Happy Puppy Review
by Erik Frick
Mutant action refined
- Graphics: 7/10
- Sound: 8/10
- Gameplay: 9/10
- Replay Value: 8/10
- Overall: 8.5/10
The Short Bark:
X-Men Legends II: Rise of the Apocalypse, doesn't reinvent the action RPG genre, or even the successful formula of X-Men Legends, but it doesn't need to. Much like the first game in the series, the gameplay and controls are finely honed, and the combination of frantic action and managing your mutant team's powers hold mass appeal to dungeon crawler RPG fans.
The biggest change this time around is the addition of four player co-op and online support, in contrast to the first game's meager 2 player co-op. This game is fun enough alone, but even better with others.
The Full Bite:
X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse, the sequel to last year's smash-everything in sight action/RPG romp X-Men Legends, builds on the success of its predecessor while delivering many new gameplay features that are sure to please fans new and old.
The premise of this sequel allows for a host of new playable characters which in the previous game were your enemies. The very first mission allows the opportunity to have Magneto fight alongside traditional X-Men characters like Cyclops, Wolverine and Storm. Later in the game you'll be able to add the likes of Toad, Scarlet Witch and even Juggernaut.
Rise of Apocalypse trumps its predecessor with expanded multiplayer capabilities that now allow four people to team-up in a co-op or over Xbox Live, versus the two-player mode of the first X-Men Legends. Few things are as satisfying as teaming up with three of your buddies on a dreary Saturday afternoon to bash some heads X-Men style.
For the most part the game functions exactly like X-Men Legends, with the ability to switch between the four members of your mutant team effectively handled using the directional pad. The left trigger/shoulder button functions to call your teammates to your aid, whom otherwise simply roam around and do as you do: kick the snot out of everything.
For those who grow tired of micro-managing each character and want more emphasis on the action, Rise of Apocalypse gives you the option of letting the game automatically assign skill points and equipment, leaving you more time for smashing everything in sight which is pretty much what the gameplay amounts to.
Team work is essential in this game, and players can combine their mutant powers to pull off combos on enemies. When you and a teammate use a mutant power on the same enemy at the same time, you're rewarded with a combo announcement and extra damage dealt to the opponent (very useful for boss battles). Though this feature was overly prevalent in the first game, in Rise of Apocalypse the combos are infrequent enough that the player might actually feel a sense of accomplishment when a combo comes along.
X-Men Legends II does not deviate from the tried and true formula of traditional dungeon crawlers: explore dungeon, kill anything that moves, collect sweet items and repeat. This is not necessarily a bad thing. New players will pick up easily on what needs to be done and for fans of the first X-Men Legends, it's more of the same X-Men romp that we knew and loved.
Consistency is where Rise of Apocalypse shines. The gameplay and controls that made the first Legends such a success are unchanged. However, added characters, multiplayer features and brand new storyline give the formula new life. Bottom line: If you enjoyed the first X-Men Legends or love dungeon crawling and leveling up, this game's for you.
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