here’s alot to like in the early hours of Hellboy. This is certiainly a more robust and satisfying treatment than most comic characters have come to expect from video games. Combining solid combat, clever dialogue, and a great looking art style is no small feat. The problem is none of these advantages ever congeal into anything that holds my attention.

Hellboy’s fist makes for one hell of an enemy basher, and the integration of his gun and thrown objects add up to what would seem like some good variety. However, as the hours wear on, nothing happens. The punching, the shooting, the throwing – everything stays the same, without any chance for growth or evolution. Plus, almost all the enemies you fight do little more than clamber in the way of your next devastating punch. This isn’t surprising, since many of these foes are capable of taking inordinate amounts of punishment before they succumb. The end result is a long sequence of too-long battles, few of which ever challenge the player to do much more than bang on the face buttons.

The snappy dialogue suffers a similar fate to the combat. I spent most of the game wondering what Hellboy was trying to accomplish, since the story refuses to set down roots and say something. Instead, most of the game is spent jumping back and forth between different time periods, and only near the end do things begin to coalesce. In the meantime, perhaps Hellboy gets it, but the player is out of luck.

Even as the story and gameplay falter, it’s hard to argue with the joy of smashing open walls and hunting down demonic threats. That’s especially true when you can do so with a friend – the co-op feature adds a lot to the fun and replay, as it allows players to adopt the roles of Hellboy’s uniquely powered teammates.

The Science of Evil deserves applause for getting what’s cool about Hellboy. Alas, it just doesn’t take him anywhere once it has him.