He is the best at what he does

With X-Men Origins Wolverine proving to be a big hit across the world in Cinemas, the game based on the movie has a lot to live up to. Film based games usually buckle under the pressure and don’t receive a great deal of enthusiasm from critics or the public, as they don’t capture the feel or the excitement of the film.

Unleash the Animal

It is with a huge sigh of relief then that I am happy to say that X-men Origins Wolverine does capture the feel of the film. It has the same dark moments and keeps the same sense of humour throughout. Wolverine Uncaged, however, adds to the story instead of just following it … From the moment that you put the disc in, you’ll know it’s going to differ somewhat from the film due to the visceral opening sequence. Brutal and violent combat awaits you as you unleash the dormant animal that has been slumbering inside Wolverine. This sets the overall tone for the game.

During the game you play missions in the present and the past, and these flash back missions are found in pretty much every other level. This gives you a clearer picture of what is happening throughout Origins as you meet new characters and Wolverine remembers previous encounters with them.

Getting your claws dirty

The combat in Origins is fast and vicious, but not all the enemies can be taken down with a swipe of the claws, some enemies are big and more resilient. These bigger enemies will need to be worn down and have their weak points exposed before the killing blow is delivered. But for the most of Origins, the enemies you encounter can be despatched quickly with a flick of your Adamantium claws.

The actual combat in Wolverine is easy yet satisfying as you can deliver very brutal combos with very little effort. But the ace up Wolverine’s vest is his rage attacks. Once you’re rage bar is sufficiently charged you’ll be able to unleash some devastating moves that will floor most opponents, and deal serious damage to the bigger enemies.

The Rage attacks that wolverine have really can turn the tide of a fight in your favour, especially when faced with a lot of enemies. The Claw Spin sees Wolverine spinning with his arms outstretched, perfect for clearing some space. Berserk is for those who still want to get up close and personal but gives them a bit more power to their punch. In addition to Rage attacks, you also have your Feral senses, which enables you to look around your environment and be able to see hidden enemies, climbing points and environmental hot spots.

Not just Brawn

Wolverine isn’t just a mindless hack and slash, there are areas that require a Tomb Raider-esque approach as you turn wheels, flip switches and collect power cores to open doors, extend bridges or move track around so that you can get to where you need to be. The balance has been struck well; these little sections have been put in the right places to give you a little breath of fresh air form the blood soaked fighting that makes the majority of Origins.

Also those who pre-ordered Wolverine from GAME would have received the code for the additional content: the danger room. With 4 areas to look at in the danger room a fun yet gory experience is inevitable. The first level is the Ladder Challenge Room, fighting waves of enemies of increasing difficulty to test your metal. In the Enemy Challenge Room you get to choose the enemies that you go head to head with, so you can practice against particular enemies if you feel you need to practice. The environmental Kill Room allows you free reign against 4 enemies in a room full of environmental kill hot spots, still my favourite by far. You can be as inventive as you want in this room because every item can be used to despatch an enemy. The final room is the Dismemberment Room, where you’ll wonder how on earth Raven found so many ways to surgically remove limbs from the bad guys.

X-Men Origins Wolverine is a combination of two great games, God of Wars combat and a watered down Tomb Raider puzzle element. These two elements suit Wolverine, if anything else had been added it would have ruined a very good movie game. It’s safe to say that Wolverine definitely has the X-factor, and hopefully is the first game to break the movie-tie in game curse.

GAME's Verdict

• Looks great, thanks to the Unrweal Engine
• smooth and fluid combat that doesn't feel repetative
• It's a Movie game that is actually good!

• Some form of Multiplayer would have been a nice touch
• The enemies can get a tad predictable
• More Rage moves to upgrade would have been great...DLC?

