X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse
Posted November 9, 2005
Released exactly one year after X-Men Legends (the first X-Men game worth playing since the 1992 arcade game), X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse doesn't exactly represent a quantum shift in gameplay, but the basic idea is the same: up to four players lead a team of mutant superheroes through enormous, free-roaming
levels filled with zillions of bad guys until they complete all of their objectives (usually culminating in a boss battle). Characters have a variety of skills, which they can use variously to defeat enemies, build bridges, fly, smash through walls, teleport, remotely flip switches, lift boulders, fire beams... you get the idea. And in true action-RPG fashion, your team members gradually gain experience and level up, unlocking even more abilities.
Gameplay:
There are changes from the first game, of course. In response to the threat of Apocalypse (a 5000-year-old Egyptian mutant who's suddenly decided to take over the world, natch), the X-Men and Brotherhood of Mutants have decided to join forces. That means players can assemble teams from both sides to take on the armies of Apocalypse, including Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, Rogue, Jean Grey, Iceman, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Gambit, Sunfire, Bishop, Magneto, Juggernaut, Toad, and Scarlet Witch, with the option to unlock Deadpool, Professor X, and Iron Man. Activision seems to have a thing for Iron Man. Anyway, unlike the first game, you also have access to all of them from the start.
The leveling has also been tinkered with. In the last game, up to five points could be allocated to most skills, and some level advancements gave you two skill points. Now each skill can have up to 15 points applied to it, but you only get one skill point per level, meaning by the end of the game you'll have a lot fewer skills to use (or several wimpy ones). Despite this, there are a lot more generous stat items in the game, and in combination with these skills can actually end up much more powerful than before. It's not inconceivable that Wolverine could dole out well over 1500 damage without a couple of items equipped, whereas before he might have done 25-30% of that. At the
same time, developer Raven Software recognized the need to correct some balance issues in the first game. Storm, for example, has been scaled back significantly, and Cyclops has been brought down a little, as well. (Colossus still seems a little underpowered, though.)
Also new is the fact that heroes don't level up equally. Now, only those in your party gain full experience – the rest get a fraction of that. This may make sense, but I don't like it; it really discourages experimentation. Characters are brought up to a low minimum level at the beginning of each of the five story acts, but one of the things I liked about the first game was that you could swap in a character anytime you liked and not have them be 10 levels under your "core" team. You can frequently change up your team to avoid this in Rise of Apocalypse, but by doing that, of course, you run the risk of being underpowered towards the end.
In addition, costumes have taken a more prominent role this time. Instead of being rewarded with costumes at the end, players are now given new costumes throughout the game, and there are a lot more than before. Wolverine still gets the most, but others now get their fair share, with the minimum being three each. If you want your team to look like they're straight out of the late '80s (and you do), you can.
Finally, cooperative play (both online and off) is a big focus in X-Men Legends II. Friends can jump in and out of the game, and leveling and equipping can be delegated to the computer for a no-pause experience. The computer doesn't level up or equip items intelligently enough for my tastes, but the benefit in coop is worth it. All other times, I had it set to manual. In general, the online experience can be a bit sluggish at times, but it was something that was sorely missed in the first game and will surely be improved in the inevitable sequel.
Overall, the game should take most players about 20 hours to complete their first time through.
Graphics:
The game looks good. The characters are cel-shaded, as before – I suppose this is to give them a comic book feel. There are some new environments and some redecorated old ones, but the big improvement (and one you'll notice right away) is in the cutscenes.
The first game's cinematics, as you might recall, were fairly passable. This time... wow! They are very impressive; so good, in fact, that I actually rewatched all the scenes after I beat the game. And like the original game, X-Men Legends II supports 720p, making for some sharp HD gaming.
Audio:
I wasn't bowled over by the sound, but it's there and does its job decently. The Dolby Digital 5.1 surround is mostly confined to the front speakers, but explosions occasionally give the subwoofer something to do. Music is largely orchestral and relegated to the background; however, when the action heats up, the music gets a little more agitated in response.
