X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse - First Look Preview

At a time when Marvel is sharing its vast portfolio of characters with a number of videogame developers, Raven Softwareâ??s 2004 action-RPG X-Men Legends is about to gain a sequel in â??X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypseâ??. Set after the events of the first title, Rise of Apocalypse sees the X-Men and their archenemies Brotherhood of Mutants (led by Magneto) combine forces in an attempt to stop a common foe, the 5,000 year old mutant known as Apocalypse. Available on the three home consoles and PC (with online capabilities on all bar the GameCube), X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse will also be appearing on PSP. The handheld version, which will sport a further four unlockable players over the other formats, will also allow for multiplayer Wi-Fi action.

As with its predecessor, Legends II is an isometric viewed action-RPG that allows gamers to take control of a group of four of the mutants, and because of the X-Men and Brotherhood of Mutants teaming up to defeat their common enemy the number of playable characters in Legends II is expanded upon; sixteen characters will be available in the console versions, with an extra two exclusive to PC and four exclusive to PSP. All of the well-known characters will be available to play in the game including Wolverine, Cyclops, Magneto, Colossus, Gambit, Juggernaut, Jean Grey, Storm, Bishop, Toad, Sunfire and Nightcrawler though Activision held back on the identities of the other playable mutants. Other characters (as well as lesser known characters) such as Angel, Forge and Professor Xavier himself form important non-playable roles in the game.

Beginning with a pre-rendered sequence showing the rescue of Professor X by Magnetoâ??s Brotherhood and the X-Men, the game quickly establishes the new ties between the two traditional factions. Explaining that the Island of Genosha, where Magneto and his brood treat as their base of operations, has been attacked and taken over by Apocalypse, players soon set off through the jungles of the island to rescue a mutant adolescent that Brotherhood member Sabretooth feels close with. Fighting through the linear paths that lead to the girl does make you wonder about whether the non-linear narrative should have been extended into the level design, but that may come during some of the later levels in the game. Other levels demonstrated at the presentation showed the sort of environments that Legends I veterans will be used to: corridors of destructible walls and roomsâ?¦

Although the PlayStation2 and Xbox versions of the game were available in the corner of the room, the presentation and subsequent play test were carried out on a series of PCs sat in front of every person in the room. With an emphasis on complete and extensive power mapping, the PC version of Legends II allows gamers to plan map their characterâ??s powers for easy reach and activation and developers Raven Software have gone out of their way make the control system on the PC highly customisable. But whilst this benefit will please the more organised of gamer, some will find the PC controls rather unintuitive and clinical. After playing some of the game on the desktop PCs, it was time to put the home console versions through their paces.

Immediately after picking up the Xbox or PlayStation2 control pad the game becomes far more intuitive than the keyboard/mouse combination of the PC version. Though the classic computer combo is undoubtedly the killer system for a range of genres including RPGs and FPS titles, it does seem too cluttered for an action-RPG like Legends II. Though there are obvious limitations to the number of superpower mapping you can accomplish, the console versions do feel more solid and also seem to offer a more immersive experience, however they both suffer graphically compared to the crisp visuals on display during the PC demonstration.

In an effort to create a greater sense of variety the developers have produced Legends II as a non-linear experience. Rather than moving on naturally from one mission to another in a linear manner the team have set up a number of hub locations (one is Magnetoâ??s base â??The Sanctuaryâ??) that act as bases for the mutants (in the storyline the reason given for this decision is because theyâ??re only safe if they keep on moving.) From these hubs players can then explore (though not at first) different locations to accomplish various missions with the idea of non-linearity continuing into the online aspects of the game â?“ more on that shortlyâ?¦ One small idea to improve variety in the game is the random appearance of items such as health vials and other bonus materials; the idea being that players wonâ??t be able to be certain about any â??safeâ?? areas where health vials can be found.

With the addition of online functionality Raven Software has also featured an innovative saving technique that allows player to cross-over from their saved game to somebody elseâ??s, thereby accessing different locations within the non-linear narrative. This allows for a more fluid co-operative experience between online and offline play with little segregation between the two modes. Online play will be available across all of formats (aside from GameCube for obvious reasons) including PSP, which while weâ??re on the subject may turn out to be the best format to play Legends on. Though it may not have been available to see or play, it may turn out that a happy medium will be struck between the intuitive control system enjoyed by the home consoles and the crisp graphics displayed on the PSP â?“ link that with the isometric view-point of the game and it could turn out to the perfect balanceâ?¦

Like the non-linear narrative experience, Activision representatives were keen to point out that each of the one hundred plus enemy types in the game have been programmed with their own AI in order to create a real sense of depth in opponents. As well as the common runts that litter the levels, X-Men Legends II also employs the use of Boss fights throughout the game â?“ something that will undoubtedly please fans â?“ with Marvel characters such as Grizzly and Archangel all making their respective appearances in the game. There seems to be enough of a game in Legends II to keep fans happy until Activision announce the third title in the series (something that they hope will happen if Legends II is successful enough), with a spokesperson estimating that the title should offer over 30 hours of action-RPG gameplay though it would appear that the increased freedom allowed in the online modes will cut this down.

Though there have been several attempts to increase the depth of the game with a larger number of mutants to choose from and the obvious addition of online play, the progress made with Legends II is still from the same mould of the original; itâ??s very much the natural evolution of the franchise. Fans of the previous title will undoubtedly lap up Legends II when the game is eventually released across all formats, but it will be hard to win over a greater proportion of plaudits.