One would suppose that with a game based off a computer-generated movie that it would look amazing. In the case of Beowulf The Game, from Ubisoft, one would suppose wrong.

But let’s start back at the beginning, with the poem itself. Beowulf is the foundation of much of what fueled the writings of such authors as J.R.R. Tolkien, and was the entry point into what has evolved into the modern world of fantasy writing. The work dates back to the eighth century and centers on the Scandanavian countries in the fifth century. In the epic poem, Beowulf hunts down Grendel, who is described as a descendant of Cain (the first murderer from the Bible). All fear Grendel – well, all except Beowulf. Grendel has been attacking the Danish mead hall, called Heorot, and all that reside therein. After killing Grendel, Beowulf then has to face Grendel’s mother, whom he also defeats. His final battle, and the one that was his undoing, came against a dragon. He did manage to win the fight, but was mortally wounded.

Now, of course, considering that you have three major antagonists within the framework, one would think that would be enough to centralize a story around. But not with this game; instead you get mindless missions that appear totally at odds with the original poem. Yes, the developers certainly have the right to use the license and adapt it for the sake of gameplay, but when the original work had much of what would have made for a great game, it seems odd that the story in this adaptation is all over the place, and the gameplay mechanics feel completely borrowed from God of War in terms of the way you grapple and then match buttons to achieve finishing results.

Even in the tutorial, you have a bit of a convoluted mess in which the hero, Beowulf, is running a race against a village rival, and ends up battling giant cycloptic sea snakes. Granted, this serves as a way to demonstrate the Thane carnal attack mode, which is akin to triggering ultimate rage, but then you punch the giant worm creature, go into button mashing mode to eventually run on top of it, remove its horn and puncture its eye with it.

And then, repeat … several times. Got it? Ok, good, now let’s move on to something else that is a bit vague but sort of propels you along the story arc – like the narrative. The story narrative is obtuse. After even the opening sequence, you may be scratching your head and wondering what is going on. The narrative should clarify it, but it really doesn’t. But really, that’s Ok, because you will be scratching your head a lot once you start trying to manage Thanes that are accompanying you on what seem to be mindless tasks. The AI is not well done and whereas this might have been an opportunity to insert some squad management into the game, it is an opportunity missed.

When it comes to the combat, you will learn all you will ever need to know at the game’s onset. There is your light attack, heavy attack and grapple. The game does a decent job with the animations and flutters in a lot of blood splatters to try to give players a sense of accomplishment, but once you see through that, and understand that what you are doing at the start is essentially what you will be doing the whole game, this becomes tiresome. Beowulf can wield a number of weapons, and there are legendary weapons scattered throughout the game world. It is indeed a good thing he can use so many different types because the common ones you find break after using them a couple of times. The only weapons that hold up for prolonged usage are the legendary ones.

The game is a huge departure from the books on so many levels. There are monsters in this game that never appeared in the story and even Grendel’s mother somehow manages to conjure up minions to try to whittle you down a bit before that confrontation.

The levels are predictable, as well, in that they follow a similar pattern time and again.

So what does the game do right? Well, even though borrowed, the combat is solid. If you have played God of War, then you will know precisely what you are in for, minus Kratos’ Blades of Chaos. The game has a few small puzzles in it, but they quickly get repetitive.

Beowulf The Game is a linear convoluted mess. The story could have been the basis for a truly magnificent tale but instead we are treated to tired elements that have been better done in previous titles. Gamers looking for a solid role-playing game on the 360 would be much better served to look someplace other than this game.

Gameplay: 5.0
This is God of War mechanics with a few changes to try to suit the tale of Beowulf. The fighting mechanics are quite all right, it is just that the blatant rip-off is disappointing.  

Graphics: 5.5
A mixed bag. At times you will see the power of a next-gen machine, but then at others you will wonder where the original Xbox assets came from. Considering that this is released in line with a motion picture that is computer generated, the graphics should have been consistent and first rate. They are not. The camera also has a few issues.

Sound: 6.0
Adequate but nothing that will have you hanging on each word. And the combat grunts and groans get overworked.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 5.0
The Beowulf epic is a marvelous bit of story telling that set the foundation for much of what is modern fantasy literature. It’s too bad that this game didn't reflect that and skimmed over the story while incorporating major elements from other titles.

Overall: 5.0
This is a game that could have been so much more. All the developers had to do was pay attention to the poem and whether or not the film follows it, right there is enough to create a great game. But this game is lacking and, to put it bluntly, is a rehash of other games that did the job of melding great storytelling with original combat elements much better. This was a game which was greeted with high expectations, only to have those dashed.