X-Men: Legends

We flex the power of X and try our mutant powers out on the big black box. X-Men Unite!

When it was first announced in early 2003, Raven Software's X-Men Legends was but a mere blip on the X-Men hype radar. The X2 movie was in full swing and Activision, the game's publisher, was heavily promoting X2: Wolverine's Revenge.

Revealed to the press as X-Men RPG, X-Men Legends promised a lot, though there were some doubts about Activision's ability to deliver. After all, prior titles using the license had been solidly average and there was a worry that the game would be rushed to capitalize on the movie. Thankfully those fears were not justified as Activision gave Raven all the time it needed to do the game right, and if our time with a recent build is any indication this is one game that deserves to be on your holiday wish list.

X-Factor

X-Men Legends features an original story that centers on a girl by the name of Allison Crestmere, otherwise known as the mutant Magma. The game opens with a cinema of her abduction by Mystique and Blob -- members of Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants. Not knowing who she is or why the Brotherhood wants her, the X-Men head out to rescue Crestmere and bring her to the safety of the mansion. So it begins.

Players will start the game as Wolverine, playing through the first level as a solo adventure. Set in the streets of New York, the game starts things off nice and easy, with a well-designed intro level that is just as much training as it is story. Raven has done a commendable job of keeping the game flow going here because the introduction never feels like a training level.

Gameplay will feel quite familiar to fans of the action-RPG genre, doubly so for Baulder's Gate players, but with a decidedly X-Men-esque twist. Instead of magic, players can use their mutant powers to get out of trouble. In the early stages your mutant powers are limited, which forces you to be light on your toes, however once you gain some experience and start building up your characters, the mutant powers can be a mighty advantage. Every character has a unique set of powers and with 15 playable characters there is plenty of variety to be had.

Building the Team

The biggest draw of X-Men Legends is the ability to play as a team of four X-Men. You are free to switch between team members at any time during play and active mutants can be swapped out at any reinforcement point. This style of play encourages experimentation because you are never really penalized for choosing a particular set of four characters. If you find yourself hitting a brick wall, simply return to a reinforcement point and shuffle up your team.

Although you initially only have access to Wolverine, you will start adding members as soon as you complete the first mini-boss fight against Mystique. Team members that you are not controlling will be driven by an adjustable AI script -- you can set them to be aggressive, balanced or defensive and can even control how they will heal when injured. For the most part, AI-controlled teammates do not need babysitting, but every once in awhile they will get into a tight spot and if you do not heed the health warnings an AI-controlled X-Man may very well end up dead.

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