At times the best ally to have on your side is your worst enemy. It sounds like something out of a fortune cookie but it is true. After all, who knows you better than your worst enemy? Perhaps in real life the chances of you actually trying this out would be completely out of the question, but for a comic book game the concept is interesting. It also opens the storyline for all sorts of neat angles and for introducing characters that really may seem out of place otherwise.

When Activision released the first X-Men Legends, the game was well received but fans wanted more characters, a deeper story line and Co-Op online play. They got it in this sequel with a very interesting story. It is certainly loaded with playable characters that span over the forty years the series has been around. While only die-hard fans will know each one that appears, the mix of good and evil uniting for a common cause makes this one really cool to play. Read on to see if X-Men Legends II Rise of Apocalypse does the series justice.

Gameplay

The gameplay is not really different than the first game for the most part. The storyline is different and the choice of characters you have will please any comic book fan. There are 15 to pick from and a chance to unlock a few others during the game. The game also uses the same control system of being able to switch back and forth between the four members you pick. Players will need to learn or know what special powers each character has since at times you may need someone who can fly to get the rest of the party to safety. Other times you need someone who can build a bridge or control the weather. It all works well, but those who are not up on their X-Men history may need to take time learning each character’s abilities to be able to have fun faster and avoid being frustrated.

Here is the basic story written as not to ruin it for those who have not played the game yet. Professor Xavier finds himself teaming up with Magneto, his one long time best friend. Professor X gets a telepathic massage while using Cerebro his super computer. Charles is disturbed by what he sees to the point of convincing the X-Men to unite with Magneto and his Brotherhood. Now this alone adds a tension to the story, because old friends and now sworn enemies must unite for one cause. Throw in the fact that Wolverine and Sabertooth must get along as well and almost every member of each team has a past with one another, some interesting angles and tension are created. I wish they would have played up this angle a bit more, but then again the story is pretty complicated as it is. The rest of the story will unfold as you play each mission.

The best part of the game is that you do not have to start all over again if a team member fails. You will need to get to a certain area and replenish that character’s energy or replace them to succeed. It is a great way to make it feel like you are really playing in a team. You will notice the tension-filled storyline has the classic comic book angles. If you play with a certain member and talk with a character, depending on their history good or bad, the dialogue will be a bit different. Also built into the storyline is the issue of trust and why are we helping the enemy which adds to the story a great deal.

It’s safe to say most of the characters that appear will seem familiar to most gamers. The history and plot go a bit deeper this time and may have a few gamers lost why a certain character shows up when they do. The game uses the Four Horsemen story and to throw a wrench there are actually five members of this group. You will face each one along with a slew of mini-bosses all from the series. The overall game makes sense and is interesting. The game will challenge even the best fans of this genre, but the game is solid and well done so it is worth taking the time to get to each level. Of course, there is a ton of comics, screens, movies and other surprises to unlock which has become a staple of any comic book game. They also managed to make the levels larger this time and except for the last few levels each seems well done and not a rehash or starting back at another point just for the sake of playing out the game.

Control / Playability

I touched on the simple controls during the gameplay and really it needed to be mentioned in case you’re new to the series. The D-Pad is used to switch which character is the lead, however, the other members in the group will still defend themselves and it works well. A few of the controls were tweaked this time around. You can now set the level up and attribute points to automatically level a player up. Those new may find this useful as a great way to learn. While those who have are already accustomed to this type of game will want to have total control over this area. It is made so that any level of gamer could have fun and it works well.

When you go to the menus and see the interface, it looks pretty rough at times. You won’t spend a lot of time in this area, which is fortunate because this area really does need to be polished a bit. The combos and moves are fairly easy to learn and pull off even in a heated battle with a ton of enemies at one time. The controls are laid out in a way that fits the gameplay and battling style. For the most part, any one can learn the basic controls in less than 30 minutes. There is no delay so when you tap a button it responds like it was meant to.

Xbox Live

Here is where the game will have a few gamers mad and scratching their heads. When you enter the live mode for a co-op match, you might see a message pop up saying if you try to connect with someone who has a different TV set-up, you will not be able to connect with that person. For instance, if you have an HDTV, you will not be able to connect to some one who has their setting at normal. The same applies for owners of normal TV’s. I have not seen this before and while it’s something that can be worked around, it just seemed odd to have it show up.

The online mode is well-made and its fun, but you will notice a few issues. The first is finding a match unless you have friends who own the game. Now this is true with any live game but co-op play is different and you need to work together in a game. Pick the wrong group and its going to be a long game. I would stick to playing with friends or at least find a room with players who all have a mic. The lobby is not bad, but at times the optimatch is difficult since the rooms fill up fast. You will also notice a slight change in the overall graphics. They are not quite as good when you are online. There also seems to be more lag in certain levels than there should be, but this may be just due to everything that is being shown since there are four players, many levels and enemies. I would have liked to see them make the online mode a little better.

Graphics / Presentation

The overall graphics during the gameplay are very much like the first game. The big difference is in the cinematic movies which look outstanding. Each character looks just like their comic book counterpart and they really took time making the lesser-known or older characters look really good. Professor Xavier of course looks like Patrick Stewart. He always looked like the way he was penned and inked from the start of the series. The levels look good although some parts tend to look better than others.

The game allows players to get into the story and fantasy it’s tying to create. The extras you unlock are stunning and really are worth taking time to unlock everything. I enjoy the fact that while they did add a few touches to the characters to update them, they kept the characters looking for the most part like I was used to seeing them.

X-Men Legends 2 Xbox Screenshot
X-Men Legends 2 Xbox Screenshot

 

X-Men Legends 2 Xbox Screenshot

View all X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse Xbox Screenshots

Audio

Most of the voiceover artists fit perfectly for the role they are doing. A game with so many characters is bound not to cast every one perfect. With the exception of a few bad one-liners that just seem out of place, the artists managed to make they characters seem real and true to the history of the series. The music fits the game and is orchestrated well. The explosion and little extra voices are all well done and really no complaints.

Replay Value

The replay value on this one is higher than most comic book games. The sheer amount of characters in the game and the way the game will show a slightly different intro depending on the history is really cool. The concept art and comic books hidden in the game are impressive as well as trailers and the cinematic movies, which seem to be the most I have seen in any game I can remember. This one will have the die-hard fans trying to unlock and find everything. The fact the game can be played at three different levels will also appeal to those just playing for the fun of the game.

Overall Score

Overall Score: 8.5/10 [not an average]

Additional Comments

X-Men II is a great game but not perfect. It does have some long load times and online issues. It also is a blast to play and a story that has more twists and turns then any I have played before. The writers alone need to be complimented on a great story and a way to add the older characters without making it just seem pointless. The destruction in each level is great and the moves and facial expressions show that the game was really thought out. A great game to play with friends offline or online but again I would recommend playing it with those you know.

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