[Game Review]X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse

For a long-time Marvel comics devotee, it’s hard to resist any new X-Men games that come out.
But even for less fervent fans, “X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse” is no disappointment.
It’s even more exciting when you know that the new film adaptation of the comic book “Wolverine” is scheduled to be released in theaters next year.
The best part of Legends II is that the player can create a team that mixes superheroes and villains, including members of Magneto’s dangerous Brotherhood of Mutants. The characters are also not limited to the original X-Men crew, but include other Marvel comic characters such as Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk, meaning the game has a huge roster of your favorite superheroes to choose from.
The game starts with Magneto, Mystique and Sabertooth teaming up with the X-Men to save Professor Xavier, an odd grouping somewhat reminiscent of the second installment of the X-Men film series. The mutants have to counter super-villain Apocalypse. His henchmen and sub-bosses must be battled at every stage in a team of four heroes, with various combination attacks.
A perk is that you can switch to different members of your team at will. Different superpowers are needed in different spots, such as Iceman’s ability to freeze a blazing fire.
The only problem is that after a while every stage seems almost the same and the continuous battle against henchmen becomes somewhat a bore.
Yet the game is fairly easy as well as entertaining, a rare combination in today’s fighting-adventure genre.
By Lee Ho-jeong

X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse
Genre: Action
Platform: PC
Publisher: Activision
Rating:

“Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes” is much like Koei’s “Dynasty Warriors,” except the story is staged in Japan rather than China.
The way the game plays out, and the fact that the main point is to destroy as many incoming enemies as possible with ridiculously powerful attacks, also isn’t far off from “Warriors.”
You lose the game either if your health bar runs dry or your team falls to the enemy, which is like Warriors, as well. So instead of randomly rushing after a bunch of enemies, you have to keep track of how your team is doing in the battle.
Another Warriors-esque trait is that you have to keep on fighting and winning enemy camps to upgrade weapons. This can make the process of increasing characters’ power and speed take a frustratingly long time. It sometimes seems like you can never totally upgrade your weapons before a new series of the game comes out.
The three-dimensional visual effects aren’t too bad, but don’t necessarily measure up to other games on the market. And the game play isn’t that easy, requiring the player to use many combinations when attacking. This could be really difficult for those who aren’t familiar with the advanced console button sequences of action games.
So what’s special about Sengoku Basara that makes it distinctively different from Dynasty Warriors? If you want a more serious gaming experience, Dynasty Warriors is far better. But if you’re after the melodramatics of Japanese animation, Basara is not a bad choice.
All in all, this game is still a great way to relieve stress levels.
By Lee Ho-jeong

Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes
Genre: Fighting action
Platform: PS2
Publisher: Capcom
Rating: