Eric J. Moreels
Jan 29, 2003, 12:04 pm
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/ps2weaponx03.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/ps2weaponx03t.jpg" align=left alt="X-Men 2: Wolverine's Revenge PS2 screenshot"></a>Releasing simultaneously with the X-Men 2 feature film, X-Men 2: Wolverine's Revenge is an action-adventure game that will allow players to assume the role of everyone's favorite feral mutant, Wolverine, and utilize his skills, senses, and claws to the fullest. Scheduled for release in April from Activision, the game was developed by Gene Pool and Warthog for the PlayStation 2, Gene Pool for the Microsoft Xbox and Nintendo GameCube, Vicarious Visions for the Game Boy Advance, and Livesay Technologies on PC.
X-Fan recently spoke with executive producer Rob Letts from Activision's European Studios to find out more about the game and what fans can expect from it.
X-FAN: What is the plot of X-Men 2: Wolverine's Revenge?
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/X2WR_XBOX_ACT3_screen_04.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/X2WR_XBOX_ACT3_screen_04t.jpg" align=right alt="X-Men 2: Wolverine's Revenge Xbox screenshot"></a>LETTS: Put simply, it's the gripping tale of 48 of the worst hours ever in Wolverine's life! The game opens with a playable flashback to 1968, just after Wolverine's "creation" at the covert "Weapon X" facility at Alkali Lake. We'll be showing more of this sinister location than anyone has ever seen before either in the comics or the movie.
Then we transition to present day, where Logan (Wolverine) is recounting these troubling memory spikes back to Dr Hank McCoy (the Beast), who is performing some genetic tests on him. Hank discovers that a viral time bomb (bearing the same genetic fingerprint as Wolverine's adamantium bone structure), has just gone active in his system and goes lethal in under 48 hours. It's up to Wolverine (you) to find the antidote and that means returning to the Weapon X facility...
Along the way, Wolverine enlists the help of fellow X-Men, Colossus and Professor X. And he encounters his deadliest foes, including arch-nemesis Sabretooth, the unstoppable Juggernaut, Magneto the master of magnetism, the flesh-eating Wendigo and Lady Deathstrike, as they all converge to give Wolverine his toughest test for survival yet.
X-FAN: How did veteran Wolverine writer Larry Hama come to be involved with the game?
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/xmenwr_gc_shot7.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/xmenwr_gc_shot7t.jpg" align=right alt="X-Men 2: Wolverine's Revenge GameCube screenshot"></a>LETTS: In our opinion, Mr Hama is the greatest ever Wolverine writer. His stories and classic dialogues defined the essence of the Logan character we all know and love and it was an honour to get him involved. We approached him and he was gracious enough to accept the assignment. He flew to Manchester to meet the team and designers very early on and helped specify the structure of the game, then wrote the script and drew up all of the storyboards for the cut scenes.
X-FAN: What style of game would Wolverine's Revenge be classed as? How will it be similar/differ from other games in that class?
LETTS: It's an action-adventure game with strong emphasis on the action! In addition to this though, we have the unique aspects of Wolverine's character to really define the game against others in this genre: We utilize his unbreakable skeleton and razor-sharp claws to the max with an awesome combat system that allows some spectacular attacks on your enemies. We also allow players to use Wolverine's heightened animalistic senses by entering his "realm of the senses", where it's possible to detect enemy scent particles drifting through the air, track foes using thermal imprints as well as sense hidden objects or hazards. When in this mode, players can also move stealthily to sneak up on unsuspecting enemies and perform really nasty stealth strikes on them - in fact, if you don't use stealth for part of the game you're going to find life very difficult. On top of all this, you've also got some really over-the-top superhero boss battles to contend with.
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/X2WR_XBOX_ACT3_screen_07.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/X2WR_XBOX_ACT3_screen_07t.jpg" align=right alt="X-Men 2: Wolverine's Revenge Xbox screenshot"></a>X-FAN: How does the game tie-in with the X-Men 2 movie?
LETTS: It's a complimentary connection rather than mirroring exactly what goes on in the movie. We have an entirely separate story that centers more around Wolverine's dark past but because of this, we do share one of the same principle locations as the film: the Weapon X facility. In addition, we also share some characters with the movie: Wolverine (obviously), Professor X; Magneto and the ultimate bad girl herself, Lady Deathstrike.
X-FAN: Besides the titular hero, what other characters can players expect to see featured in Wolverine's Revenge?
