X2 Wolverine's Revenge
Score: 95% ESRB: Teen Publisher: Activision Developer: Gene Pool Software, UK Media: GCD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Action/ Stealth
Graphics & Sound: The cunning, animalistic and roughest member of the X-Men has finally got his own game. Wolverine's Revenge gives you control over Wolverine's adamantium claws, and heightened senses as you sneak your way through government bases or go head-to-head with some of Marvel Comics greatest foes. The graphics in Wolverine aren't anything special, although once you meet Professor Charles Xavier, the similarities between Professor X and Patrick Stewart are stunning. The music does a good job of keeping you in the mood, whether it is hiding in the shadows so that government personnel don't spot you or taking out Wolverine's nemesis, Sabertooth, and doesn't get mind-numbingly repetitive. Not to mention that the game sports the vocal talents of Mark Hamill (Wolverine) and Patrick Stewart (Professor X).
Gameplay: Wolverine's Revenge starts you off in the Weapon X facility as a recently awakened and PO'ed mutant. You must fight your way out of the facility collecting Dog Tags (by successfully sneaking up on opponents or taking out several baddies with combos), Comics (to view different costumes worn by Wolverine over the years), and solving basic puzzles. The game has five acts: the first one is Wolverine's escape from Weapon X, while the final three acts take place in the present. In the second and third acts, Wolverine is in search of a vaccine to treat him against a virus that the Weapon X doctors gave him prior to his escape, the fourth is Wolverine attempting to get out of a mutant prison called The Void, while the fifth is Wolverine's battle against Magneto. One of the plusses that comes with playing as the badass of the X-Men team is his healing factor. Over time, any damage gotten through battle is diminished, unless you have your claws out, then your healing factor is turned off.
Difficulty: Wolverine's Revenge can get tedious in a couple of points, but overall its difficulty level is average. It may take a few tries to get through an area, and a few more to get all of the secrets, but overall you should be able to advance in levels fairly regularly and without a lot of trouble.
Game Mechanics: With an intuitive control scheme, Wolverine's Revenge is easy to pick up and play, especially when you first start off since pop-up windows explain to you how to activate your different abilities as you need them. You activate Wolverine's heightened senses by holding down the left shoulder button, this also puts you in 'stealth' mode. You sheath or unsheathe your claws by tapping the Z button, and after receiving and dealing a lot of damage, your rage bar will fill up and with a double tap of the Z button, you will fight with more power and move even faster than before. For anyone who is an X-Men fan, or specifically a Wolverine fan, this game is a must buy. For anyone into the action/stealth gaming experience, this game is also a must. If you are looking for a deep story line and some good hours of play, then get this game. Basically this game has something for everybody... get it.
-J.R. Nip, GameVortex Communications AKA Chris Meyer
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