Review by: Tom "Ferret" Daly

Shnikty Shnikt Bub

Let’s get something straight: Wolverine isn’t just an Xmen character, he is the most recognised and powerful character in the Marvel Universe. Period. And when anything is done based on such a highly regarded character, you know a lot of people will be watching …

With this in mind, Raven (responsible for X-Men Origins: Wolverine Uncaged) worked hard to deliver the definitive Wolverine experience. X-Men Origins: Wolverine Uncaged has been in development for 2 years; even before the film was given the green light. So even though the game loosely follows the film it’s not technically based on the film. Which is what gave Raven the freedom to show Wolverine in his true uncaged colours.

Hardcore Claw action

As an Xmen fan it always annoyed me that in the comics, cartoons and games whenever Wolverine made contact using his Adamantium claws he never managed to spill a drop of claret. This is something that Raven was quick to address. Every attack ensures that the red stuff flows freely. The opening cut scene - possibly the most visceral game opening I’ve seen for a while - really sets the tone for the entire game. Firstly you see a hapless guard get a set of claws through the head … Wolverine takes a couple of Shotgun shells to the Stomach before decimating another bunch of guards … finishing off the final unfortunate guard by impaling him on a pipe protruding from the ground. Ouch.

This is not the Saturday morning cartoon Wolverine in yellow spandex that that I grew up with; this is a seriously aggravated Wolverine who goes out of his way to get his claws dirty. My hands-on preview started with Wolverine launching himself out of a helicopter without a parachute. Whilst free falling, Wolverine is bombarded with flak from ground based cannons. As the flak hits Wolverine you see him take damage ranging from cuts, major gashes and the occasional hole.

The fall is broken by a henchman who becomes part of the landscape in the form of a huge impact crater. A trademark cracking of the neck whilst Wolverines heals the ‘minimal’ wounds he has received, a flick of the wrists to unsheathe the claws and now it’s time to inflict some pain. The combat in X-Men Origins: Wolverine Uncaged is swift and, no pun intended, sharp. After landing I was surrounded by a group of armed and unarmed guards. No real challenge as I went about moving from target to target with animalistic ferocity, slashing and detaching limbs from the ‘highly trained’ group trying to take me out.

After the opening sequence I was expecting blood, but the amount of blood is unbelievable. Guards screamed in agony as I delivered swift strikes that removed their arms, leaving them looking at a bloody stumps whilst falling to the ground. Even heads aren’t safe from the Adamantium extensions. It could rival Gears of War in places. My favourite move may be the lunge, a giant leap at your enemies with your claws out stretched. Using this you can cover ground quickly and get into the fray with deadly accuracy, a useful move if surrounded by enemies packing guns.

Claws are not Wolverine’s only advantage in battle. As all Wolverine fans know he also has the ability to heal himself and this has not been left out of the video game. After a hard fought battle you simply remain still and watch as the cuts and gashes seal up returning Wolverine to full health. He also has heightened senses of smell and hearing. These feral senses in X-Men Origins: Wolverine Uncaged give Wolverine the ability to see a world within a world. At one point I was stuck in an area that looked like a dead end. However when using the feral abilities I could actually see ledges that could be traversed to get to the next set of unfortunate henchmen.

Ooh Shiny- and sharp

Pre-order with GAME you will get exclusive access to four extra in-game levels. These levels are based around the Danger Room used by the Xmen to train themselves. The first level is the Ladder Challenge Room, where you must go toe-to-claw against waves of enemies, each wave becoming progressively more difficult. The Enemy Challenge Room sees you testing your skills against different combinations of enemies. My Favourite, the Environmental Kill Room sees you taking on the enemies in a room full of objects. You can be as inventive as you want in this room because every item can be used to despatch an enemy. The final room is the Dismemberment Room, where you’ll wonder how on earth Raven found so many ways to surgically remove limbs from the bad guys.

My hands on with Wolverine was brief, but from my glimpse I can hand on heart say that Wolverine looks stunning, not only the FMVs but the game itself. The animations are smooth and the character models are fantastic; Hugh Jackman looks like Hugh Jackman, a fact which made my colleague Hannah (a huge Hugh Jackman fan) very happy indeed.

Preview by: Tom "Claw-Slashing" Daly
Preview Published: 09.04.09