X2: WOLVERINE'S REVENGE PS2 REVIEW

[Eric J. Moreels]

<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/X-men2WolvRevPS2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/X-men2WolvRevPS2t.jpg" align=left alt="X2: Wolverine's Revenge PS2 box shot"></a>Reviewer: Eric J. Moreels, webmaster@xfan.cjb.net
Quick Rating: Excellent!

Wolverine goes solo on a quest to save his future by unlocking the secrets of his past!

Developers: (PS2/) Genepool/Warthog, (Xbox/GameCube) Genepool, (Game Boy Advance) Vicarious Visions, (PC) Livesay Technologies
Publisher: Activision
Genre: Action/Adventure

X2: Wolverine's Revenge is the latest offering from X-Men game license holders Activision, but unlike other recent releases this one is, thankfully, a departure from the 1-on-1 fighting games. Not that fighting games are bad, but as this game proves there's so much more to the X-Men's universe than just characters beating each other up. UK developers Genepool have done a fantastic job in bringing gamers a "lost chapter" of Wolverine's life for the PlayStation 2 that is visually appealing, extremely playable, and very challenging!

Story:

The plot of the game is fairly standard comic book stuff, but that's definitely not a bad thing as it's written by veteran Wolverine comic book writer Larry Hama. A deadly viral timebomb Wolverine was given during his days with Weapon X has been triggered in his nervous system and he has only 48 hours to find the cure. Throughout the course of the games numerous acts and scenes, players will find themselves reliving Wolverine's escape from the Weapon X complex, throwing down with arch-nemesis Sabretooth, and even teaming up with fellow X-Man Colossus for a Fastball Special against the unstoppable Juggernaut. Adherence to the source material is often key to any superhero game's success, and Genepool have certainly done their homework here. Fans of the comics will not be disappointed with all the in-game references to past stories as well as appearances by characters such as Beast, Professor X, Wendigo, and more.

Gameplay:

<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/xmenwr_gc_shot18.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/xmenwr_gc_shot18.jpg" align=right height=100 width=133 alt="X2: Wolverine's Revenge screenshot"></a>The gameplay is probably best likened to the Tenchu games in that stealth, rather than brute force, is more often the best choice of action. At the beginning of the game, the choice of moves available to players is limited with Wolverine only able to punch, kick, and slash with his claws which can be unsheathed or sheathed at the press of a button. Despite first inclinations to run through the entire game with claws bared, Wolverine can only use his healing factor to regain health if his claws are sheathed, making for some interesting strategic decisions during the game's numerous battles. During certain situations, enemies can be taken out with a single button press by executing a Strike Move - a cinematic quality finishing move that is most often accomplished by using Wolverine's stealth to sneak up on his foes. Strike Moves also bestow Dog Tags for each one successfully completed. Collecting Dog Tags in this manner allows for more powerful Strike moves to be unlocked. As a result, Wolverine's stealth is a key aspect of the game. In fact, some scenes can only be completed if the character remains in Stealth Mode throughout.

Wolverine also has a Rage Energy bar that fills up as he fights enemies. Once it gets into the red, players can shift into Feral Rage Mode wherein Wolverine moves faster, resists damage better, and causes more damage with his claws, but can't heal. If the rage bar fills up completely, Wolverine will slip into Feral Rage Mode automatically, which can be beneficial at times, but detrimental at others. Rage energy subsides the longer Wolverine stays out of a fight, making it an interesting strategic aspect of the game.

Boss fights are a little trickier, and often require the player to do something specific to KO the foe. For example, in the first fight with Sabretooth players are required to use Strike Moves to slam Sabretooth into various objects to render him unconscious. The only letdown here is the inability to change the direction in which you send your foe flying, making the fights sometimes unnecessarily longer than they need to be.

