Metroid: Other M Review

A common complain brought up against Nintendo is that they don't take any risks with their franchises. That they have a "if it isn't broke don't fix it" mentality, and they stick to the same tried-and-true formula while making little to no significant changes. The Metroid franchise however, proves otherwise. The first big change to the franchise came with Retro Studios Metroid Prime, which brought Samus into the third dimension for the first time from a first-person perspective. Despite much skepticism, it was released to critical acclaim and commercial success, and spawned two successful sequels as well. Now that the Prime trilogy has ended, Nintendo has turned to Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive developer Team Ninja, for a story-driven, combat heavy new Metroid experience. And Samus talks! Is Team Ninja's strange hybrid of 2D, 3D, and first-person gameplay a success, or is it a failed experiment?

Metroid: Other M is played holding the Wii remote sideways, NES style. This works both to its advantage, and disadvantage. When playing through the 2D sections, the controls feel great, and it feels like the closest thing to the classic Metroid style gameplay on a home console. This is also where the auto-targeting truly shines, as you can easily run through a hallway blasting away enemies with ease, in most cases without stopping. When you step into the third-dimension however, that's when things start to get iffy. First of all, the auto-targeting isn't nearly as precise, and often times has difficulty tracking enemy movement. Sometimes, you'll shoot at something completely different from where you were aiming, and sometimes you'll just shoot at nothing at all. Plus being only able to move in eight directions in a 360-degree space feel clunky and limiting. The third gameplay type present is the first-person perspective, which is mainly used to fire missiles or charged shots at weak points on enemies or clearing obstructions. Pointing the Wii remote at the screen brings up the perspective, but you can't move while in it. What's particularly annoying about this is there are many times when you are required to jump in and out of this perspective, but its not quite responsive enough to register the quick movement, which can lead to some pretty frustrating moments. One of the highlights in Other M's gameplay however is the fantastic boss battles, true to franchise history some are massive in scale, challenging, and very fun.

"Falcon kick!" Oh, wait...

Other M is a pretty game to look at most of the time. Character models look great, especially Samus as well as Adam and his Squad. Creature designs are top-notch, some featuring impressive particle effects. Character animations are pretty stellar as well. Some of the environments look very pretty and feature impressive environmental effects, but there's also many areas that feature very muddy looking low-res textures. Its one of the better looking Wii games out there, but certainly not the best. Other M also stays true to the atmospheric audio design of the franchise. The soundtrack is appropriately moody or intense when it needs to be, and the orchestral pieces in the cutscenes are beautiful.

The story in Other M starts off pretty slow, but after a few hours it actually gets legitimately interesting. As the story continues to build up steam toward the end, there's some genuinely surprising plot twists and revelations, its a good story, but its not without its quirks. The transition between the gorgeous CG cinematics and in-game engine is a bit off-putting, and there's a pretty big plot hole left unanswered. But it does a good job at adding to the Metroid universe and its mythology, and there's some pretty great fan-service thrown in for good measure. The voice-acting is pretty well done, for the most part. Unfortunately none of the characters are very well developed, or all that likable either.

Rain. Its back.

The biggest problem with the story however, is how Samus is portrayed. I have to give credit to Team Ninja and Nintendo for trying to develop Samus as a character, but unfortunately, it backfired. This is not the Samus we know and love, granted, we didn't actually know that much about her up to this point, but what little we did know, has been practically shattered. One of the few things we do know about Samus is that she doesn't like taking orders, but in Other M she blindly follows the orders of her former commanding officer Adam despite no longer having any affiliation with the Galactic Federation. She follows these orders to the point where it doesn't even make sense, often putting herself at unnecessary risk. At one point Samus runs through a deadly hot environment burning herself alive because Adam hasn't "authorized" the use of her varia suit yet. Why Samus would put herself at this unnecessary risk or why Adam who supposedly cares about her would either is nonsensical. There's plenty of more situations like this where Samus is put at unnecessary risk or kept from progressing further because she hasn't been "authorized" the use of her suit's various abilities. Another thing we know about Samus is this, she's fearless and keeps her emotions in check. But Other M would have you believe that Samus is an emotional wreck with Daddy issues and at one point actually freezes with fear upon encountering a familiar enemy. The delivery of Samus' dialogue is also pretty dull and emotionless most of the time, which would make more sense if she wasn't such an emotional wreck. Oh and remember that thumbs down thing Samus did during mission briefings that we saw in the trailers? Yeah, that still doesn't make any sense either.

