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.
Brutal and violent combat awaits you as you unleash the dormant animal that has been slumbering inside
Wolverine.
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.
Wolverine isn’t just a mindless hack and slash, there are areas that require a Tomb Raider-esque approach
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