This will be short and sweet...just a quick impression so you folks tempted to pickup the game will get an idea of what you are getting into. Ghost Rider plays like God of War, only with better motorcycle sequences. Now when I say like God of War, I really mean like a slightly watered down God of War, where Kratos only has one chain with no real blades and his head is on fire. The elements are all in place here...spinning chain attacks with upgradeable combos, button-pressing special moves on dazed opponents complete with on-screen button indicators.

There is really no camera control at all in the on foot areas of the game with the right analog set to dodge attacks and the shoulder buttons used to fire off your shotgun or perform special moves. I often found myself dodging while desperately trying to see what was attacking me. Seeing as we aren't dealing with any gorgeous, pre-rendered scenery here it would have been nice to at least be able to look around.

The cycling portions are pretty eh. Basically you follow a set track, shooting things or hitting rival riders with your chain as if you're playing a bastardized version of Road Rash. There are points where you jump or slide under obstacles, but other than that pretty straightforward. My first real boss fight against a recognizable Marvel character was a motorcycle duel against Vengeance, who is pretty much Ghost Rider with a differently-shaped head. It was a simple dodge/jump affair...ridiculously easy really.

As you play you absorb souls, which allow you to upgrade GR with new moves, raise your health and such, or unlock extra movies and artwork. Standard fare for a comic book game these days, but pretty nifty.

The cut scenes are presented as slightly animated comic panel art, complete with non-celebrity voiceovers. Kudos to developer Climax for going the original story route rather than simply rehashing the plot of the film. I am a firm believer in the philosophy that movie games should add to the film experience and not simply ape it.

The graphics in the game aren't anything to write home about, but they get the job done nicely. The fire effects are rather tight, though suppose that's to be expected when the main character has a flaming skull for a head and the main setting is hell.

Can I recommend the game? From what I have played through so far, I'd say that $29.99 is good price to pay for a Ghost Rider fan like me, but with God of War 2 on the way anyone else might want to put that money down on a preorder of that title. Guaranteed to have 100% more jubblies. Michael Fahey

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