With the possible exception of the clientele of a few dodgy South London nightclubs, many people would argue that the 21st century is no place for a bloke dressed in a rubber suit with a silly bat mask. The same could be said for the flying dude in the blue leotard, and let's not even talk about the guy with the spider fetish. But as long as veteran superheroes are kept in the public eye through movies and such like, we're always going to see games based on them; and the first rule of games publishing is to sell the public something they're familiar with.

So the caped crusader makes his return in the latest offering: Batman: Dark Tomorrow. And after the first five minutes of playing this dire title you'll honestly wonder why he bothered. If you want a shining example of how not to create a videogame, then this comes extremely close. For starters, the camera is more rigid than a wiseguy wearing concrete boots, staying so far removed from the action it's often impossible to tell what the hell is going on. This is further compounded by its fixed position that often means a dramatic change in angle when running across the screen (the old running left that suddenly becomes right routine). Not that you would actually care what's going on - the graphics and animation are so unashamedly poor that a natural reaction would be to avert your sensitive eyes and shield them from the scene of the crime.

As for combat, Batman kicks like a ballerina and punches like a featherweight. The bad guys are no better, aimlessly running at our hero while firing unlimited rounds or permanently rooted to the spot in camp mode. And once you've knocked a guy to the ground with your single punch or kick attack, you then have to laboriously select the bat cuffs to further disable your foe before he gets up and gives you a good hiding for your trouble. You have to do this every single time you fight - and in typical 'annoying game' fashion you'll have other enemies kicking seven shades of batcrap out of your inept super-hero while desperately trying to restrain your target.

Batman: Dark Tomorrow would be hilarious if it didn't come with a price tag in excess of 30 quid. And when that amount of cash is involved for a game of this poor quality, it simply isn't a laughing matter. Bruce Lee has a new neighbour in Turkeysville. Make sure you don't go paying a visit.

1. None.

1. Rubbish Camera
2. Last-gen Graphics
3. Terminal gameplay problems
4. Cumbersome control
5. Ill-conceived load points
6. A terrible waste of a promising licence

Power
You'll be subjected to monstrous loading times. Resident Evil on PSone loaded quicker than this!

Style
The neo-gothic metropolis of Gotham City has been reduced to a drab, dreary urban setting.

Immersion
Let us paint a wall and you can watch it dry - we promise it'll be just as entertaining.

Lifespan
You are going to need to be a serious batty boy to gain any pleasure from this title.

Summary
An awful game that warrants neither your time nor money. The Dark Knight deserves much much better.