Let’s face it, Aquaman isn’t exactly the most beloved superhero in the DC comics’ universe.  In the long line of superheroes that range from Batman to Superman, he’s the hero who is called upon when the forces of evil decide to take to the ocean.  Yet comic book fans have to admit that when it comes to battling underwater, no costumed hero comes close to Aquaman.  Now, Aquaman: Battle of Atlantis for the Xbox puts you in the role of the champion of the deep blue sea in his own adventure that will either prove that the battling mariner can be as cool as a shark or as dull as, well, tuna. 

The story is true to the classic comic books that carry his name: Aquaman is really King Arthur, ruler of magnificent and mysterious underwater city of Atlantis.  For years the people of Atlantis have been living in peace until one day the city is attacked by the minions of an old foe, Black Manta, who wishes to see the city finally destroyed.  So once again, it is up to the King to see that his city remain safe from harm as he battles an army of enemies.  Luckily, Aquaman has the means to combat this threat and it comes in the form of his powers of great strength and the ability to breath underwater.

Aquaman’s mission begins with him chasing after Black Manta’s Moray troops.  Almost immediately Infogrames’ Superman: The Man of Steel comes to mind since they both share the same style and mission objectives as well as the directional arrow that tells you where to go.  Many of the missions require you to defeat scores of enemies or reach a certain area that is being heavily attacked.  There really isn’t much variety in the mission objectives that go beyond the save the mermen from the clutches of the Moray troop or stop Tower X from being destroyed.  This is but the first of a long list of problems Battle for Atlantis suffers from and, ultimately, keeps the game from being fun.

The game’s biggest problem lies in the combat and you’ll be seeing a lot of combat throughout the game.  Aquaman can punch, kick, block, and grab opponents to deliver some painful jabs of his knee and use a grappling weapon to stun foes.  Unfortunately, delivering punches and kicks can become awkward since Aquaman doesn’t immediately lock on to his enemies and the camera doesn‘t do a good job of giving you the best view.  Often times two opponents will come at you and Aquaman’s inability to lock on to the nearest enemy makes him an easy target.  The fighting King can also unleash a few combos but most of these you’ll find by just mashing on the buttons.  

Since brawling is the game’s main attraction, it would have been nice to see Aquaman go up against more unique enemies besides the Moray troops (with their crab-like pinchers) or the Manta Blade (with their electrical knives).  Fights actually become too repetitive to the point that all the fun is sucked right out of each battle.  While there are some Power Up items that help summon up some powerful moves and his grappling trident hand is useful, it’s not enough to add spice to the action.  Gamers will hardly even care about the final confrontation with Black Manta and Lava Lord.

Unfortunately, this game isn’t even easy on the eyes.  Just like the Metropolis of Superman: The Man of Steel the city of Atlantis is massive and somewhat impressive . . . until you realize that up close the city is really plain and lacks that lived-in feel.  You won’t find any residents of Atlantis swimming around, although you do encounter the occasional underwater sea crafts people of Atlantis drive around.  Aquaman himself is crudely rendered and kind of blocky.  There is nothing about this game that feels like it was made with the Xbox in mind.

A funny thing happened while I was playing Battle for Atlantis.  I was too busy enjoying the wonderful score when I suddenly realized that there was no other sound to be heard in this game aside from the burst of bubbles that trail behind Aquaman as he swims or throws punches.  You’ll hardly hear a foe cry out in pain as our hero slams his knees into their chests or slams his fist into their cranium.  You won’t even find any voice acting in this game since the dialogue is done through comic book-styled text. 

This is what happens when little or no effort is put into releasing a quality game featuring a decent enough superhero.  Aquaman: Battle for Atlantis not only looks rushed but it also feels like it with its not-so fun missions and repetitive brawling action.  For those fans of the comic books or the action genre, this game sadly fails to show anything worthy of giving this game your full attention.  Maybe one day Aquaman will have a game true to his legend, but this one is not it.

Gameplay: 3.0
Repetitive fights and uninteresting mission objectives won’t be able to hook action gamers in or keep them interested enough to see this game through to the end.  Aside from these faults, throwing punches and kicks feel extremely awkward and unleashing combos are really just a question of mashing buttons in no particular order.  Aquaman doesn’t have many unique fighting skills but his grappling weapon does manage to be helpful although it would have been cool if the hero could summon different sea creatures to help him.  To top it all off, the game is also relatively short . . . although this can be seen as a good thing.

Graphics: 4.5
Nothing is more impressive than being underwater overlooking the magnificent modern city of Atlantis, yet sadly this sight isn’t as impressive as it should be in the game.  Sure there are some really interesting water effects (especially when Aquaman swims or throws a punch) but when it comes to detailed backgrounds, Battle for Atlantis fails to please the eye.  Even the characters themselves lack details, making for a really plain-looking hero fighting plain-looking foes.

Sound: 4.0
There isn’t a lot to find sound-wise in Battle for Atlantis except for the excellent score that accompanies the comic book-styled panels as well as during the game’s action.  The only thing you’ll hear in this game is the occasional sound of bubbles as Aquaman swims or the sound of punches connecting with bodies.   Your enemy doesn’t even make a sound when our hero knocks them out and there is no spoken dialogue. 

Difficulty: Medium
Unfortunately, no real brawling skills are required to complete each mission or to win fights with Black Manta‘s henchmen. Gamers can simply mash buttons repeatedly and get by well enough.  Many of the foes you go up against aren’t very intelligent fighters anyway.  Just about the only challenges you do encounter is trying to get to certain areas on time and the frustrating enemy lock on feature.

Concept: 5.0
Recently there have been quite a number of games released that feature comic book superheroes and, for the most part, many of them have turned out to be real disappointments (think X2: Wolverine’s Revenge and Batman: Dark Tomorrow).  It’s also refreshing to find a superhero game that isn’t linked to a recent Hollywood blockbuster movie and seeing Aquaman as the featured hero and in his own element will be something of a thrill to fans of the comics.  

Overall: 4.5
I hate to compare games to movies, but Aquaman: Battle for Atlantis is much like the movie Waterworld.  The setting for a really interesting adventure is present and the hero has a really nifty aquatic gift, but the end result is disastrous thanks to poor execution and a weak story with no real payoff.  The game suffers from way too many flaws that cannot be ignored, the most notable being the repetitive action.  Sorry, Aquaman, this is not the game that will help redeem you in the eyes of action and comic book fans everywhere.