<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="X2: Wolverine's Revenge screenshot"></a>By far the most interesting aspect of the game, however, is the Heightened Senses Mode wherein Wolverine sees the game world in terms of his enhanced senses of sight and smell. In this mode, players can track enemies by their thermal footprints or scent trails, detect heat sources, see objects from farther away, and detect laser beams, trip wires, or hidden locations. The result is a very cool Predator-esque way of playing the game as you pick your way through minefields or navigate through darkened areas.

Graphics/Sound:

Visually, X2: Wolverine's Revenge is a treat. Genepool have obviously paid a lot of attention in making Wolverine and the other characters look as much like their four-color counterparts as possible. The occasional odd camera angle aside, the texture mapping of the locations is almost seamless and the lighting is used very effectively, especially in the underground locations. The cutscenes are very fluid and help move the story along nicely. The game boasts a terrific cast of voice actors thanks to such talents as Mark Hamill (of Star Wars fame) voicing Wolverine and Patrick Stewart voicing Professor X. Hamill, especially, delivers an excellent performance as the gruff-voiced Logan. A very moody musical soundtrack helps add to the game's air of suspense and intrigue.

Extras:

Despite the gameplay being fairly linear, there is enough leeway for players to explore every nook and cranny of the sometimes huge levels in search of the many secret locations hidden away in the game. In these, players will find the game's bonus extras such as Cerebro Files - narrated character and location bios - and Comic Covers for unlocking extra Wolverine costumes to outfit the character in whilst playing the game.

Overall:

X2: Wolverine's Revenge is a refreshing change for those tired of fighting game after fighting game and one that will keep players glued to their controllers with its challenging nature, intriguing storyline, and healthy doses of action and strategy.

STORY:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/movfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/movfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/movfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/movfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/movhalf.jpg

GAMEPLAY:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/movfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/movfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/movfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/movfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/movhalf.jpg

GRAPHICS:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/movfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/movfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/movfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/movfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/movnone.jpg

OVERALL:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/movfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/movfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/movfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/movfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/movhalf.jpg

Purchase X2: Wolverine's Revenge online now from Amazon.com and save! (http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/forums/misc.php?s=&action=gamestore)

[Robb Welch]

this is the only good review of this game i have seen. And I've been looking...

[norgsnolan]

i got the game today on game cube for $60.(AUST).

i seeing that it was from Activision i was expecting something more like the Spider-Man game. while im only on the 2nd stage of the game, i have found that it does not have the same feel as Spiderman did the first time i played it.

but im enjoying it thus far.

does anyone know if some of the voices on the game are the same as the ones from the 1st X-men cartoon? if not they are a good match.

[Eric J. Moreels]

Originally posted by Perfect Methods
this is the only good review of this game i have seen. And I've been looking...

Not sure why, Robb, as it's a really cool game. Maybe it's the fact that I'm a big fan of the Tenchu series, as this game really feels like a mutant version of that.

Originally posted by norgsnolan
i seeing that it was from Activision i was expecting something more like the Spider-Man game. while im only on the 2nd stage of the game, i have found that it does not have the same feel as Spiderman did the first time i played it.

I can see similarities between the two. Wolverine's Revenge is definitely more in the mold of the Spider-Man movie game than, say, X-Men: Next Dimension.

[Silverwolf]

This game is good. It's not great, but I'm enjoying it, which is what really counts. Sure, the emphasis on stealth is uncomfortable, and Logan never really goes all-out berserk (y'know, leaving a room with blood everywhere and limbs scattered all over the place,) and the boss encounters suck to a degree, but the game is still very stylish and quite fun. An 8 out of 10, I would say.
Oh, and Mark Hamill is really good. Patrick Stewart too.
If you're a Wolverine fan or a person who enjoys a good game, you must buy it.

[Dragon]

I really enjoyed the game, the strikes could have been a bit better when needing to preform them. Also the controls are a bit jerky, expecally trying to save that guy on the bridge in the 2nd lv. Overall the game was great, and it leave it open for a sequel. Mark Hamill does a really god Logan too, even has his one liners.

[Daniel J Ciccaglione]

Wolverine is my favorite X-man and I love this game it could of been better but still it kicks ass. They did a good job making this game but I wish there was a free roam in it. Could you imagine walking or riding a motorcycle in Ny with Wolvie.

