Thor: God Of Thunder Review

Thor: God Of Thunder is the latest tie-in game to the new Marvel film, Thor.

Lets be honest, when a new blockbuster movie is released, tie-in games are something of a quick cash grab. Thor: God of Thunder is less of a movie game though as it focuses more on a new story written by "Matt Fraction" the writer of the Marvel Comics. Thor is the prince of Asgard. It's been invaded by ice giants and other monsters. Thor sets out for vengeance and travels to many locations on is way to saving Asgard.

The game goes beyond the films plot and takes you to locations from the comics and also introduces you to new enemies. Sega are making the most of the title and giving players a different experience on each platform. Whilst the Wii versions have a comic themed setting and the DS has a retro look, Xbox 360 and PS3 owners have the movie theme. 

You will face many creatures. From Demons, Trolls and more. The larger enemies feature a grapple system that lets you grab onto them and move around their body. Whilst it might sound like fun don't expect a God Of War quality in combat. The problem is it's just too fiddly and frustrating at times. You have to repeat the grapple too many times just to take an enemy down. The smaller creatures have you swinging your hammer with the many combos. Swinging the hammer around does some serious damage to creatures getting in your way, but it's not just useful for close combat. Thor can also throw the hammer at great speed like a boomerang and hit enemies at distance.

Thor's isn't just good at swinging his hammer around. He also has three God like powers, Lightning, Thunder and Wind. It's great to use these powers for a while but constant button mashing does become tiresome. Defeating the same enemies and watching the same few finishing moves become a bore to quickly before the game ends.

Demonstration of the Grapple System.

Thor also has the ability to fly but the game doesn't make the most of this
power. At certain points you will need to hold down a button which sends Thor flying to another section. You don't get to control the flight though and it's a great shame as it would make the game more entertaining and break up the repetitive combat. 

The games strongest point is the upgrade system. As you defeat enemies and
discover hidden stones you will earn points. These can be used to purchase
upgrades that enhance the combat experience. With upgrades, new powers, and combos, it's nice to try them all out. But it didn't keep me enjoying the combat and that's a great shame. 
 
Something that's most impressive about the game are the visuals. Using the
Unreal Engine 3, Thor: God of Thunder is the best looking Marvel game Sega have published to date. Theres some nice detail on the creatures but the characters are nothing that great. There's decent sound though and voice acting with Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston lending their voice to the game.

In the end, Thor: God Of Thunder is not bad for how movie tie-in games go.
But the constant button mashing and lack of variety will not keep you interested for long.

Review by Gareth Smith