The Punisher

Reviewed by:
Gene Newman

Filled with more horrific acts of violence than you can shake a severed, meaty limb at, the new Punisher game makes the Grand Theft Auto series look like Super Mario Kart. The game is ripped from the bloody womb that birthed Marvel’s new generation of Punisher comics, writer-artists Garth Ennis and Jimmy Palmiotti, who held nothing back when it came time to make their visions virtual.

“The kills in this game are extremely, excessively violent,” laughs Palmiotti. “I’m a big game player, and The Punisher is the most violent one I’ve ever seen. Our intention was to shock, and it works. Guys get their faces peeled off and you actually see some skull flying.”

As antihero Frank Castle, when you’re not busy feeding bad guys to ravenous zoo animals and wood chippers, you’re making a perp bite the curb as you stomp on the back of his head and grind out his teeth. Gunshot blasts are more like mini-explosions, which can easily amputate limbs (and heads) with a single bullet. Anything goes. Use helicopter blades to turn goons into goulash, stuff them into raging fireplaces, or use them as meat shields…

“Even if Frank Castle’s gun runs out of bullets, he’ll throw it at the bad guy,” says Palmiotti. “As the guy goes to catch it, Frank will pull out a knife and stab him in the head.”

It’s not all brutality. The Punisher is also one of the most immersive strategy games ever created. Aim for the head and enjoy.

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