Neg
07-20-2009, 10:34 AM
I just finished it, and I just wanted to get all my thoughts down. So, here we go.
Graphics--They are honestly a mixed-bag. The graphics "in-game" are decent boardering on magnificent in certain instances. The more I played it, the more jaggies I noticed around almost everything in the environments, but I might be sitting too close to the screen, tbh. The cutscenes have horribly rendered models and their mouths seem to be filled with the graphic equivalent of static.
There is one FMV that is particularly good, right at the end of the game, and the final scene of the end movie has a truly awesome bit that involves the damage that Wolverine takes. Throughout the game, he takes a pounding and you see skeleton and muscle, A TON. For the most part, it looks really good. Enemies really don't show much damage unless you dismember them, which you can do as much as you like, actually. More on that later.
I guess they didn't get Ryan Reynold's likeness rights, because Wade looks nothing like him and it isn't Ryan voicing him. More on voices, in a bit.
Story--The story is, too be perfectly honest and blunt, GONKED. It is presented out of order and you are just slammed back and forth. The problem is, when you are pushed backwards, it's always to the same environemnt. The jungle looks lush the first time you see it, but once you realize that it is basically a puzzle zoo, it gets old. I found myself wondering why I was there so late in the game RIGHT before taking on the final bosses. Why am I pushing statues, NOW?!?!
There is a character in it just for the sake of being in, and if you are upset with the movie for this problem, this will just annoy you further. I didn't mind it in the movie, but this one is just too blatent.
Jumping back and forth, and having extraneous characters isn't the least of the story's worries. It's a fractured rewrite of the movie and makes even less sense (Hi Rob!). I've seen the movie and I barely understand the logic behind slapping the parts together. It's haphazard and it's shoddy.
One part of the end is just WTF:
Kayla kills herself, instead of just dying from her wound o_O
The very end, however, presents a great scenario that I'd love to see explored. It'd have to be set after X3, and would require Logan to lose his memory again, though. How about we just see it in another game?
Sound--I don't remember much of game music, unless it really stands outs, and you know me and which series I believe this to be true of. It wasn't bad enough for me to remember, either, though, so it must have been serviceable. Jackman does a fantastic job, even if the one-liners are recycled. They don't play super-often, and they are delightful. Leave while you're still breathin'.
My inexperienced ear tells me that Will.I.Am reprised his role as John Wraith, but I'm pretty sure the extraneous character didn't have her actress in the booth. Striker is possibly the same guy, and I'm 99% sure that's Liev snarling. Overall, good voice cast, great deliveries.
Gameplay/Controls--From the moment I put the game in the drive, till about the 3rd chapter (of 5) I was gasping in awe almost nonstop. The brutality you can inflict with Wolvy is peerless. And, I don't just mean set-piece kills (which are universally awesome). Even in the repetoire of controllable attacks, there is a ton of diversity offered by the multitude of quick kills and environmental kills.
These attacks are pulled off with ease, thanks to the fluid controls and animations. Slowdown was only present when it was meant to be, in order to dramatically punctuate particularly fantastic finishing moves. There are a few occasions where it will seem like the game is freezing. However, they are all instances where a cutscene loading is butted up against the awarding of a trophy/achievement. I'd say this happened...3 times. Nothing to gripe over.
While there are some repetitive aspects (you will face the same type of miniboss a multitude of times), I don't think they are worse than any other action game currently on the market, or in recent memory. With controls this good, and a variety of attacks that is fleshed out--if not voluminous--it probably won't get old unless you are playing it incessantly.
The last two chapters of the game do drag, and feature simple and unfulfilling boss battles that seem to be there only because they were in the movie. The Sentinel battle, however, is notable because while it is fantastically scaled, it leaves much to be desired and would have benefited from environmental set-pieces and more dynamic and sizable weak spots.
The skydiving aspect of the game is one that I do not feel works in the Sentinel fight or in any of the places it is used, save a lone battle that has you jumping from helicopter to helicopter.
Still the gameplay, on the whole, is satisfying and fun, and should be the main reason you play this game.
Wolverine's skill trees are simple and unlock in a timely manner. Each skill costs points that you gain from leveling up. Leveling happens surprisingly quickly and is always satisfying because of this. Mutagens spread throughout the levels allow Wolverine to increase his health, rage meter, experience gained, and decrease the amount of damage he takes just to name a few benefits. You begin with one slot, but quickly unlock 3. Wolvy can also increases his combat reflexes against several categories of enemies. These skills are increased in a way similar to gaining experience in an RPG. They go up a bit slow for my taste, but tbh, I never noticed a difference as they increased. You can gain a trophy/achievement for maxing them out, but it doesn't seem necessary.