On a side note, can we please make the '90s animated series theme song the official X-Men theme song? Seriously, this franchise is in desperate need of one.
Conclusion:
Remember the last X-Men game? It's like that, only better. Recommended.
levels filled with zillions of bad guys until they complete all of their objectives (usually culminating in a boss battle). Characters have a variety of skills, which they can use variously to defeat enemies, build bridges, fly, smash through walls, teleport, remotely flip switches, lift boulders, fire beams... you get the idea. And in true action-RPG fashion, your team members gradually gain experience and level up, unlocking even more abilities.Gameplay:
There are changes from the first game, of course. In response to the threat of Apocalypse (a 5000-year-old Egyptian mutant who's suddenly decided to take over the world, natch), the X-Men and Brotherhood of Mutants have decided to join forces. That means players can assemble teams from both sides to take on the armies of Apocalypse, including Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, Rogue, Jean Grey, Iceman, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Gambit, Sunfire, Bishop, Magneto, Juggernaut, Toad, and Scarlet Witch, with the option to unlock Deadpool, Professor X, and Iron Man. Activision seems to have a thing for Iron Man. Anyway, unlike the first game, you also have access to all of them from the start.
The leveling has also been tinkered with. In the last game, up to five points could be allocated to most skills, and some level advancements gave you two skill points. Now each skill can have up to 15 points applied to it, but you only get one skill point per level, meaning by the end of the game you'll have a lot fewer skills to use (or several wimpy ones). Despite this, there are a lot more generous stat items in the game, and in combination with these skills can actually end up much more powerful than before. It's not inconceivable that Wolverine could dole out well over 1500 damage without a couple of items equipped, whereas before he might have done 25-30% of that. At the
same time, developer Raven Software recognized the need to correct some balance issues in the first game. Storm, for example, has been scaled back significantly, and Cyclops has been brought down a little, as well. (Colossus still seems a little underpowered, though.)Also new is the fact that heroes don't level up equally. Now, only those in your party gain full experience – the rest get a fraction of that. This may make sense, but I don't like it; it really discourages experimentation. Characters are brought up to a low minimum level at the beginning of each of the five story acts, but one of the things I liked about the first game was that you could swap in a character anytime you liked and not have them be 10 levels under your "core" team. You can frequently change up your team to avoid this in Rise of Apocalypse, but by doing that, of course, you run the risk of being underpowered towards the end.
In addition, costumes have taken a more prominent role this time. Instead of being rewarded with costumes at the end, players are now given new costumes throughout the game, and there are a lot more than before. Wolverine still gets the most, but others now get their fair share, with the minimum being three each. If you want your team to look like they're straight out of the late '80s (and you do), you can.
Finally, cooperative play (both online and off) is a big focus in X-Men Legends II. Friends can jump in and out of the game, and leveling and equipping can be delegated to the computer for a no-pause experience. The computer doesn't level up or equip items intelligently enough for my tastes, but the benefit in coop is worth it. All other times, I had it set to manual. In general, the online experience can be a bit sluggish at times, but it was something that was sorely missed in the first game and will surely be improved in the inevitable sequel.
Overall, the game should take most players about 20 hours to complete their first time through.
Graphics:
The game looks good. The characters are cel-shaded, as before – I suppose this is to give them a comic book feel. There are some new environments and some redecorated old ones, but the big improvement (and one you'll notice right away) is in the cutscenes.
The first game's cinematics, as you might recall, were fairly passable. This time... wow! They are very impressive; so good, in fact, that I actually rewatched all the scenes after I beat the game. And like the original game, X-Men Legends II supports 720p, making for some sharp HD gaming.Audio:
I wasn't bowled over by the sound, but it's there and does its job decently. The Dolby Digital 5.1 surround is mostly confined to the front speakers, but explosions occasionally give the subwoofer something to do. Music is largely orchestral and relegated to the background; however, when the action heats up, the music gets a little more agitated in response.
On a side note, can we please make the '90s animated series theme song the official X-Men theme song? Seriously, this franchise is in desperate need of one.
Conclusion:
Remember the last X-Men game? It's like that, only better. Recommended.