the sweet smell of nostalgia! The year is 2000, and we’re still getting used to the fact that we can play games on machines that look like they were borrowed from a sci-fi movie. Introducing 'Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker' for the PlayStation. Or, as I like to call it, 'How Not to Make a Batman Game', a title that might ring true for quite a few fans of our caped crusader. Strapping on your utility belt, grab a bat-shaped controller, and let’s swing into the new millennium of gaming disappointment!
Players take on the role of the new Batman, Terry McGinnis, as he swings into action across four vibrant stages: The Air and Space Museum, Bruce Wayne Enterprises, Arkham, and the Jolly Jack Toy Factory - because what's more serious than a toy factory? Not much, as it turns out. Players will channel their inner beat-em-up skills reminiscent of classics like Streets of Rage and Final Fight, engaging in battles against the Jokerz gang who are functionally as bright as a box of rocks. The combat is repetitive and uninspired—just like that homework you didn't do. With the option to switch between four suits, you’d think it’d add depth, but alas, it's more like trying to polish a turd: The suits feel underutilized and the combat grows old faster than a loaf of bread left out on the counter.
Remember the visuals in some of those animated ’90s cartoons? Yeah, this game doesn't capture any of that charm. Instead, we get what looks like a low-res college project from a student who skipped all their classes. Reports from critics suggest that the graphics range from amateurish to downright embarrassing. Character animations are robotic and combat controls feel clunky. If the characters had feelings, they’d surely be depressed. On the bright side, the cutscenes could evoke a hint of nostalgia for fans—much like watching an old VHS tape of Batman beating up the Joker while your parents argue in the background.
In the end, 'Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker' is like stepping out in a bat costume that’s two sizes too small: awkward, uncomfortable, and bound to get you ridiculed. Despite the potential of its source material, the game succumbs to a myriad of flaws, from outdated gameplay mechanics, laughable AI, and graphics that would give the average PlayStation1 fan severe existential abandon. Unless you’re a die-hard fan who wants to collect every Batman title for the sake of completion, skip this one. Trust me, you’ll thank me later as you play something more deserving of time and attention, like counting the number of bricks in your wall. Please save yourself the pain and maybe just go watch the animated series instead. This one gets a resounding 2.5 out of 10, and that’s being generous. Keep flying, Bat-fans—into better games!
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