Punisher: No Mercy locked and loaded for July 2

There's nothing like a good fireworks display to celebrate the Fourth of July, and the Marvel Comics heat-packing vigilante the Punisher is set to light up the PlayStation Network just in time for Independence Day.

Zen Studios today confirmed that its downloadable PlayStation 3 game The Punisher: No Mercy will launch on the system's online service July 2 at a $9.99 price point. The game is a first-person shooter take on the comic-book capers of homicidal vigilante Frank Castle, with online arena-style multiplayer action as well as a single-player story mode.

In addition to the Punisher, the game will feature a roster of supporting characters from the comics, including Jigsaw, Silver Sable, Bushwhacker, and Barracuda. The Punisher: No Mercy is built on Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3, the same technology behind a wide array of current-generation titles, from Gears of War 2 to Hour of Victory.

Zen Studios' game will be the take-no-prisoners crimefighter's first since THQ's 2005 PC, PlayStation 2, and Xbox effort The Punisher. Previously, the Hungarian developer has developed titles like Zen Pinball on the PS3 and Pinball FX and Rocky & Bullwinkle for Xbox Live Arcade.