The graphics of The Punisher are rather mediocre in my opinion. To be honest, with games having the visual spendor of Half Life 2 and the Chronicles of Riddick, I expected a bit more from a game that was released in 2005. The movies that play during the game are wonderful. The characters in those movies are pre-rendered. During the game itself, the characters and backgrounds are much less spectacular which is to be expected. Many of the enemies are simple characters with few polygons. The bosses are better but the overall look isn't up to the standards of many of the games released today. The backgrounds are varied but simplistic. In one level you'll be in a drug house, in another a auto shop, in another a bar and so on. There's little variety in the levels. Sometimes you're wandering around a level wondering if you've come here before.

The game uses the same Havok physics engine as found on Half Life 2. What this means for the game is the environments are destructable. You can move boxes, open doors, use enemies as shields and other things not possible with many games. I like how in Half Life 2 you can stack boxes to get to a higher locale. In The Punisher, you don't have that option. Windows are breakable in the game, allowing you an easy shot at an enemy that's beyond the window. Note, the enemies will react to the gunshot, perhaps taking a hostage, making the situation even worse. Sound in games is important. Audio cues give you hints as to what's going on around you. In The Punisher, you face a wide array of enemies shooting at you. Sometimes you'll hear gunfire before you see the bullets coming at you. Audio also plays a role in the cutscenes.Without sound, you need to enable Closed Caption mode. This mode allows you to read the text of what's being said. Interrogations often offer new information about the storyline. Personally, I play the game with Closed Captions on and use the sound to tell what direction the shots are being fired from. The enemies will call out for help or beg for their lives.