[Andy James]

I couldnt agree with the rating more.........for the first 2 hours of gameplay that is.
Then it becomes so infuritaingly hard, monotonous, boring and dreadful to look at that i actually took the game back to the store for a refund.
Hear me out first.
When first seeing this game months ago, i though it looked hideous graphics wise and to be honest i had no expectations at all for it, but on release day i played it for 5 minutes in my local GAME shop and really enjoyed it so i brought it. I couldnt have been more happy for a few hours. I thought it was a really good game despite the occasional graphical poorness (although i do agree the snow and wind effects are good) The Weapon X chapter i really enojoyed, heck even the 2nd stage was pretty good too but after that it feels like they stopped caring somehow and to compensate made it amazingly hard. I mean iam a good games player but i had to do some of the tasks in this game literally 50 times to do them. I was at the end of my tether but i still did them even though it sapped a lot of my patience. The Wendigo battle is a prime example. That is just stupid how hard that battle is. Anyhoo from then on it just went ridiculous how hard it was and how there was no clue to do something you had to go back through half a level as there was no save point and try something else randomly again. I dont mind having to work to complete a game but this was ludicrous. The Void is another example the guards guns can kill you VERY quickly and in general the difficulty just feels unfair. With the idea of taking it back already in my mind, i used a cheat to see the last few levels to see if it got better. It didnt. Even more random tasks to do with no help and a severe difficulty as well as the general attacking patterns just getting boring after a while.I lost count how many times i had to hang around hiding waiting for my slow healing factor to kick in which bored me.This was a real shame especially afetr enjoying the first chapter so much. However there is some positive here after all! ;) I like all the extra stuff u can unlock such as the costumes and Cerebro profiles and the voice work clearly has been done well.
Sorry if it sounds like im bitching too much its just that i was really disapointed in the game after such a promising start.
I got my money back last week and this week im getting a game i know that is worth my money in the Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.
This is a great idea though Eric, so can we expect anymore reviews of games?

[Unicorn_Pegasus]

Originally posted by norgsnolan
does anyone know if some of the voices on the game are the same as the ones from the 1st X-men cartoon? if not they are a good match.

It's Mark Hamill (you know Luke Freakin' Skywalker, witch I find to be hella cool) and Patrick Stewart for Wolvie and the Prof. (I haven't gotten to any of the other characters to hear their voices yet. Except for Beast, but I can't remember it anyway. :D )

Originally posted by nova
I couldnt agree with the rating more.........for the first 2 hours of gameplay that is.
Then it becomes so infuritaingly hard, monotonous, boring and dreadful to look at that i actually took the game back to the store for a refund.
Hear me out first.
When first seeing this game months ago, i though it looked hideous graphics wise and to be honest i had no expectations at all for it, but on release day i played it for 5 minutes in my local GAME shop and really enjoyed it so i brought it. I couldnt have been more happy for a few hours. I thought it was a really good game despite the occasional graphical poorness (although i do agree the snow and wind effects are good) The Weapon X chapter i really enojoyed, heck even the 2nd stage was pretty good too but after that it feels like they stopped caring somehow and to compensate made it amazingly hard. I mean iam a good games player but i had to do some of the tasks in this game literally 50 times to do them. I was at the end of my tether but i still did them even though it sapped a lot of my patience. The Wendigo battle is a prime example. That is just stupid how hard that battle is. Anyhoo from then on it just went ridiculous how hard it was and how there was no clue to do something you had to go back through half a level as there was no save point and try something else randomly again. I dont mind having to work to complete a game but this was ludicrous. The Void is another example the guards guns can kill you VERY quickly and in general the difficulty just feels unfair. With the idea of taking it back already in my mind, i used a cheat to see the last few levels to see if it got better. It didnt. Even more random tasks to do with no help and a severe difficulty as well as the general attacking patterns just getting boring after a while.I lost count how many times i had to hang around hiding waiting for my slow healing factor to kick in which bored me.This was a real shame especially afetr enjoying the first chapter so much. However there is some positive here after all! ;) I like all the extra stuff u can unlock such as the costumes and Cerebro profiles and the voice work clearly has been done well.
Sorry if it sounds like im bitching too much its just that i was really disapointed in the game after such a promising start.
I got my money back last week and this week im getting a game i know that is worth my money in the Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.
This is a great idea though Eric, so can we expect anymore reviews of games?

