Punisher targets spring release

The upcoming PlayStation 3 downloadable shooter The Punisher: No Mercy missed out on a primo marketing tie-in last year by not launching alongside the Punisher: War Zone film, but Budapest-based ZEN Studios' latest could still arrive in time for the DVD. The home versions of the film are expected to arrive on DVD and Blu-ray on March 17, and ZEN today announced a spring 2009 release window for No Mercy, its arena-based first-person shooter take on the Marvel Comics vigilante.

The game will be built on Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3, the same technology behind a wide array of current-generation titles, from Gears of War to Hour of Victory. In addition to the Punisher, the game will feature a roster of supporting characters from the comics, including Jigsaw, Silver Sable, Bushwhacker, and Barracuda.

While Punisher: No Mercy will be ZEN Studio's first foray into the first-person shooter genre, the developer has some previous experience with licensed games. Zen developed the Xbox Live Arcade Rocky & Bullwinkle game, as well as a downloadable Rocky & Bullwinkle-themed table for its other XBLA effort, Pinball FX.