LETTS: The Beast, Professor Charles Xavier, Colossus, Rogue, Magneto, Lady Deathstrike, the Wendigo, Juggernaut, Sabretooth, The Professor, Carol Hines, Dr Cornelius. In addition, there will be some brand new characters in the game that people have never seen before.
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/xmenwr_gc_shot3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/xmenwr_gc_shot3t.jpg" align=right alt="X-Men 2: Wolverine's Revenge GameCube screenshot"></a>X-FAN: How much research was involved in terms of achieving the right look, animations, powers and abilities for all the characters?
LETTS: Actually, not too much research was needed as all the members of the team are huge Wolverine and X-Men fans. It was a joy for them to work on bringing the brilliant characters to life in the context of an action-packed game. The look was very important and something that we spent a long time developing with concept art and designs. We've tried for a look which stays faithful to the comics and yet also incorporates some critical aspects of the more up-to-date visuals characterized in the X-Men movies.
X-FAN: How many different moves will Wolverine have available?
LETTS: The game is very animation heavy and as a result Wolverine has many different animations. There are upwards of 20+ combos to uncover within the fighting system but then if you count in all the other situation-specific; stealth and boss-combat strikes the total number is closer to 50.
X-FAN: Are there any distinct differences in the game between the PC, PS2, Xbox, and GameCube versions? Will the Xbox version have anything extra (as past superhero games have had on that platform)?
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/wolviesabretoothbest.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/wolviesabretoothbest-t.jpg" align=right alt="X-Men 2: Wolverine's Revenge PS2 screenshot"></a>LETTS: No, we decided early on that there was going to be no favouritism!
X-FAN: Overall, what can fans expect from the game?
LETTS: This is the first next-generation action adventure game featuring the world's favourite X-Man so it's a real first. We really want players to feel the power and amazing abilities of Wolverine as they play through the game.
X-FAN: What's next for you after Wolverine's Revenge?
LETTS: Well, we like superheroes, so who knows. Actually, we do... but we're not saying!
For more screenshots from the game, see 'FIRST LOOK @ X-MEN: WOLVERINE'S REVENGE' (http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5432), 'SECOND LOOK @ ACTIVISION'S X-MEN GAMES' (http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7322), and 'WOLVERINE GETS HIS REVENGE IN MULTI-PLATFORM GAME THIS APRIL' (http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14687).
X-Fan would like to thank Kristy Sheppard at Activision Australia for making this interview possible, and to Rob for taking time out to answer the questions.
Pre-order X-Men 2: Wolverine's Revenge online now from Amazon.com and help support X-Fan! (http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/forums/misc.php?s=&action=gamestore)
X-Fan recently spoke with executive producer Rob Letts from Activision's European Studios to find out more about the game and what fans can expect from it.
X-FAN: What is the plot of X-Men 2: Wolverine's Revenge?
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/X2WR_XBOX_ACT3_screen_04.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/X2WR_XBOX_ACT3_screen_04t.jpg" align=right alt="X-Men 2: Wolverine's Revenge Xbox screenshot"></a>LETTS: Put simply, it's the gripping tale of 48 of the worst hours ever in Wolverine's life! The game opens with a playable flashback to 1968, just after Wolverine's "creation" at the covert "Weapon X" facility at Alkali Lake. We'll be showing more of this sinister location than anyone has ever seen before either in the comics or the movie.
Then we transition to present day, where Logan (Wolverine) is recounting these troubling memory spikes back to Dr Hank McCoy (the Beast), who is performing some genetic tests on him. Hank discovers that a viral time bomb (bearing the same genetic fingerprint as Wolverine's adamantium bone structure), has just gone active in his system and goes lethal in under 48 hours. It's up to Wolverine (you) to find the antidote and that means returning to the Weapon X facility...
Along the way, Wolverine enlists the help of fellow X-Men, Colossus and Professor X. And he encounters his deadliest foes, including arch-nemesis Sabretooth, the unstoppable Juggernaut, Magneto the master of magnetism, the flesh-eating Wendigo and Lady Deathstrike, as they all converge to give Wolverine his toughest test for survival yet.
X-FAN: How did veteran Wolverine writer Larry Hama come to be involved with the game?
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/xmenwr_gc_shot7.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/xmenwr_gc_shot7t.jpg" align=right alt="X-Men 2: Wolverine's Revenge GameCube screenshot"></a>LETTS: In our opinion, Mr Hama is the greatest ever Wolverine writer. His stories and classic dialogues defined the essence of the Logan character we all know and love and it was an honour to get him involved. We approached him and he was gracious enough to accept the assignment. He flew to Manchester to meet the team and designers very early on and helped specify the structure of the game, then wrote the script and drew up all of the storyboards for the cut scenes.
