Hellboy - The Science of Evil
Hellboy - The Science of Evil is a PSP adventure game released in 2008 developed by Big Ant Studios. It centers on area and route exploration, story, case, or mission progress, and location exploration, with controls and information arranged around the directional pad, single analog nub, shoulder and face buttons, with a camera or another accessory only where required.
- AI score · out of 10
- 5.0 / 10
About this game
Hellboy - The Science of Evil is a PSP adventure game centered on area and route exploration, story, case, or mission progress, and location exploration. Locations, objectives, and clues gradually open the main chapters, with progress divided into stages, tasks, matches, or growth milestones that make immediate goals understandable. Its value depends on whether these rules continue to create judgment and room for mastery rather than on length, sales, or series recognition. Short campaigns are judged by repeat-challenge value, while longer ones are judged by variety, pacing, and recovery after failure. Theme, character expression, and environmental clues need to support exploration together, while the portable widescreen, UMD streaming, compressed audio, and handheld-scale interface need to preserve targets, text, and action readability. The genre-specific limitation is that guidance, objective triggers, camera behavior, or dense text can create search and comprehension costs. Platform conditions also include single-nub camera control, UMD loading and noise, Memory Stick saves, battery life, regional language, ad hoc requirements, and retired online services affect present-day use. This description covers only this platform release and does not import features or conveniences from remasters, emulators, or other console editions.
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PlayStation PortableAI review
AI reviews are subjective assessments, not player ratings. See each review for its evidence and limitations.Published date:
Comic flavor cannot offset unresponsive PSP combat.
The PSP release of Hellboy: The Science of Evil gives the comic character a separate plot rather than simply replaying the film. Its brighter, cartoon-like characters and environments retain some of Hellboy’s visual identity. The shifting present and past story is poorly explained, however, and the absence of voice acting leaves the narrative with less support. Most of the actual game moves from one enemy arena to another. Basic melee combinations, throws, a handgun, and disposable objects offer several ways to attack, but a direct PSP review reports a noticeable delay between button presses and Hellboy’s response. That delay regularly breaks attempted combinations. Simple puzzles add little variation, while poorly framed pit jumps can cause cheap deaths. Frequent checkpoints shorten a failed attempt, which is a useful concession, but they do not make the repeated fights or awkward platforming satisfying. This assessment is limited to the documented handheld version. It does not use PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 performance as PSP evidence.
Strengths
- Comic-like character art gives the adventure some identity.
Weaknesses
- Delayed inputs, repeated arenas, and obscured jumps.
Who it is for: Hellboy fans tolerant of rough handheld action.
Play notes: Only the directly reviewed PSP build is assessed.
View scoring basis
| Dimension | Review state | Score | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension Repetitive arenas and poorly framed jumps hurt pacing. | Reviewed | 4.7 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension A few combat options cannot rescue sluggish feedback. | Reviewed | 5.0 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Comic visuals outpace the muddled story and sparse audio. | Reviewed | 5.7 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension PSP input delay and framing make ordinary actions unreliable. | Reviewed | 4.5 / 10 | Not provided |
Review sources
Not provided
Core information
- Developer
- Big Ant StudiosKrome Studios
- Publisher
- Konami
- Release date
- 2008
- Platforms
- PlayStation Portable
- Content kind
- Game
- Release state
- Released
- Region
- Worldwide
- Official website
- Not provided
- Offline minimum players
- Not provided
- Offline maximum players
- Not provided
- Online minimum players
- Not provided
- Online maximum players
- Not provided
- Categories
- Adventure · Primary genre
- Tags
- Story-drivenExplorationMain Story 10–20 HoursSolo-friendlyLinear LevelsPuzzle SolvingThird PersonInvestigation3D GraphicsSlow Burn
- Supported game languages
- Not provided
- Requires base game
- Not provided
- Standalone
- Not provided
- Age ratings
- Not provided
- Play modes
- Single playerMultiplayer
- Perspectives
- Third person
Release editions
- PlayStation PortableWorldwide2008
Game gallery
Sources
Not provided