Games of movie ties-ins are generally meh-tacular, but we continue to live in hope. When you combine that uninspiring movie-tie-in genre with another chronically under-achieving (with a few notable exceptions) category, video game based on super heroes, this game could be ground breakingly awesome, or heartbreakingly terrible. Time will tell.
In general, games based on movies are limited by the confining nature of the movie’s plot, which developers are forced to at least loosely follow, and there is typically much less development time available for a tie-in game than most developers would like — and the results have shown. Just look at the Avatar game, which had a solid idea to play as either human or Na’vi, and the full support of James Cameron, but was a forgettable game. Still, one day, someone will come out and simply nail it. One day…
But for what there is to see, Sega is on the right track, and they know exactly what they are doing with Captain America: Super Soldier. The game itself will be a tie-in with the movie, but it does not share the same plot, nor will it simply video gamie-ize the things you will see in the theaters. How that fits in with the movie, and whether or not it is something that happens between the scenes of the movie, or if it is totally original, is not clear.
As for Cap, the trailer below, originally posted on IGN, gives you an idea of what to expect, although the actual game is still months away from completion. Part brawler, part platformer, you take control of Steve Rogers and make full use of his super soldier abilities to wade through hordes of Hydra and Red Skull soldiers as a vanguard for the Allied forces in World War II. Using your shield, acrobatic abilities, fighting skills and a tactical mode that seems to be based off of the detective mode in Batman: Arkham Asylum (which is not a bad thing) Cap will fight his way through Hydra castle.
Expect more on this game as the release date nears. Sega has not given an exact date on when that will be, but the movie, Captain America: The First Avenger, is due in theaters on July 22, 2011, so expect the game around that same time.