X-FAN: What style of game would Wolverine's Revenge be classed as? How will it be similar/differ from other games in that class?
LETTS: It's an action-adventure game with strong emphasis on the action! In addition to this though, we have the unique aspects of Wolverine's character to really define the game against others in this genre: We utilize his unbreakable skeleton and razor-sharp claws to the max with an awesome combat system that allows some spectacular attacks on your enemies. We also allow players to use Wolverine's heightened animalistic senses by entering his "realm of the senses", where it's possible to detect enemy scent particles drifting through the air, track foes using thermal imprints as well as sense hidden objects or hazards. When in this mode, players can also move stealthily to sneak up on unsuspecting enemies and perform really nasty stealth strikes on them - in fact, if you don't use stealth for part of the game you're going to find life very difficult. On top of all this, you've also got some really over-the-top superhero boss battles to contend with.
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/X2WR_XBOX_ACT3_screen_07.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/X2WR_XBOX_ACT3_screen_07t.jpg" align=right alt="X-Men 2: Wolverine's Revenge Xbox screenshot"></a>X-FAN: How does the game tie-in with the X-Men 2 movie?
LETTS: It's a complimentary connection rather than mirroring exactly what goes on in the movie. We have an entirely separate story that centers more around Wolverine's dark past but because of this, we do share one of the same principle locations as the film: the Weapon X facility. In addition, we also share some characters with the movie: Wolverine (obviously), Professor X; Magneto and the ultimate bad girl herself, Lady Deathstrike.
X-FAN: Besides the titular hero, what other characters can players expect to see featured in Wolverine's Revenge?
LETTS: The Beast, Professor Charles Xavier, Colossus, Rogue, Magneto, Lady Deathstrike, the Wendigo, Juggernaut, Sabretooth, The Professor, Carol Hines, Dr Cornelius. In addition, there will be some brand new characters in the game that people have never seen before.
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/xmenwr_gc_shot3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/xmenwr_gc_shot3t.jpg" align=right alt="X-Men 2: Wolverine's Revenge GameCube screenshot"></a>X-FAN: How much research was involved in terms of achieving the right look, animations, powers and abilities for all the characters?
LETTS: Actually, not too much research was needed as all the members of the team are huge Wolverine and X-Men fans. It was a joy for them to work on bringing the brilliant characters to life in the context of an action-packed game. The look was very important and something that we spent a long time developing with concept art and designs. We've tried for a look which stays faithful to the comics and yet also incorporates some critical aspects of the more up-to-date visuals characterized in the X-Men movies.
X-FAN: How many different moves will Wolverine have available?
LETTS: The game is very animation heavy and as a result Wolverine has many different animations. There are upwards of 20+ combos to uncover within the fighting system but then if you count in all the other situation-specific; stealth and boss-combat strikes the total number is closer to 50.
X-FAN: Are there any distinct differences in the game between the PC, PS2, Xbox, and GameCube versions? Will the Xbox version have anything extra (as past superhero games have had on that platform)?
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/wolviesabretoothbest.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/wolviesabretoothbest-t.jpg" align=right alt="X-Men 2: Wolverine's Revenge PS2 screenshot"></a>LETTS: No, we decided early on that there was going to be no favouritism!
X-FAN: Overall, what can fans expect from the game?
LETTS: This is the first next-generation action adventure game featuring the world's favourite X-Man so it's a real first. We really want players to feel the power and amazing abilities of Wolverine as they play through the game.
X-FAN: What's next for you after Wolverine's Revenge?
LETTS: Well, we like superheroes, so who knows. Actually, we do... but we're not saying!
For more screenshots from the game, see 'FIRST LOOK @ X-MEN: WOLVERINE'S REVENGE' (http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5432), 'SECOND LOOK @ ACTIVISION'S X-MEN GAMES' (http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7322), and 'WOLVERINE GETS HIS REVENGE IN MULTI-PLATFORM GAME THIS APRIL' (http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14687).
X-Fan would like to thank Kristy Sheppard at Activision Australia for making this interview possible, and to Rob for taking time out to answer the questions.
Pre-order X-Men 2: Wolverine's Revenge online now from Amazon.com and help support X-Fan! (http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/forums/misc.php?s=&action=gamestore)