Metacritic Games

Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu (Xbox)

Batman faces a new enemy. Unlike any he has ever faced before. The faceless foe plunges Gotham City into chaos on the night of the anniversary of Bruce Wayne's parents' murder. Who is responsible for unleashing havoc on Gotham City? The truth will be revealed. A Brand-new Villain for the Batman Univers: Sin Tzu, cunning master of strategy and martial arts, makes history as the first Batman character to debut in a video game. Battle the evil forces of Gotham City by yourself or with a friend. Two Players can fight the forces of evil as the Dynamic Duo, Batman and Robin; or choose to control Nightwing or Batgirl! Battle Batman's most infamous enemies including Bane, Clayface, Scarecrow and the new formidable foe - Sin Tzu, all appearing for the first time in a videogame. Utilize Batman's arsenal such as the Batarang, Grappling Hook, and Smoke Bombs. Topple Sin Tzu's soldiers of crime with more than 35 martial arts moves and combos. 12 Levels: Defend Gotham City through the Gotham City Docks, Crime Alley, and Arkham Asylum. [Ubi Soft]

Ubi Soft
Third-Person Action
Players: 2
T (Teen)
Developer: Ubi Soft Montreal
Released October 16, 2003

Overall Metascore

This is a weighted, normalized average of all individual scores given by critics, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

67 / 100

Critic Reviews

82 GameShark
A nice beat 'em up that is pleasant to look at, offers a wide variety of different moves and chracters and a nice two-player co-op mode that makes the game a lot more valuable to adults and kids that want to pal around Gotham as their favorite super hero.
81 IGN
Sin Tzu has so much going for it...[but] lacking that magic spark, Batman is frustrating in its simplicity.
77 Worth Playing
The straightforward combat system and satisfying method in which new moves and combos are acquired will be a sheer delight for anyone looking to get down with some no-nonsense button mashing.
75 GameSpot
If you do enjoy straightforward, no-nonsense action, Rise of Sin Tzu delivers it in an appealing package and is one of the best 3D beat-'em-up action games you'll find.
74 GamingTrend
A good game with high production value, but it is just too repetitive and boring as you go through wave upon wave of the same enemies using the same punches and kicks every time.
70 TeamXbox
A visually stunning game that truly captures the feeling of the show. Unfortunately, the gameplay quickly grows tiring and stale.
70 Xbox Nation Magazine
The combination of solid graphics, cooperative play, and an established format works well here, and Sin Tzu is nothing if not a fun third-person beat-em-up. [Dec/Jan 2004, p.87]
65 MS Xbox World
Flawless animation, solid voice acting and a top quality cinematic experience makes this game a marvel to look at. On the flip side, a linear story line removes the intrigue that the animation series has captured and pulled its audience in with.
65 GameZone
The gameplay isn't really deep, and the game doesn't do well in many particular categories, but the inclusion of an original character means that the game should hold your attention for a good few hours.
65 Next Level Gaming
While a lot of good ideas went into Batman: ROTS, the execution turned Batman goodness into controller-throwing-near-DVD-in-the-microwave frustration.
61 Official Xbox Magazine
Button mashers will undoubtedly love it. But shouldn't the debut of a super-villain based on a master strategist be less...shallow? [Dec 2003, p.154]
60 GameSpy
The more I played it, the less I enjoyed it. It's a rudimentary beat-'em-up game which borrows the combo components of "Devil May Cry" and the buy-a-combo system of "The Two Towers," and thinks those elements by themselves are enjoyable, which they're not.
58 Play Magazine
Though the action is on the repetitive side, unique aspects help the game rise a notch above average. [Nov 2003, p.73]
55 Gamezilla!
Die-hard Batman fans may be able to get past the monotonous gameplay but others probably won't be as motivated.
55 Electronic Gaming Monthly
An unforgiving difficulty level and harsh time limits severely undercut the fun... [and b]am-powing hordes of goons becomes achingly repetitive over time. [Nov 2003, p.172]
50 Gamestyle
There are plenty of secret items, including an overly long and rather tedious "Making Of" feature, not to mention a co-op mode for you and a friend. But all of this is insignificant when the gameplay itself is rather shallow and repetitive, meaning pretty much everyone will give up before everything is unlocked.
50 Game Informer
It's too bad none of this care and effort went into the actual combat engine, which is a simplistic throwback to 8-bit brawlers like "Double Dragon", minus the old-school charm. [Nov 2003, p.167]

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