Released earlier this week as a downloadable title on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network, WATCHMEN: The End is Nigh brings the classic “beat-em-up” style of gameplay to next-gen consoles, and does it very well. The first thing you’ll notice about WATCHMEN is, it’s an incredibly fun game. The demo level we played features Nite Owl and Rorschach battling escaped prisoners within the walls of Sing Sing prison. The developers Deadline Games, created a great combo system allowing players to take on multiple foes at the same time. With the inclusion of bone crunching moves, blood splatter and rag-doll effects, combat is equally fun and satisfying. While WATCHMEN is a brawler at heart, it does keep the action fresh with cinematic cut-scenes, tons of action and many unlockable moves for both Nite Owl and our favorite, Rorschach.

Visually, the characters are highly detailed (despite it being a downloaded game), and the environment gives you a true sense of being trapped inside a prison gone mad. The sound quality is also surprisingly good. You’ll hear every punch and smash while fending off potty mouthed villains. And in between each bout, you’re treated to story revealing dialogue between our two heroes.




Last but not least, there’s no need to worry about the CPU having your back. WATCHMEN features the option to take on the campaign with a buddy, via online co-op multiplayer. Priced at 1600 Microsoft points or $20, we feel this title is well worth the price of admission, although we wished it was a little longer. With an estimated time to complete of 3 -4 hours, you can easily breeze through the game with a friend on a Saturday afternoon. But, you’ll have one hell of a blast doing so. WATCHMEN: The End is Nigh is available now for download on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network.