Extras--Thankfully, the save system is much like the one found in Resident Evil 5. You can choose to replay missions and overwrite your file. For example, throughout the game there are corpses lying around that are glowing and possess dogtags. These each give an experince bonus that scales up as you increase in levels (a really nice touch!), making them more than just a token collection system. If you miss any, you can replay a mission, find some, and save. This works for health increases, mutagens, and Wolverine figurines, as well.
By collecting these Wolverine figurines [which are dressed in each of 3 different costumes (Brown/Yellow, Blue/Yellow, and X-Factor Black)], you can unlock challenges against a doppleganger. If you win, you will have access to that costume. I've noticed that they only show up in certain cutscenes, so it is hit and miss on that front. The battles against each of these Wolvies made me realize that I prefer my Wolverine in a wifebeater and jeans, but it is nice to have these options. I would have liked to have his uniform from the main movie lineage, but it wouldn't have made sense to include it in a game for Origins. Alas~
These extras are simple but compelling and won't strain your OCD tendencies if you want to go for them all. The save system helps you level up easily, as well.
Overall--Overall, the game is decent. If you are a Wolverine fan and have longed for a good game, this is it. I know they can do better, and I hope they do, but given the circumstances, this is what we've been waiting for ever since that horrible NES game that we played anyway, because it was Wolverine (and it even had Jubes :p). This game makes him out to be a killing machine, and I for one don't think that's a bad thing. He is nigh indestructible and that's how we like it. The puzzle elements don't slow the game down too much (think RE4--one or two moments where you're like LET ME KILL MORE!).
Revenge of the Fallen is said by many to require you to turn your brain off. I don't agree with that, you should never have to turn your brain off when watching a movie, but I'm not above doing that for a video game. When you play this, please turn your brain off, and get ready for that morbid twinge in your belly to go into hyperdrive, and a twisted, evil smile to plaster itself across your face.
If you have passing interest in Wolverine, pass it. If you're a fan, rent it. If you're a fanboy, buy it.
7/10
Graphics--They are honestly a mixed-bag. The graphics "in-game" are decent boardering on magnificent in certain instances. The more I played it, the more jaggies I noticed around almost everything in the environments, but I might be sitting too close to the screen, tbh. The cutscenes have horribly rendered models and their mouths seem to be filled with the graphic equivalent of static.
There is one FMV that is particularly good, right at the end of the game, and the final scene of the end movie has a truly awesome bit that involves the damage that Wolverine takes. Throughout the game, he takes a pounding and you see skeleton and muscle, A TON. For the most part, it looks really good. Enemies really don't show much damage unless you dismember them, which you can do as much as you like, actually. More on that later.
I guess they didn't get Ryan Reynold's likeness rights, because Wade looks nothing like him and it isn't Ryan voicing him. More on voices, in a bit.
Story--The story is, too be perfectly honest and blunt, GONKED. It is presented out of order and you are just slammed back and forth. The problem is, when you are pushed backwards, it's always to the same environemnt. The jungle looks lush the first time you see it, but once you realize that it is basically a puzzle zoo, it gets old. I found myself wondering why I was there so late in the game RIGHT before taking on the final bosses. Why am I pushing statues, NOW?!?!
There is a character in it just for the sake of being in, and if you are upset with the movie for this problem, this will just annoy you further. I didn't mind it in the movie, but this one is just too blatent.
Jumping back and forth, and having extraneous characters isn't the least of the story's worries. It's a fractured rewrite of the movie and makes even less sense (Hi Rob!). I've seen the movie and I barely understand the logic behind slapping the parts together. It's haphazard and it's shoddy.
One part of the end is just WTF:
Kayla kills herself, instead of just dying from her wound o_O
The very end, however, presents a great scenario that I'd love to see explored. It'd have to be set after X3, and would require Logan to lose his memory again, though. How about we just see it in another game?
Sound--I don't remember much of game music, unless it really stands outs, and you know me and which series I believe this to be true of. It wasn't bad enough for me to remember, either, though, so it must have been serviceable. Jackman does a fantastic job, even if the one-liners are recycled. They don't play super-often, and they are delightful. Leave while you're still breathin'.
