The Punisher (2005 video game)

The Punisher is a third-person shooter video game developed by Volition, Inc. and released by THQ in 2005 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Windows; a mobile phone game was also developed by Amplified Games. The game which stars the Marvel Comics antihero, The Punisher. After his family was murdered by the Mafia, Frank Castle devoted his life to the punishment of criminals. Players take control of the titular ruthless vigilante to track down criminals and kill them.

The game's story is a loose mixture of the 2004 film, as well as the 2000 mini-series, Welcome Back, Frank. Actor Thomas Jane reprises his role as Frank Castle/The Punisher. The game features many cameo appearances from Marvel Comics characters, such as Iron Man, Nick Fury, Black Widow, Matt Murdock (the alter ego of Daredevil), Bushwacker, The Kingpin and Bullseye. Also present are several characters from the Welcome Back, Frank storyline such as detectives Martin Soap and Molly Van Richtofen, the Punisher's neighbors Joan and Spacker Dave, Ma Gnucci, The Russian and General Kreigkopf.

Gameplay
Gameplay in The Punisher offers a combination of exploration, stealth and combat. When encountering an enemy, the Punisher can attack, or perform a one-button "quick kill". Depending on the villain, the current location, and a player-determined level of aggression, one of numerous fatal assaults will be performed. The game's environments also feature interrogation "hot spots", where the Punisher can interrogate his enemies using death threats and torture, coercing them to share information that may help him in his quest.

Plot
The game begins with a cinematic of the Punisher killing various footmen of the Yakuza. After he leaves the building, he is apprehended by law enforcement in front an unknown building. He is then transferred to Ryker's Island and interrogated by police detectives Molly Van Richtofen and Martin Soap. The remainder of the game occurs in moments of flashback during this interrogation.

First, the Punisher raids a crack house and eventually kills its owner (Dubbed Damage) by dropping him from several stories above the ground. After almost getting hit by a car upon his exit, the Punisher traces the vehicle to a chop shop. After slaughering the criminals there, he learns that it is owned by the Gnucci crime family (led by Ma Gnucci) because Carlo Duka (the individual owner of the shop) is a Gnucci lieutenant; the Punisher drops him in a car compactor where Duka is subsequently crushed. In a subsequent mission, the Punisher kills Bobby Gnucci (one of the sons of Ma Gnucci) at Lucky's Bar.

Ma Gnucci hires Bushwacker to capture Joan, a neighbor of the Punisher. The Punisher traces her to the Central Park Zoo, where he rescues her. The next mission occurs in Grey's Funeral Home, at the mob funeral of Bobby Gnucci. The Punisher massacres the funeral party and kills Eddie Gnucci (the other Gnucci son) by throwing Eddie out a window and Eddie is impaled on a gate spike. The Punisher then travels to the Gnucci estate to kill Bushwacker and Ma Gnucci herself. After fighting his way through Ma's remaining men, Punisher then fights Bushwacker who he defeats in a gunfight. To finish off Bushwacker, Punisher rips his weapon arm off and shoots him in the chest followed by Punisher dropping Bushwacker several stories above the ground. Castle then throws Ma through her mansion's top floor window.

During the Punisher's assault at the Gnucci residence, he learns that the Gnuccis are getting drug money from Russian mercenaries on New York City's waterfront. At the docks, he hears that General Kreigkopf plans to smuggle nuclear weapons into New York City. After attacking men on a cargo ship supposedly carrying the weapon (it was not on board) and being assaulted in his apartment by a huge man called the Russian, the Punisher attacks Grand Nixon Island, his next lead on the weapon's location. On the island, the Punisher meets Nick Fury, who helps him to defeat Kreigkopf and the Russian as well as prevent the launch of the nuclear device. Both escape before the missile detonates, destroying Grand Nixon Island.

Returning home, the Punisher discovers that the Kingpin has been taking over former Gnucci rackets. He raids the headquarters of the Kingpin's Fisk Industries, where he fights and defeats Bullseye by throwing him out a window from the top floor of the skyscraper. The Kingpin tells the Punisher that his real enemy is the Japanese Yakuza. The Punisher learns that this group of Yakuza are called the Eternal Sun, and they are trying to control remaining Gnucci and Russian crime operations.

The Punisher then visits Stark Towers, a facility owned by Tony Stark (Iron Man), after learning that the Eternal Sun are attempting to steal some high tech weapons and armor. The Punisher decides to assault the Takagi building, the home of the Eternal Sun leader, Takagi. He discovers that Jigsaw has infiltrated the gang, and is gaining followers. While Jigsaw is being imprisoned in Ryker's Island, the Eternal Sun is already planning to bust him out. After escaping the Takagi building, the Punisher allows himself to be captured by Det. Martin Soap, who has been providing information to the Punisher, and taken to Rykers Island, to confront Jigsaw there.

At this time, the flashbacks catch up to the story, and the remainder of the game takes place in the present. During the interrogation, the prison erupts into a riot. The Punisher escapes from his cell, and starts fighting his way through the inmates and remaining Eternal Sun members the Punisher left alive. He reaches the rooftop and meets Jigsaw face to face, ultimately defeating him despite the stolen Iron Man armor Jigsaw was wearing. As the Punisher leaves in a helicopter, he throws Jigsaw out, killing him. In the post-credits scene, the Kingpin is seen plotting his revenge against the Punisher.

Reception
The game received mixed reviews, criticizing the game's sound effects and the linear and repetitive gameplay, but praising its system of torture, the storyline, the inordinate amount of violence and Punisher himself. Maxim magazine contributor Gene Newman opined in his review that this game made "the Grand Theft Auto series look like Super Mario Kart."

The game sold around one million copies and was profitable for Volition.

Controversy
The Punisher features extremely gruesome scenes of torture and dismemberment and, as a result, it has the distinction of being one of the only games ever threatened with an ESRB rating of AO strictly for violence. While never officially given the rating, the developers chose to show the "interrogation" scenes in black-and-white to make them less graphic in order to achieve the far more commercial M rating.

In the UK, the BBFC forced THQ to further extend the solarization effect on the scenes, distancing the camera before the killings and adding a zoom effect during them, in order to pass it with an 18 certificate, making The Punisher one of the only games to require BBFC cuts in order to be rated 18.

In Australia, the ACB demanded similar cuts, including the removal of two scenes altogether. In Germany, the game was placed on the infamous Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons BPjS/BPjM list.