Watchmen: The End is Nigh

54%
Game Brain Score Based on 223 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Watchmen: The End is Nigh Game Cover
Watchmen: The End is Nigh looks great, but the co-op elements are poorly thought-out, and the simplistic action gets old well before this brief, bloody brawler is over.
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In "Watchmen: The End is Nigh," play as Rorschach or Nite Owl and fight your way through six chapters of intense action, using each character's unique abilities to defeat up to 20 enemies at a time in brutal, street-fighting style. The city is overrun with crime and it's up to you, as a masked vigilante, to restore order.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station 3
  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

54%
Audience ScoreBased on 223 reviews
story17 positive mentions
stability5 negative mentions
  • Fun and engaging combat system with brutal finishing moves.
  • Good graphics and comic-style cutscenes that capture the Watchmen aesthetic.
  • Co-op gameplay adds to the enjoyment, especially for fans of the franchise.
  • Extremely repetitive gameplay with limited enemy variety and simplistic mechanics.
  • Short playtime of around 3 hours, which may leave players wanting more.
  • Technical issues and poor optimization, leading to crashes and control problems.
  • story63 mentions

    The story of "Watchmen: The End is Nigh" is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its connection to the Watchmen universe and the engaging cutscenes, while others criticize it as shallow and repetitive. Set in the crimebusters era, it features Rorschach and Nite Owl in a straightforward "get the villain" plot that, despite its potential, often feels underdeveloped and lacks depth. Overall, while the narrative has its moments, it is overshadowed by the game's repetitive gameplay and limited character development.

    • “Watchmen: The End is Nigh takes place in 1972, a whole five years before the Keene Act is passed in the Watchmen universe and, as evident by the events of the comics, tells a story of how the Watergate scandal was buried and how Nixon remained president into the 80s.”
    • “The story fits in pretty well with the Watchmen universe, as does the look and cutscenes.”
    • “The storyline certainly isn't on the same level as something Alan Moore would write, but it is pretty interesting and the characters get into a few interesting philosophical discussions.”
    • “The story is dull, there's one astonishingly stupid boss fight and the game is terrible.”
    • “Watchmen: the end is nigh is an extremely linear, shallow beat-em up with a horrible story.”
    • “It's short, the story is really lame, it can hardly be considered a prequel to the movie/comics since there's no connection whatsoever to the original events.”
  • graphics46 mentions

    The graphics of the game, released in 2009, are generally regarded as decent, with many reviewers noting the impressive lighting, colors, and textures that have aged well. While some aspects feel dated by modern standards, the visuals, including comic-style cutscenes, are praised for their quality and artistic effort, particularly in capturing the essence of the original comic. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point of the game, contributing positively to the overall experience.

    • “The graphics are actually rather pretty for a 2009 game and feel like I'm in the comic universe.”
    • “The visuals are done well and you can tell that effort was put into them.”
    • “The visuals are actually pretty good, and the comic style cutscenes are nicely done.”
    • “The graphics are dated.”
    • “The whole thing is just bloody awful, the graphics are ugly, the levels are boring and repetitive, you fight pretty much the same guy cloned a thousand times, because all enemies look the same.”
    • “The graphical options are a bit lacking, v-sync especially.”
  • gameplay39 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it repetitive and simplistic, often relying on basic button-mashing mechanics. While some appreciate the decent fighting mechanics and comic book-style cutscenes, others criticize the outdated controls and lack of depth, particularly in boss fights. Overall, it offers a bearable experience for those seeking a straightforward beat 'em up, but it may not satisfy players looking for modern gameplay complexity.

    • “The gameplay is like a more primitive version of the Arkham series, so if you like Watchmen and the Batman games, then you will probably enjoy this.”
    • “One feature I quite enjoyed was the constant introduction of gameplay elements through pick-ups.”
    • “Great gameplay and graphics for the price.”
    • “However, the mechanics do not lend themselves well to the underboss's fight, which is pretty boring and underwhelming.”
    • “The gameplay is simple, but it suffers from the camera problem of old games (you can get attacked from people that aren't showing up on the screen and you don't get warned about it).”
    • “Horribly repetitive gameplay.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by amusing moments, such as throwing henchmen off a building during a boss fight and AI characters comically interacting in cutscenes. Players find the co-op experience enhances the humor, with repetitive elements still managing to entertain. Overall, the game successfully incorporates funny scenarios that contribute to its enjoyment without detracting from gameplay.