My inexperienced ear tells me that Will.I.Am reprised his role as John Wraith, but I'm pretty sure the extraneous character didn't have her actress in the booth. Striker is possibly the same guy, and I'm 99% sure that's Liev snarling. Overall, good voice cast, great deliveries.
Gameplay/Controls--From the moment I put the game in the drive, till about the 3rd chapter (of 5) I was gasping in awe almost nonstop. The brutality you can inflict with Wolvy is peerless. And, I don't just mean set-piece kills (which are universally awesome). Even in the repetoire of controllable attacks, there is a ton of diversity offered by the multitude of quick kills and environmental kills.
These attacks are pulled off with ease, thanks to the fluid controls and animations. Slowdown was only present when it was meant to be, in order to dramatically punctuate particularly fantastic finishing moves. There are a few occasions where it will seem like the game is freezing. However, they are all instances where a cutscene loading is butted up against the awarding of a trophy/achievement. I'd say this happened...3 times. Nothing to gripe over.
While there are some repetitive aspects (you will face the same type of miniboss a multitude of times), I don't think they are worse than any other action game currently on the market, or in recent memory. With controls this good, and a variety of attacks that is fleshed out--if not voluminous--it probably won't get old unless you are playing it incessantly.
The last two chapters of the game do drag, and feature simple and unfulfilling boss battles that seem to be there only because they were in the movie. The Sentinel battle, however, is notable because while it is fantastically scaled, it leaves much to be desired and would have benefited from environmental set-pieces and more dynamic and sizable weak spots.
The skydiving aspect of the game is one that I do not feel works in the Sentinel fight or in any of the places it is used, save a lone battle that has you jumping from helicopter to helicopter.
Still the gameplay, on the whole, is satisfying and fun, and should be the main reason you play this game.
Wolverine's skill trees are simple and unlock in a timely manner. Each skill costs points that you gain from leveling up. Leveling happens surprisingly quickly and is always satisfying because of this. Mutagens spread throughout the levels allow Wolverine to increase his health, rage meter, experience gained, and decrease the amount of damage he takes just to name a few benefits. You begin with one slot, but quickly unlock 3. Wolvy can also increases his combat reflexes against several categories of enemies. These skills are increased in a way similar to gaining experience in an RPG. They go up a bit slow for my taste, but tbh, I never noticed a difference as they increased. You can gain a trophy/achievement for maxing them out, but it doesn't seem necessary.
Extras--Thankfully, the save system is much like the one found in Resident Evil 5. You can choose to replay missions and overwrite your file. For example, throughout the game there are corpses lying around that are glowing and possess dogtags. These each give an experince bonus that scales up as you increase in levels (a really nice touch!), making them more than just a token collection system. If you miss any, you can replay a mission, find some, and save. This works for health increases, mutagens, and Wolverine figurines, as well.
By collecting these Wolverine figurines [which are dressed in each of 3 different costumes (Brown/Yellow, Blue/Yellow, and X-Factor Black)], you can unlock challenges against a doppleganger. If you win, you will have access to that costume. I've noticed that they only show up in certain cutscenes, so it is hit and miss on that front. The battles against each of these Wolvies made me realize that I prefer my Wolverine in a wifebeater and jeans, but it is nice to have these options. I would have liked to have his uniform from the main movie lineage, but it wouldn't have made sense to include it in a game for Origins. Alas~
These extras are simple but compelling and won't strain your OCD tendencies if you want to go for them all. The save system helps you level up easily, as well.
Overall--Overall, the game is decent. If you are a Wolverine fan and have longed for a good game, this is it. I know they can do better, and I hope they do, but given the circumstances, this is what we've been waiting for ever since that horrible NES game that we played anyway, because it was Wolverine (and it even had Jubes :p). This game makes him out to be a killing machine, and I for one don't think that's a bad thing. He is nigh indestructible and that's how we like it. The puzzle elements don't slow the game down too much (think RE4--one or two moments where you're like LET ME KILL MORE!).
Revenge of the Fallen is said by many to require you to turn your brain off. I don't agree with that, you should never have to turn your brain off when watching a movie, but I'm not above doing that for a video game. When you play this, please turn your brain off, and get ready for that morbid twinge in your belly to go into hyperdrive, and a twisted, evil smile to plaster itself across your face.
If you have passing interest in Wolverine, pass it. If you're a fan, rent it. If you're a fanboy, buy it.
7/10