) consists of Katie Bennison,
Michael DonovanMichael David Donovan is a voice actor for many TV shows and anime. He is most known for his voice on the series ReBoot for his voices of Phong, Mike the TV, Cecil, and Al. He has also provided the voice of Sabretooth for X-Men: Evolution and Carnage for Spider-Man Unlimited. He played the lead...
,
Paul DobsonPaul Dobson, of the Dobson brothers , is an accomplished Canadian voice actor, one of the many who work with Ocean Group, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Paul is frequently cast in one of two roles: a brilliantly cunning, evil villain, or a thuggish strong guy...
, Jano Frandson, Doc Harris, Michael Hovan,
David KayeDavid V. Hope , known professionally as David Kaye, is a Canadian American actor who is better recognized for his work as a voice actor...
, Dion Luther, Murray McCarron, Wendy Nakano, Graig Robertson, Jason Simpson,
Robert O. SmithRobert O. Smith was a voice actor whose roles include Kaijinbo in InuYasha and Genma Saotome in Ranma ½.-Roles:* Hulk - soldiers and guards* InuYasha - Kaijinbo...
and
Lee TockarLee William Tockar is a Canadian voice actor and visual artist who works for several studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He is also a writer of children's literature, a musician, sculptor, illustrator and collected painter...
.
External links
- Hulk at Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...