X-Men Origins: Wolverine Uncaged Edition (Xbox 360) Review

Posted by Todd Vote on 05.15.2009

Wolverine, the game to go with the movie, has finally released. Does it rip and claw its way into your heart and stand above other movie games? 411’s Todd Vote checks in with the full review…

The game based on the movie, which is apparently only loosely based off the Marvel X-men comics. Who doesn’t want to know where Wizard magazine’s #1 Comic book character of all time came from? How did ‘Jimmy’ become Logan, and ultimately Wolverine? Well that is what this game is attempting to fill you in on. How does it stack up to the film of the same name? How does it hold up to other film to game adaptations? If there is one thing we have been conditioned to expect, it’s that Summer movie games are rarely any good. Iron Man was horrible last Summer, and so many before it were also horrible. Does Wolverine buck that trend? To put it simply, the answer is both yes, and no.
(NOTE: For those of you who have not seen the film, this review may contain small spoilers)








Graphics
Graphically, Wolverine looks amazing. The backgrounds are enormous in scope, and just look beautiful. I mean it, these backgrounds are comparable to what we have come to expect from the God of War series, they are that good. In addition to this, the character models are all done true to the film, and most are instantly recognizable. From Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, to Liev Shrieber’s Victor Creed, even Will.I.Am looks like the real thing. Activision spent time making this look true to the movie, and it shows here in all the glorious detail.

In addition to this, Wolverine is at last, the unleashed animal he should be in video game form. No longer do his claws just knock the baddies around, no this time you get to tear them apart in all the visceral glory you would expect from a guy with adamantium claws for his primary weapons. Raven Software did not hold back, and have delivered one of the bloodiest action packed games I have played thus far in the current generation of systems. The damage your character takes is further proof of this bloody direction, as Wolvie can at times, after a particularly brutal battle, look like Arnie from the Terminator films. Then you can sit and watch as he regenerates all his flesh and bones. It is a little thing sure, but it is pretty cool to check out the first couple of times it happens.

Undoubtedly, the most satisfying part of this new more grown up (bloody) flavor is the instant kills. Logan will grab a character, then if you time your button press right, you get one of the awesome instant kills. Logan may yank a head back and gut a guy from throat to hip, or he may just decide to rip the guy in two. These moves are awesome to watch, and once I figured out how to use them, I had to be sure to try it with each new enemy I came across. It should be noted that these kills are just as satisfying with nearly every new character introduced, as they are the first time you do it. The visual appearance of this game is without question one of the best parts of the experience.

Gameplay
The game play is solid, using a control scheme also apparently ripped right out of God of War, you have a light attack, a strong attack, a jump, and a grab button, all mapped to the familiar face buttons, blocking, sprinting, and lunging are mapped to your shoulder buttons, and it really works well. I’m not knocking the control scheme, as I think God of War has one of the absolute best control schemes for this type of game, and in turn, it works very well for Wolverine.


The game also includes the ability to level up Wolverine, and make him more badass than he starts out as. Think of the system used in X-Men Legends, and you will have an idea of how this works, though in Origins it does not appear to be as deep as it was in Legends

The combos you can pull off, and just everything about the game play finally delivers the true experience of playing as Wolverine the way other games featuring Logan have always seemed to try and stay away from. You will finally get the full experience. From the first time you actually take control, falling out of an exploding helicopter, only to adjust your trajectory at the last minute so that you pounce on an unsuspecting victim, leaving a massive crater of bone, blood, and dirt underneath him. This is the Wolverine game fans have been waiting for.

That being said the game play is not without it’s hang-ups. As what seems to be the norm with the hack and slash style of games, it can become repetitive as you progress through, and Wolverine is no exception to that rule, as the developers failed to make fighting the different enemies feel different. Fighting one of Styker’s armed guards feels no different than fighting one of the many mechanical foes you will come against. But in Wolverine you are so psyched to be ripping people apart, it really doesn’t hinder the experience as much as you would expect. The game is definitely style over substance, and that is probably the best way the could have went with this one.


Get off my back, will ya?

In addition to this, Raven Software could have taken some time to differentiate the boss fights. Through the entire game you will come across two main types of bosses, Giant rock creatures/Robots, or other mutants A.K.A the rest of the film cast. When fighting the Giant Rock creatures, known as the Leviathan, he has one weakness, and that is on his back. You will have to lunge at him repeatedly to try and bring this big sumbitch down. When it comes to the giant robot, same story. One weakness, and it happens to be on his back.

