Boring, boring, boring.

This title, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (which we'll call RotSS for short), is of course based on the film of the same name that released a couple months ago. The plot of the game is loosely based on the movie, but is supported with various cameos and villains that have only shown up in the comic series.

The basic idea is that Galactus, a giant world devourer from outer space is coming to Earth for a bit of a snack. Preceding his arrival is his herald, the Silver Surfer. Dr. Doom, always on the look out for a bit of power, has plans to take the Surfer's abilities for his own, and stuck in the middle of this mess is the Fantastic Four.

As the name of the team implies, you can play thru the title with up to four players, each taking the role of either Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, The Thing, or the Human Torch. Each member has their own unique ability, and the game does make an attempt at playing to their strengths. However, it rarely varies from having Mr. Fantastic stretch to hit a hard to reach switch, or using Invisible Woman to pass thru some randomly placed lasers. The majority of the game you'll end up using either the Human Torch or The Thing, who both have a set of skills that are more useful for the beat-'em-up combat that makes up the majority of RotSS.

The visuals are pretty lackluster for a 360 title, and while the characters themselves look nice, the environments are pretty bland and uninspired, much like the level design. There's some minimal puzzle solving elements to be found, but for the most part they're minor aggravations more so than they are challenges. Enemy selection is also pretty poor. You'll be facing repetitive hordes of the same enemy type based on whichever level you're currently on. Thankfully the game is really short, with just six levels to go thru, the game should take you no longer than five to seven hours, tops. You can pad out your time by searching for all the items that will secure various extras, but there's really nothing worth unlocking, unless you're looking for some achievement points.

All the characters are voiced, but not by their movie counterparts. For the most part they all sound similar, but the script is laughably bad. The music is also completely forgettable, and you'd be hard pressed to remember a single tune after you finish the game.

Outside of the multiplayer element, there's not much fun to be had with RotSS. Without the license I have a hard time believing this game would have ever been made, based on the gameplay, visuals and score alone. If you're looking for a quick 1000 point achievement boost, then this might be the title for you, otherwise, I'd definitely suggest spending your cash and time elsewhere.