Earlier today, I posted this less than favorable review of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”. A glutton for punishment, I saw that the demo for the video game interpretation had been released, and jumped at the chance. All I have to say is this: holy SHIT! Why wasn’t this released instead of the movie!?
The demo, which is now available via XBox Live Marketplace and Playstion Store, is one level of Wolverine fighting through the jungle to find the downed chopper he was on in the opening cinematic, so as to check on his Weapon X cohorts.
Now let’s stop here and talk about the opening cinema. Blood, blood, blood and lots of it. It evokes a “Days of Future Past” feel, and is set several years in the future, presumably even past the X-Men films, and shows Wolverine facing off against several soldiers. It not only highlights the visceral combat of the game (Pretty much everything showcased in the opening cinematic is used in the demo), but it highlights the detail placed in to Wolverine’s healing factor. There’s not just blood, you see bones and muscle ligament as they repair themselves, mending the broken X-Man so he can push forward and walk headfirst into more damage.
The gameplay itself feels like a less clumsy, easier to pick up God of War. There’s no unneccessary combos. You have a light attack, a heavy attack, and a grab, and the name of the game is to get up to your opponents, and take them out with a series of incredibly brutal slashes and throws, which are intercut with the occasional slow-mo cut to show Wolverine stabbing, decapitating, or dismembering his opponents. Right out the door, this game earns its M rating.
Quick time events are non-existant, though there are some QTE like segments, such as when Wolverine takes down a helicopter. You gain a Lunge ability that makes getting in close to opponents a snap, and have access to a Feral Senses vision mode, which helps to locate and highlight mission and level specific obstacles, as well as make sure you’re going in the right direction. The demo also showcases the Mutagen, which are how Wolverine’s abilities are enhanced; the one in the demo allows Wolverine to regenerate using his healing factor quicker. The healing factor itself already regenerates pretty quick, slowling filling itself up during combat and gradually picking up in between fights.
Graphically, the game looks very nice. Wolverine doesn’t neccessarily look much like Hugh Jackman (who voices the character), but he does resemble him enough that you know who it is. The only complaint about this demo? Its way too short. I found myself quite sad that it had ended.
“X-Men Origins: Wolverine ” is out now for XBox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game is developed by Raven Software (The minds behind the X-Men Legends series), and is published by Activision, and distributed by Activision Blizzard. The demo is still available, as I mentioned before, via XBox Live Marketplace and Playstation Store, but if you’re a serious fan of the X-Men, or really enjoyed God of War, I would have to recommend this one based on the demo. I know I for one wouldn’t mind owning it.
As soon as we can get our hands on a full version, The Homeworld will have a review of that, or if you’ve played it, feel free to send us your review.