    • “10/10 worth it for the boss fight at the end where you throw henchmen off a building at the final boss... hilarious.”
    • “There are some funny things that happen, like AI characters pushing each other during cinematic sequences, but there are no bugs that will make your gameplay unfair!”
    • “The funny thing is this is what was done in the last chapter of part 2 when beating up the dominatrixes and gimps.”
  • stability5 mentions

    The game's stability is generally described as solid, though it is marred by various bugs and glitches that can be frustrating, such as characters passing through walls and AI issues. While some players found the experience manageable and completed the game, others noted that certain boss fights were particularly buggy and unengaging. Overall, the stability issues are present but not game-breaking.

    • “A buggy mess of a game, but I completed it, so it wasn't completely awful. However, some of the bugs got extremely frustrating.”
    • “Also, the game is filled with glitches: you will definitely see characters passing through walls and objects during combos and final animations, bad guys stuck in shipping containers, and horrible AI that leaves many NPCs idle.”
    • “Looks great, sounds great, but it's a little buggy overall.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, with long levels featuring numerous encounters against the same enemies, leading to a lack of engagement. While some appreciate the fighting mechanics, the overall experience is marred by uninspired combat and a short story, making it difficult for many to stay invested for extended periods.

    • “The fighting is tedious and uninspired; the cutscenes really aren't that great, and in the end, I couldn't force myself to play for more than half an hour.”
    • “Interesting concept for a Watchmen game, but the fights are very tedious and the story is very short.”
    • “Jerky camera movements, the screen kept getting locked upward using the Logitech controller, giant levels with grinding fights, each level has three different bad guys that you will fight about 50-60 times, with no boss fights until the last boss.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    Overall, the game has limited replayability, with some users noting a lack of content and playable characters, while others mention that certain elements can encourage multiple playthroughs for those interested in exploring different outcomes.

    • “No replayability really.”
    • “Need more playable characters.”
    • “This divergence, for those curious enough, does promote replayability.”
  • atmosphere3 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highlighted as a strong point, characterized by a captivating noir aesthetic that enhances the experience with beautiful locations and evokes feelings of loneliness and depravity. This atmospheric depth, combined with appealing graphics and engaging characters, elevates the otherwise simplistic beat 'em up gameplay.

    • “Beautiful locations and a noir atmosphere, so it brings a strong feeling of loneliness and depravity.”
    • “A simplistic beat 'em up saved from being completely boring by its noir atmosphere, nice graphics, and a relatively satisfying (although very forgiving) combo system.”
    • “I don't know why, but I really like the atmosphere and main characters in Watchmen.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The game is widely criticized for being poorly optimized, leading to performance issues and a subpar experience for players.

    • “The game is poorly optimized, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering.”
    • “I experienced significant lag and long loading times, indicating a lack of proper optimization.”
    • “The graphics settings don't seem to make a difference; the game still runs poorly on my high-end PC.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a blatant cash grab, particularly for splitting content into two parts, which detracts from the overall experience and fails to meet the expectations of fans seeking a comprehensive "Arkham Knight" experience.

    • “As a game, this is an obvious cash grab, and I can't recommend it to someone looking for an 'Arkham Knight' experience.”
    • “To chop it up and sell it in two parts, these games scream nothing if not cash grab.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development is primarily conveyed through cutscenes, while in-game dialogue focuses on enhancing character interactions and occasionally expanding on the world-building.

    • “The dialogue during gameplay really emphasizes character development, making the story feel more immersive.”
    • “The character arcs are well-crafted, allowing players to see significant growth and change throughout the game.”
    • “I love how the game intertwines character development with the main storyline, making every decision feel impactful.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
    • “There are moments where the story tries to shine, but the gameplay dialogue undermines any real character growth.”
    • “The cutscenes provide some narrative, but the gameplay fails to build on character development effectively.”
  • music1 mentions

    The music in the game is generally considered pleasant and complements the graphics well, contributing positively to the overall experience.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

45% average critic score

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Play time

100hMedian play time
100hAverage play time
100-100hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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