Who Watches the People Making the Watchmen Game?

Alan Moore's Watchmen graphic novel is widely considered, even by non-comic-book-nerds, to be one of the greatest achievements in the history of comics. In fact, if I were in mixed company, I'd probably get slapped if I slipped up and called it a comic and not a graphic novel. Needless to say, expectations for Zack Snyder's upcoming live-action adaptation of the Watchmen are incredibly high--probably unattainably so--and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment should fully expect fans to turn that same hyper-critical eye towards Watchmen: The End is Nigh. From what I saw of the game during a recent WBIE press tour through San Francisco, I'm not sure that this downloadable beat-'em-up will stand up to such scrutiny.

Set in 1972, well before the “modern day” sections of the com...graphic novel, The End is Nigh focuses on the teaming of Rorschach and Nite Owl. The story begins as the duo assists the police in handling a prison breakout orchestrated by the Underboss, a villain they had put behind bars years earlier. In the process, though, they find themselves on the other side of the law and at odds with some grander conspiracy. Much of the story will be told using a “motion comics” style of animation, creating a look that is reminiscent of artist David Gibbons' original artwork, but with some simple movement added to make it a bit more dynamic. The prequel idea certainly seems like a more interesting angle than just cooking up a game that retells the Watchmen story, though I imagine that's exactly the kind of thing that would send Alan Moore into one of his trademark fits.

Mechanically, The End is Nigh is looking like a third-person beat-'em-up with a few twists. You can play as either Rorschach or Nite Owl, though the character that you don't choose to play as will still be present as an AI companion when you're playing solo. The game will offer a two-player mode, though it won't have online support, and will rely on splitscreen. I suppose that's preferable to struggling with the limitations of a shared camera angle, though it still seems less then ideal. Each character will handle a little differently, with Rorschach's brutal, undisciplined style being more effective with groups of enemies, while Nite Owl is more of a mano-a-mano type of fighter. Other unique characteristics will include Rorschach's ability to pick up enemy weapons like baseball bats, Nite Owl's electric charge attack that stuns nearby enemies, and his ability to pick locks, which was compared to the lock-pick mechanic in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. It was stressed during the demo that this won't be a button-masher, and that enemies will block your attacks if you don't utilize the game's combo system, which unlocks new moves over time.

The most appealing part of what I was shown of The End is Nigh was the presentation, which generally looked a cut above what you might currently expect from a download-only title. The dingy back-alleys and dank sewers being shown featured some severe, moody lighting that complemented the noir stylings of the source material, and there was a tangible wetness to the surfaces that made the world seem that much seedier. I was impressed by some of the animations, particularly for Rorschach, who would normally walk with a stiff gait and his hands tucked into his pockets. When it can time to throw down, though, he would really throw himself into the fight. The word “feral” was thrown around a lot when describing Rorschach, and I think that's pretty spot-on. Another cool detail on Rorschach is that, as in the graphic novel and the upcoming movie, the patterns on his mask will constantly shift. Since you'll mostly be seeing him from behind, I doubt it'll be an obvious thing, but it's a nice touch nonetheless. Though there seemed to be a distinct lack of variety in the enemies you fought, The End is Nigh at least looks like a game that could've easily been shipped on a disc.

I feel like this is a case where the license is really going to work against the game itself. There's nothing wrong with a little beat-'em-up action, but it doesn't seem like the type of game that lends itself to exploring the vivid characterizations and murky morality that made Watchmen so great. You can expect to see Watchmen: The End is Nigh on the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, and PC around the same time as the Watchmen theatrical release.