wow ...
On its own, the game throws you into the thick of things and follows the story closely, for at least the first level. After that it diverges wildly, though still retains the feel and flow of the movie itself. Loads of varying enemies based on the film and others straight from it make this possible, making a very video gamey looking film much more than a simple cash-in.
The action is solid, firm controls, and some great melee combat and gunplay. Loads of enemies, sometimes a screenful at a time, come at you in unending waves, but Van Helsing is more than capable of dispatching them, and yet it still retains a sense of challenge since you get a feeling that even though you're progressing, can you outlast all these foes? Thanks to some very satisfying weaponry, not only can you, but it's a joy to do so.
The graphics are great, and Jackman's voice and likeness are used here very well. Other cast members join him, though Beckinsale is notably absent, and the replacement is pretty rough. Still, the design, direction and overall look of the game hits every note it needs to to really get you inside this world.
Boss battles are relatively easy, though a tough one seems to come out of nowhere now and then, but with some work they can be defeated. The only real complaint is the amount of platforming that needs to be done, as the camera definitely works against you at times, making things needlessly complicated. The amount of backtracking is also unwanted, but when you return you are that much stronger, making things rather easy to mow through.
Overall the game would be good without the license, which is saying something in and of itself, but it actually benefits some from the look and feel of an admittedly cheesy film, but seems to relish it, taking the right bits seriously, and the rest not (you get a bonus if you still have your hat on, for example) and is probably just a weekend rental as though there's no replay value, its still got decent length to it and is definitely worth a playthrough.