Oh, good it's not just me. I'm a video game head, and while I''m not the best I'm not horrible either, but this game got too bloody hard! I am stuck on this one level that is driving me insane! I'm not saying that I Hate the game, but it's loosing the fun factor rather quickly! I can only take this game in Short doses at best. And I had had such high hopes for poor Wolvie. (I really wish the controls had been set up more like Halo too.)

[Eric J. Moreels]

Yeah, I must admit the game is a little tough. I'm currently stuck on the Wendigo boss level... almost got him last night; he had very low health and I had full, but then stupid me fell off the freaking edge of the platform! :LOL:

Ah well, I'll get him today! :yes:

[DanteMundus]

Good review Eric, although I do think that some of the biggest problems were overlooked. First off, I have to agree with some of the other posters in saying that the game is far too difficult; the first three acts are fine, most of the time the most difficult stages can be completed once you have worked out what to do, but from act 4 onwards it just gets frustrating. For someone who is supposed to be unstoppable, Wolverine is suprisingly susceptible to gunfire in this game, and flamethrowers and electricity spewing guns devour his life in seconds. Logan has the most pathetic jump I have EVER seen in a video game, and this game has some severe issues regarding the controls and collision detection, which is a huge problem considering how difficult the game can get. If you attack someone from the side it won't register and the enemy will at times walk right through your attacks and lay you out with attacks of their own (not just bosses, I'm talking guards). Again, its baffling how an ordinary human can hold his own against a killing machine like Logan. His hand to hand techniques are extremely limited and not very stylish, although this is more than made up for by the 'Strike!' moves, some of which are amazing to watch and very satisfying to pull off. The graphics aren't particularly bad, but they aren't particularly good; with graphical masterpieces like the Devil May Cry series and Metal Gear Solid 2 out way before this game I have to say that I'm slightly disappointed here, but its no surprise considering how this is an Activision game (all their games are damn ugly). Having said that, this is one of the better looking games that Activision have produced, the heightened senses mode being one of the highlights of the game. The sound effects and music are amazing, extremely well done and atmospheric, another highlight of the game. This is a good game, but I can't help feeling as though this is a game that was released too early, and every time I play it I feel as though I played a test version instead of the finished product. This could have been an amazing game, but it is let down severely by lousy collision detection, controls that just feel off and most of all, it is too damn hard (the boss fight with Juggernaut is just ridiculous). I'd give it 6.5/10 for casual gamers, and for fans of Wolverine I'd give it 7.5/10.

[Neolithic]

This game is barely average. I think reviewer's bias is a tad strong in this review.

[Eric J. Moreels]

Originally posted by Neolithic
I think reviewer's bias is a tad strong in this review.

Um, it's my opinion of the game in that review. I like the game, hence the review reflecting that opinion.

Were you expecting something else?

[ReaperFett]

Ive seen good reviews from a number of places. Do they all have reviewer bias too? :rolleyes:

[Neolithic]

Gamespot - 5.8 (http://www.gamespot.com/gamecube/action/x2wolverinesrevenge/index.html)


Gamespy - 62 percent (http://www.gamespy.com/reviews/april03/wolverinegcn/)

GamePro - 2.5 out of 5 (http://www.gamepro.com/)

IGN - 7.2 (http://ps2.ign.com/articles/393/393914p1.html)

Euro Gamer - 5 out of 10 (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=47782)


Feel free to show us these reviews you've seen.

[ReaperFett]

7.2 is a good score. So you give 4 averages and a decent, after insulting the reviewer by questioning his integrity?

