The story here is loosely based off of the comic series Welcome Back, Frank, and sees Castle taking on the Gnucci crime family. That shooting is at least competent though, and while the action isn't remotely kinetic (like Ray Stevenson's take in Punisher: War Zone), you're decently in control and given some optional incentive to play smart. If you're here for shooting, that's what you're going to get. This 2005 game certainly didn't change my opinion. He gets to be a badass and shoot the bejeezus out of guys with no consequence and moral impunity. There's hints that his brand of vigilantism is dangerous and wrong - usually espoused by a detective or federal agent who, by the end of the story, comes to see that Frank's solution is the only one that works and lets him go. There's suggestions that he's deeply scarred and addicted to war, but he's ultimately portrayed more like a noble monk than a loner psychopath. Batman's refusal to kill at least makes things for difficult and complicated for him, whereas Frank Castle seems to lack any such nuance. My experience with The Punisher extends only to the movies and video games, so the following is probably an unfair statement: I think he's a boring character. The game's environments also feature interrogation 'hot spots,' where the vigilante hero can commit violent and torturous acts on his enemies, coercing them to share information that may help him in his quest. When he comes across an enemy who could help further the mission - or one simply deserving of punishment - the hero can attack immediately, or sneak up to perform a one-button 'quick kill.' Depending on the villain, the current location, and a player-determined level of aggression, one of many gruesome and fatal assaults will be performed. Somewhat similar to Rockstar's controversial Manhunt, gameplay in The Punisher offers a combination of exploration, stealth, and combat. As in the comics, The Punisher has no aversion to committing acts of extreme (if not gratuitous) violence, and the game is designed exclusively for adult players.

Based loosely on the 2004 Lions Gate movie, the story of Volition's Punisher game is by Garth Ennis and Jimmy Palmiotti, who have written and inked dozens of Punisher comic books. Players take control of the vigilante hero to track down criminals and make them pay in kind for their cruel deeds.

This brutal action game stars the man once known only as Frank Castle, who devoted his life to vengeance when his family was brutally murdered.

The punisher game