Constantine

Constantine is an action/adventure video game developed by Bits Studios and published by THQ in 2005 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Microsoft Windows.

It is a movie tie-in license of the Warner Bros. film Constantine, in turn based on the Vertigo / DC Comics comic book series, Hellblazer.

Story
The game stars the main character from the comic book series, Hellblazer, John Constantine, as he learns about the problem: full-fledged demons are somehow crossing into the realm of Earth without care. He is then sent by his associate, Beeman, to investigate this problem. Along his investigation, he meets up with Father Hennessy, who provides support, along with the Storm Crow spell.

The game starts out as John is called in to exorcise a demon from a woman's body in a hotel. After the exorcism is performed, the woman wakes from her hypnosis, dazed and confused. The screen then cuts to Beeman's office, where John is being informed about the weakened line between Hell and Earth by Beeman. John then steps into a puddle in the corner of the room, utters an incantation and winds up in Hell.

John sees people being slaughtered and ripped apart by demons and then sees them coming for him. He, depending on the player's choice, uses his gun, the first part of the Witch's Curse set, to slay the demons. He then starts searching around Hell for the first piece of the Holy Shotgun, while seeing the horrors of Hell with his own eyes. As he searches, more innocent souls are killed and more demons are seen fighting against John. At a dead end, he finds the second gun for the Witch's Curse set but is grabbed by a seplavite and flown through the skies of Hell. He is dropped and then is ambushed by a hoard of demons - just in front of the holding stall of the Holy Shotgun piece. He then uses the water ampoule he was carrying and gets the hell out of Hell.

The screen then cuts to a half-breed's bar deep within the dark alleys. John tells the bartender about what he saw in Hell, then gives him a tarot card that bursts into flames. John leaves to find Hennessy but, somehow, demons attack him in the darkness. After a few more attacks, he finds Father Hennessy and tells him about the horrors of Hell. Hennessy tells him about Thomas Elriu, a dead angelic half-breed, who, for some unexplained reason, committed suicide. Before John leaves to find Elriu's apartment, Hennessy gives him the powerful Storm Crow spell to defend against attacking demons. John then jumps a fence and sets off for Elriu's apartment.

After climbing a stairwell to the top floor of the apartment complex, John searches for the keys to the door that leads to the elevator. He sees weird symbols on the walls of Elriu's apartment and in a secret room where the keys are found. He opens the door and sees a disturbing sight: a half-breed and a dead human. After confronting and killing the half-breed, two cops and Father Hennessy step out of the elevator and, while the cops search the area, Hennessy walks with John through the top floor of the apartment complex. After showing Hennessy the symbols, John informs him on where he is going: the basement.

In the basement, John finds a locked door and starts searching for the keys to the door, while experiencing the usual demon attacks. After a dark sewer maze, John finds the keys but encounters another problem: a bunch of cables have created a slight barrier of electricity that blocks his path. To get past them, he needs to find a generator. He uses the keys to open the locked door and finds a storeroom inside. John's second weapon, the Crucifier, is found inside the storeroom, along with a message from Elriu, stating the use of the Crucifier and one informative message:"If you are reading this, I have already left this plane".

Now equipped with the Crucifier, John searches the rest of the storeroom, finding a grate that leads to the generator room. He shuts off the power and heads for the blocked area, which is filled with water. John utters the incantation and is sent to Hell.

Gameplay
Players move John Constantine in an RPG-like style, collecting ammo, using an item to restore health and casting spells. Gameplay is a type of third-person shooter style, with changing camera views. Players can select from a variety of weapons to eliminate demons. Cutscenes initiate special missions or boss battles when they occur, giving a round of gameplay a different view.

Weapons and spells
John can cast spells that can create lightning storms, expel demons, create swarms of flies or confuse enemies. Each requires the player to hit a sequence of keys within a small window of time, with John chanting at each keypress. The spells have been described by critics as being unimpressive, without much impact on play, making them feel like a supplement to the other weapons.