Summer is upon us and that means huge Blockbuster movies and games that tie in with those Blockbuster hits. At times the games are as good as or even better than the movies they are based on. Other times the game loses something and is a pure let down for the gamers out there. X-Men the Last Stand racked in a lot of money but many felt the movie could have been better. It seems after the last two X-Men games the official game has a lot in common with the movie and not in a good way. Read the full review of X-Men the Official Game and see why this one just failed to capture the magic for gamers.

Gameplay

Being a huge fan of comic book-themed games, I could care less if there was no online mode. I could even accept the fact that there are only three playable characters. The three characters are Wolverine, Iceman and Nightcrawler. What starts out as a pretty good idea starts to show signs early on that this one has a few short comings and problems. Marvel is known for throwing in great cut scenes to keep the players into the story and great voice work. Well, this time around the cut scenes are pieced together and are part story boards with little animation.

No movements from the characters and no lip movement make it seem rather dull right off the bat. The story falls between the second and third movie and there are huge gaps. For any fan of this genre, they have to feel apart of the story and care what is happening. It’s hard when you’re playing a game that plays like an older fighting game with characters well known. If they would have had four characters to play as, it may have helped the gameplay to seem more balanced like the last two games.

Instead of a well rounded story and great fighting areas, the game seems rather pieced together and at times slapped together. The moves are very basic and even when paired with another member of the X-Men, it just seems boring. Wolverine is great and the times you play as him are interesting as well with Nightcrawler, but when you play as Iceman, it just seems very old school (get to point A grab item and repeat). The real shame is the game had potential with the three characters to be something fun but for some reason the overall story and level designs just don’t mesh well or make sense even in the comic book realm.

Players who loved the extra fighting combos are going to be disappointed to find out all the moves are very basic. Nightcrawler is reduced to teleporting in hitting the teleporting out and repeat. Activision tried to make a game that sounded good and sets things up well for the missions. It just seemed rushed and at times incomplete. I am used to looking for files or hidden object to unlock, other costumes or bonuses. However, when that is the most challenging part of the game, it ticks me off and makes me wonder just how long the game was spent in development.

As basic as the moves and levels are, it seems the main goal of the game is to frustrate and tease fans of the series. You take turns instead of taking control of each character. This is what frustrates players. While at times they do throw in another X-Men member, you never play as them. All you do is play bodyguard and do all the work while they yell out for help. The formula that worked so well in the last two games was thrown out the window and replaced with a game that offers only one thing: a tie in for the movie. Poor level designs and even worse cut scenes make this one a chore to finish. It is a shame because at times the game looks great and could have been a great one for the Xbox 360.

Control / Playability

You will learn all the controls in about 15 minutes. Those who have played other comic book games will learn them in about ten minutes. You will then find out that for whatever reason the game decides to not want to move in the direction you tell it to. This can cost you a life as well as having to replay a very long level over again. Most of the time the controls react well but are so simplistic it will have fans wondering why they are playing this one.

Graphics / Presentation

While the game looks good, it’s nothing that will stand out as a next generation title. After the first few cut scenes, most gamers will hit the start button to by pass them. There are a few nice touches graphically but not enough to warrant it being on the Xbox 360. The brief cameos from the other X-Men are sure to tick off the die-hard fans of the series and that is a shame and something that really hurts the overall title. A pattern develops with the controls, graphic and audio and it all screams out not enough time in development. Certainly at $59.99 gamers are going to expect more than long and boring missions and hunting for items to unlock.

X-Men The Official Game Xbox 360 Screenshot

X-Men The Official Game Xbox 360 Screenshot

X-Men The Official Game Xbox 360 Screenshot

X-Men: The Official Game Xbox 360 Screenshots

Audio

Credit is given to Jackman, Cummins and Ashmore but it is hard to believe they spent extra time in the studio. It sounds like sampled lines taken from the movie or just bad recording. Even Patrick Stewart’s role fails to add life into the audio at all. The rest of the cast is made up of voiceover actors and it just does not seem like a real X-Men game at all. There are a few places where the talents of the actors recorded or sampled are great but not enough to create a world that gamers want or believe they are in control of. Overall, good job but should have been terrific with the talented actors they had available.

Replay Value

X-Men: The Official Game may appeal to the diehard fans if they can overlook the level design and gameplay. While there are a few neat features, most will be content to play it once and be done with it. Oddly enough the game is designed to be replayed to max out your mutant strengths to unlock other danger room missions and achievements.

Overall Score

Overall Score: 5.6/10 [not an average]

Additional Comments

While I can appreciate trying to take the series in a new direction, it just does not work well at all. Comic book games work best when fans feel like they are in the world and in complete control. This one takes that away right from the start. What is left is a long “Brawler” instead of the first next-gen comic-themed game that allows fans to be part of the action. At best this one is a week rental even for die hard fans.

Related Links

Review by XBS Head Writer, Rich Reed.

Filed under: Reviews • Xbox 360

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