The Incredible Hulk has to power to destroy the world itself, often coupled with a childlike misunderstanding of the environment around him. He is born to be a video game character, yet most of his solo game efforts have disappointed more than - well, his solo films. But in 2005, Radical Entertainment gave us The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. Calling it the best Hulk game ever would damn it with faint praise. It's one of the best superhero games ever, and trust me, I've played almost all of them.
The open world here is understandably limited by the technology of the time, but you finally get to be the gamma-irradiated bull in an urban china shop. Leaping from place to place, or wall-running (hey, Ang Lee's Hulk came out before this) was every bit as much fun here as it is in Spider-Man's games.
The best mechanic in the whole thing is "Weaponization." Hulk can take numerous objects in the open world and create all sorts of destructive toys with them. He can rip a car in half and turn the two pieces into giant, metallic boxing gloves, or flatten a city bus into a makeshift surfboard. Why in the world would the Hulk ever need to surf? Because it's fun as hell. If this thing were any more comic-booky, its ink would stain your hands.
This game is mercifully short on Bruce Banner. While his alter ego is a truly important part of the character, Radical understood you don't buy a Hulk game for Banner any more than you buy a Spidey game to eat Aunt May's wheatcakes.
In a hilarious bit mocking the Banner stealth mission they knew we were dreading, we get a stealth mission as The Hulk. He pretends to be a truck, with his big green feet clearly visible beneath the vehicle frame. It's a belly laugh worth of a Deadpool story.
Ultimate Destruction is so much fun to play it skirts right past the true weakness of Ol' Jade Jaws, a largely-forgettable rogues gallery. In a comic book, the enemy's motivation is truly important. For our purposes here, I don't even need to know why the battle mech wants to smash me. I just know that it does, and I had better smash it first. The Hulk's unique skillset ensure that happens.
The Hulk has appeared as a team member in some great games since this one, but he never before or since has he had an adventure of his own. I don't own this or my PS2 anymore and those were both bad decisions on my part. I hope someday it gets a remaster so more superhero fans can enjoy this.