If Montaigne, Descartes or any of historys most famous philosophers were alive today, on the subject of video games they might venture something along the lines of graphics maketh not the game a perfect précis of this sumptuous yet frustrating shambles.
Essentially God Of War Lite, Ubisofts take on Robert Zemeckis epic mirrors the movie with style, assaulting players with towering monsters, snarling barbarians and swelling, tempestuous seas. The beautifully realised figure of Beowulf also conveys the weight and power of the Ray Winstone-voiced badass, making it tremendous fun to slaughter the first batch of enemies.
But while Beowulf looks the part, the game itself is crushingly dull, with players facing off against dozens of clichéd enemies that can be defeated with the simplest attack combos. Even worse, while dozens of button sequences must be completed to drive the games dramatic set pieces, during these sections you cant appreciate the dazzling visuals as youre too busy squinting at a series of tiny circles that must be pressed in order, or else risk having to start the whole tedious process over again.