|
|
             |
|
|
|
|
Platform: NGC, PS2, XB Developer: Warthog PLC and Gene Pool Publisher: Activision Genre: Action ETA: Q1 2003
Be notified of site updates. Sign-up for the Newsletter sent out twice weekly. Enter E-Mail Address Below: |
X-Men: Wolverine’s Revenge
Videogames starring individual comic book superheroes have been a constant since the time of the NES. With every new generation of videogame consoles comes a new wave of superhero titles. This generation of the Xbox, GameCube, and PS2 isn’t any different. Spider-Man and Batman have already had their games released. Daredevil, Superman, the Hulk, and even Aquaman have games in development. And finally, the coolest hero of them all, the beer-swilling, cigar-smoking, cantankerous Wolverine is set to get the star treatment in his very own multi-console game, X-Men: Wolverine’s Revenge (WR), due out early next year from Activision.
My
personal favorite comic hero of all-time, the man shrouded in mystery,
Wolverine, or Logan (or even Patch) if you prefer has most recently
shown up in fighting games starring Marvel Universe characters and even
made a cameo in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 of all places as a hidden
skater character. In WR, Wolvie will be going it solo, but expect to see
many of both his friends and foes alike appear from time to time,
including Professor Charles Xavier, the Beast, Magneto, Juggernaut,
Wendigo, and “who’s your daddy?” Sabertooth.
Being
developed by U.K.-based developers Warthog PLC and Gene Pool, the
third-person action adventure game is already looking adamantium-claw
sharp. Early screenshots feature a well-detailed Wolverine in many of
his different costumes he has worn throughout his hero lifetime
(although no yellow spandex so far). The character model attributes pay
attention to the littlest of particulars when it comes to the lead hero.
Wolverine has his customary mad scrawl etched on his face and you can
even see his five o’clock shadow. The recently released Spider-Man:
The Movie had some really sweet character renderings that drew you into
the game’s action. WR looks better than that game even this early in
its development, which could be a harbinger of the excellent visuals
that gamers can expect next spring, although initial screenshots of the
levels Wolverine will be traversing seemed to need a little more color
vibrancy and brightness to take advantage of the processing power of the
three home consoles it will appear on and be less taxing on the eyes
than the too-dimly lit, dark areas that are presented in the
screenshots.
One
big plus WR has in its favor already is a strong original storyline
created by comic book veteran Larry Hama. In the game, Wolverine has
just 48 hours to live unless he discovers the antidote to the viral time
bomb in his system that even the mutant with unmatched regenerative
healing powers cannot survive. Wolverine starts his search in the most
logical place he can think of, the Canadian-based secret Department H
laboratory, where Wolverine, then known as Weapon X, was turned into the
adamantium-enhanced guy we all know and love today. One facet of the
gameplay not revealed yet is if the time-lapse in the game will be in
“real time” or in “videogame time”, because I personally think
if you had an actual 48 hours of gameplay packed into WR to deactivate
the viral time bomb or else fail in your mission (and die) versus the
usual level progression representing time passing would make the game
worth its price and then some. Not many games outside the RPG genre
realm can promise that amount of gameplay. I don’t really expect “48
hours of superhero gaming” from the developers, but it sure would be
an incredible experience if the game played out that way. On the sound
and audio side of the coin, expect some familiar voices to be heard
“acting” in WR, including sci-fi movie and television show veterans
Mark “don’t call me Luke Skywalker” Hamill and Patrick “don’t
call me Captain Picard” Stewart.
Let’s
hope that the developers include a tighter character control scheme and
camera functionality that proved to be the most negative aspects of two
otherwise fine third-person action adventure superhero games, the most
recent Spider-Man and Batman. One positive aspect that could be a factor
of WR’s probable control mechanisms is that both the Spider-Man and
Batman game’s control functions had to take in account that both lead
characters HAD to have aerial attacks, which is one of the reasons that
made it difficult to both control and follow the game action with
sometimes awkward camera angles. Wolverine, on the other hand, usually
gets the job done by pummeling his opponents on solid terra firma with
some explosive fisticuffs and legwork. So expect there to be multiple
variations of the sure-to-be-included punch/slash-with-adamantium-claws
and kick attacks without having to worry about swinging from webs
between New York skyscrapers or gliding around with a large black cape
in Gotham City. Also a recent trend in third-person action titles is
including Metal Gear Solid 2-type stealth missions with options for
sneaking around without drawing attention from enemies or taking them
out quietly.
What’s
seen of the game so far should make Wolverine fans mark off on their
calendar the days until its release while salivating in anticipation.
It’s about time Wolverine gets another videogame of his very own.
While still a ways off from hitting store shelves, the great visuals and
strong story is giving WR a very promising chance of becoming one of
2003’s best games in the genre.
—Lee
Cieniawa |
|
|
