PC Game Review: X-Men Legends II

I’ll be the first to admit that I have a certain nerdy fondness for X-Men. Perhaps it’s because as a child I was an obsessive fanboy over Fox’s X-Men animated series (I still maintain that it’s one of the best cartoons ever). I used to get distraught whenever the network changed the show’s timeslot, fearing they had confirmed my worst nightmares and cancelled it.

Given this, you probably think I was drooling at the chance to play the newest X-Men game. Not quite, for you see I’ve always been reluctant to accept any incarnation of the X-Men that differs from the TV show. If the team’s roster, appearance, or voices are even the least bit different, I’m offended in some creepy way; how dare they bastardize my beloved cartoon show like that!

But X-Men Legends II: Rise of the Apocalypse actually reminded me a lot of the animated series, both in terms of character and storyline. That aspect alone made it a joy to play. From the gameplay perspective, Legends II is never short on cheap fun. I almost view the game as modernized version of Konami’s excellent X-Men side-scrolling arcade game.

The gist of the story: the earth’s most powerful mutant, Apocalypse, and the creepy Mr. Sinister (the penname of many goths who write angst poetry online I’m sure) have teamed up to conquer the world. What follows is your typical fare of comic book action and drama.

Like its predecessor, Legends II lets you assemble a team of four mutants to do battle with the forces of evil. Only this time Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants form an uneasy truce with the X-Men (I’m sure you’re gasping in disbelief). Yes, Apocalypse is that damn powerful.

This was obviously done to give you access to awesome characters like Juggernaut and Sabertooth (the former being my character of choice). The designers certainly emphasize how uncomfortable the two teams are at having to join forces, but some of the mission briefing scenes are ridiculously campy when it comes to making that point.

The character selection is definitely a strong point. Fifteen mutants, from Iceman to Gambit to Rogue, are available from the get-go, with three unlockable characters (one being the loud-mouth assassin Deadpool). Because characters in your active party gain experience much faster than those on the roster, it makes having a dynamic team somewhat difficult (unless you constantly switch characters). For this reason, Legends II has substantial replay value, as you can try the game with new combinations of characters.

Article Author: Rich Powers

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