When fighting the other mutants in the game, you will also notice a pattern to beating them that becomes apparent after your first confrontation with Sabertooth. The lunge button is your best friend in this game, take it out and buy it some coffee sometime to get to know it a little better. Victor deals large amounts of damage when you try to battle in close, so the lunge becomes your best option of attack. It is like this for most of the characters you come across in the game, and it is not limited to only boss fights. The lunge is your friend. Remember it!


Lunge, claw, repeat

Sound
The sound is decent, but again not really anything noteworthy. You will catch a few of the phrases from the movie, and the dialog is all done well enough. The actual soundtrack of the game is largely un-noticeable, as thinking back now, I do not remember it ever catching my attention the way a good soundtrack can do. I’ve heard some memorable video game soundtracks, such as Halo, God of War, even Advent Rising had a really memorable soundtrack done by Tommy Tallarico, this game does not present such work, and that is a shame. A decent soundtrack can add as much to the gameplay as any other element when it is done correctly.

As I mentioned, the voice acting is done well, and as far as I can tell, the actors from the film all lent their voices here (So I don’t watch the credits, sue me). The bells and whistles are all here, when Logan strikes a wall with his claws, there is a sound for it, and everything seems to match up pretty well.

Lasting Appeal
The game starts off with you in Africa, on the mission that caused Logan to separate himself from the Weapon X program, get used to it, because you will be coming back here a lot throughout the game. In fact, this is one place the game really expands on the movie. In the movie we are treated to a couple of flashbacks to this time, but only briefly to show why Logan left. The game goes into much more detail about this mission, as it flashes back here seemingly at least once per mission.


Why is it shooting black zombie Africans was a problem in Resident Evil, but Wolverine can kill black, machete wielding, loin cloth wearing Africans, and all is okay?

In fact this is one of the bad parts of the game, not necessarily the Africa flashbacks, but the whole story is presented in such a way that it is all flashbacks, and it never sticks in one time long enough for you to really figure out which area of the story you are in. if judging by the opening cinematic, the entire game is a flashback, as the opening cinematic seems to be ripped right from the "Days of Future Past" storyline in the comics. So it would stand to reason that all playable aspects of the game are in fact flashbacks. It can be a bit confusing at times, but watching the movie first will alleviate some of the confusion the bouncing story may present.

Another factor that may work against this title for some gamers is the repetitiveness that I touched on above. It really wasn’t an issue for me, because there are so many ways to maim, and rip apart the enemies that on one play through it wasn’t a factor. However, going through the game more than once and this would definitely be an issue, and one that can be fixed if they decide to branch off from this game into the other storylines they hinted at throughout the game.

The game also offers some loot hunting in the form of tracking down classic Wolverine figurines, and finding dog tags on fallen soldiers. For some this may add to the replay value. Add in the fact that Wolverine will almost assuredly have more leveling up to do after the first time through, and some gamers will be enticed to continue after the initial completion of the game (note: if this is what you are after, make sure you only continue using the mission select, as from what I have seen and read, starting over resets all stats)

Fun Factor
This game was fun. I rented it on a Friday, and I played the game right up until I went to the theater to see the movie. A violent experience from start to finish, the game mainly follows the movie, but will also throw in a few easter eggs for the fans of the comics. If nothing else this is a fun way to kill a weekend. Give it a go, you’ll be happy you did.


The 411
Make no mistake about it. This game is not perfect, but it is a damn good starting off point. I am anxious to see what Raven Software will be able to do when they do not have to keep Wolverine in the confines of his own movie. If they are able to choose the story for the next Wolverine game, things can only get better. The game is satisfying, and will now sit as my second favorite movie game ever created. Granted there have not been many good ones, but this one is worth checking out. You want Wolverine, this is as close as you will get to him right now, bloody violent, and a blast to play through.

Graphics	9.0	Some reviews I read said a few things about glitches and collision detection problems. Fortunately, I did not experience any of these, and the game offered a smooth experience from start to finish.
Gameplay	8.0	The gameplay is ultimately satisfying, while offering nothing really new that we haven't seen a million times from the genre. They chose the
Sound	7.5	As I stated the voices and noises are all where they should be, but the soundtrack left something to be desired. I am a huge fan of movie soundtracks, and that has transfered over to my gaming experience.
Lasting Appeal	7.5	The repetition that becomes apparent in later levels, and weak boss fights are all that keeps this game from reaching a higher lasting appeal. Once you play through it, unless you are a completionist, there is no reason to play it again, other than to tea
Fun Factor	8.5	That first play through is an absolute blast!! I enjoyed my time with this game, and you should to. It's as close to Wolverine as we have ever been given in game form.
Overall	8.1   [ Very Good ]

Screenshots
All 17 X-Men Origins: Wolverine Screenshots