Like most movie tie-in games, Batman Begins (the video game) follows a cookie-cutter formula for action/adventure gaming where you're exploring stuff, fighting stuff, hopping over stuff, avoiding select stuff, flipping switches and stuff, using special stuff to do all the other stuff more efficiently in linear, follow-the-white-rabbit game that pretty much tells you what to do but lets you have fun doing it.

Fortunately, there's also an added element of shadow skulking commando and psychological terror inducing stuff in Batman Begins, with a clever dial-o-fear gauge used to suck the bravado out of your enemies before you dispatch them, a clever twist/added task for the otherwise conventional button-tapping action/adventure stuff.

More than that, and while it may sound mostly humdrum and old hat, remember that this particular cookie cutter game is from the mighty Electronic Arts, and they make great cookies. It looks incredible with its rotoscoped characters in delectably detailed, dark and gritty environments as set by the Batman Begins film sets. Sound's hugely Hollywood too, from the fully fleshed audio effects and epic soundtrack to the top-tier voice work (Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Micheal Caine and friends--Christian Bale, not so much). Plus, it's Batman, who has always had the some of the coolest moves and all of the coolest gadgets on the planet. Not to mention the Batmobile. Driving that new and improved Batmo-behemoth in select sequences could be a game unto itself...

So while Batman Begin is more or less derivative of many a movie-based action/adventures, it's slick and polished about it. In other words: great stuff.

[TIP: There would appear to be a programming oversight in Batman Begins that has our caped crusader holding his breathe when he's rolling (as opposed to walking/running). Comes in handy in a room full of poisonous gas/smoke. Looks goofy, though... "Roll away! Roll away!"]