[Neolithic]

I didn't mean to insult anyone. Obviously, this review is not consistent with other reviews. The only difference I see is that this is a comic site devoted mostly to X-Men, which I'm sure must bet aken into account.

But I'd really like to see those good reviews you mentioned.

[ReaperFett]

Quick couple I found:

http://www.videogamereview.com/reviews/Sony_PlayStation_2/Action/Action-3591.asp

http://www.gamersunderground.net/GameFilter/GameResult.asp?GameID=2212

Gamesmaster magazine (Obviously I'll struggle to post that ;) )

X-Fan reviewer :)












I'm not saying good outweights bad, dont get me wrong. But there are good around.

[Daniel J Ciccaglione]

It takes alot of pratice to play that game and alot of trys at first I was hating it too but then I figured it out and I beat the game like four or five times now. And after i beat it the first time I now use God mode and freeze frame code now after beating it which is so much fun to play with freeze frame is sweet too. Wedigo is a pain the ass too It took me like 20 trys to beat him to. The Sabretooth Battles are so much fun I find them to be great. Are you guys good gamers?

[Eric J. Moreels]

Originally posted by Neolithic
I didn't mean to insult anyone. Obviously, this review is not consistent with other reviews. The only difference I see is that this is a comic site devoted mostly to X-Men, which I'm sure must bet aken into account.

Not really, no, it isn't. When I'm reviewing a game (which I must confess I don't do all that often) I look at it "as is". Sure, I love the X-Men (kind of a given when you look at X-Fan ;) ) but a game is a game and if I didn't enjoy it, I would have said so. But as it turns out, I do enjoy it, hence the review above.

[Silverwolf]

Eric's review is a review by a fan of the subject-matter, not a nitpicking, jaded 'professional' as some gaming journalists like to call themselves. Eric saw the game for what it is: a fun piece of entertainment, and I salute him for his honest review.
I'm sick and tired of fanboys and some pro gamers who want every game to be perfect and phenomenal. So Wolverine's Revenge isn't a Metal Gear Solid 2 or a Final Fantasy X, but it's still good and enjoyable.
Bottom line is, game journalists are like movie critics: full of what the bull produces after digesting it's food. Don't pay too much attention to them, or you'll miss out on a lot of fun games.
Now excuse me, I gotta go show that Wendigo who's the real boss around here.

[Eric J. Moreels]

Originally posted by Silverwolf
Eric saw the game for what it is: a fun piece of entertainment, and I salute him for his honest review.

Thanks sw!

So Wolverine's Revenge isn't a Metal Gear Solid 2 or a Final Fantasy X, but it's still good and enjoyable.

Exactly. I'm not a fan of the Metal Gear Solid or Final Fantasy games, but I like Wolverine's Revenge.

Now excuse me, I gotta go show that Wendigo who's the real boss around here.

Heh ;) I finally managed to beat him! He wasn't that tough, I just kept stuffing up by falling off the edge when I only had to swing him one more time!

[James Howlett]

Originally posted by norgsnolan
does anyone know if some of the voices on the game are the same as the ones from the 1st X-men cartoon? if not they are a good match.

Actually Xavier is done by Pat Stewart and Wolverine is done by Mark Hamil.. yea Luke Skywalker...:wolvie:

[Daniel J Ciccaglione]

I love this game. I'm playing right now, before I leave for X2 for the 7pm showing. But I didn't like how they made Professor Xavier in the game, he looked weird.

[norgsnolan]

i only realised who did the voices after i posted.

[Anthony Lucynski]

Wolverine can only heal when his claws are not out eh? I remember that from Spider-Man/X-Men game on the SNES!!

I'll have to give this a shot..when I get some free time..which may be sometime next year ;)

Anthony L

[xgene]

So, is this available on the PC platform? Sounds like a lot of fun.
If it's out on PC, I'll get a copy, install it on my laptop computer and have fun playing it during my lunch breaks at work! I love having an hour for lunch each day.