The Punisher video game gets gorgeous new-gen remaster

A remake of The Punisher video game has appeared online, showcasing Frank Castle’s gory war on crime in stunning 4K visuals.

Out of all the Marvel superheroes who deserve a new video game adaptation, I think The Punisher is at the top of my list, especially since most of the groundwork has already been done through his love of bludgeoning tools and boomsticks.

The last time we saw Frank Castle in a game was The Punisher: No Mercy for PlayStation 3 in 2009, so he’s long overdue for an explosive return to consoles and PC.

Recently though, the wizards at TeaserPlay looked back at The Punisher (2005) which was released for the original Xbox, PlayStation 2 and PC, and have beautifully remade it with overhauled visuals, lighting and sound. The team of graphic designers have been responsible for several remasters, like Far Cry 3 and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, both of which were remade in Unreal Engine 5. Now they’ve given The Punisher the same treatment, and it’s safe to say his brutal vigilantism looks better than ever.

The game itself is a third-person shooter starring Thomas Jane as Frank Castle, who previously played the character in the 2004 live-action film of the same name. It essentially involves Castle’s usual antics of killing criminals, avoiding incarceration and killing more criminals. The game also features plenty of cameos from other Marvel heroes and villains, like Matt Murdock (Daredevil), Kingpin and Nick Fury.

Aside from simply gunning down opponents with a variety of deadly weapons, there’s also a wide range of up-close executions, as well as interrogation sections that let you use parts of the environment to “persuade” criminals into talking.

TeaserPlay’s enhanced graphics mod simply updates the game with a fresh coat of paint, making the world look clearer, and the brutality bloodier. Despite the game holding up nicely, the graphics are quite dated by today’s standards, as everything looks dark making it difficult to work out where to go at times, so the mod’s enhanced lighting is greatly appreciated.

Hopefully we see The Punisher return in a new video game sometime in the future, especially since Insomniac Games are already expanding its superhero roster with Marvel’s The Wolverine, which will reportedly be M-rated.