In the end, Metroid: Other M has an "almost, but not quite" feel to it. The gameplay was almost great, the 2D sections are fun and enjoyable and makes you wish the entire game was in 2D, but the 3D and first-person gameplay can feel clunky and limiting at times, and there's a number of small issues like Samus failing to grab onto ledges and some iffy auto-targeting. The story almost came together but a major plot hole and Samus' portrayal leave much to be desired. Series vets will also likely miss finding new powerups on their own, and will have to settle for scavenging for missile and energy tanks. Other M also would've benefited from at least having the option for another control scheme that used an analog stick. But overall Other M is still a tight package that should please series veterans and newcomers alike.

8.25/10

Flower Review

Many debate whether video games can be art, and every once in a while a game comes along that says "yes, they can." Flower is one of those such games, as its one of the most artistic, and unique gaming experiences in recent memory.

The graphics in Flower are absolutely gorgeous, the many different colors almost jump off the screen, and watching a large patch of brown grass turn into a beautiful sea of green is one of the most visually impressive things I've ever seen. Allowing the game to reminisce which shows many different areas of the level close up by pressing the select button is highly recommended, as it shows the beauty this game has in a whole new light. Flower's most impressive technical feat however is the fact that it throws around thousands of individually modeled blades of grass. But its the artistic quality that really impresses, as each level has it's own unique visual style.

Beautiful.

The music is also very beautiful, setting the relaxing tone of the game just perfectly. The audio design is perhaps Flower's greatest achievement. Each flower has its own distinct audio cue, be it a stringed instrument or chorus song. Its especially cool when you bloom different flowers in quick succession, creating beautiful waves of sound, providing perhaps the greatest incentive for perfecting your path through each level.

Obviously, the gameplay mainly revolves around blooming flowers, which in turn restores the color and beauty back to the specific area. Not all levels are confined to just blooming flowers however. One level has you illuminating patches of grass and other objects, showcasing some wonderful bloom effects. The game takes on a much darker tone after that, which really doesn't fit with the whole concept behind Flower. Thankfully, it gets back on track very quickly.

Wind is your best friend.

The controls are delightfully simple, hold one button, any button to blow the wind, and the sixaxis to control the direction. Again, this fits the relaxed tone of the game very well, as the controls are very responsive, and some of the best use of the PS3's motion controller to date. It takes a little getting used to at first, but you get a feel for it very quickly.

If I could summarize Flower with one word, that word would undoubtedly be beautiful. Flower is a beautiful game in many ways, from its graphics, its music, control, and art direction. It may not last long, but cleverly designed trophies will have you coming back for more. Its worth the ten dollar asking price to be sure, as its one of the most beautiful, serene, and relaxing gaming experiences you'll ever have, and it will have you rethinking your definition of art. And amidst all of the negative talk against DLC as of late, Flower is a refreshing reminder why its one of the greatest things to come out of this generation, because otherwise, smaller developers would never be able to share their creative and artistic masterpieces such as this with the world. If your a gamer with an open mind and can appreciate games such as this, you definitely should give Flower a try.

8.75/10

*Originally written March 23, 2009*

Braid Review

Can video games be art? That is the question. Braid is one of those games that answers that question with a resounding "yes". I'll explain why.

Braid tells the tale of Tim, in a moving story of loss and redemption, becoming complacent in our day to day "ordinary" lives, and wanting to do and be something more. This beautiful story is told in a classic storybook fairytale fashion, which fits nicely with the rest of the game, especially the artistic graphics and beautiful musical score.

Classic.

Braid's graphics are some of the most beautiful 2-D visuals I've ever seen in a game before, the art direction is extraordinary, never has a game made you feel like you were playing an interactive painting before more than Braid other than perhaps Okami. I could go on and on about how pretty Braid's visuals are, it's easily one of the best looking XBLA games available, and one of the most artistic looking in years.

The music in Braid is equally beautiful, with lovely violins and moody cellos, Braid's musical score will constantly delight your ears. It also changes depending on what Tim does in the environment, increasing in intensity or creating a feeling of desperation, and when need be, a soft relaxing melody almost like a complement of a job well done.

"GET OVER HERE!"

The thing that makes Braid most unique however is it's gameplay, granted you can run across the various levels stomping the enemies and bosses in your path in minutes, but the real meat of Braid's gameplay comes from using the time manipulation mechanic to solve various puzzles in order to collect puzzle pieces. Each time you complete a certain world's puzzle, a multicolored ladder will grow a little bit more leading the way to the top floor, which is where the final level of Braid lies, and it's nothing short of epic. Using time manipulation to solve puzzles is simple at first, but later on you will encounter objects not affected by time, another level has Time controlling a shadow version of himself, and it only gets more complicated and stranger after that. No doubt, Braid's puzzles will make your head hurt, in fact, I haven't played a game with puzzles this tough since The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

Braid is probably best described as the Super Mario Bros. of the 21st century, although the difficulty comes from the puzzles, there is no punishment for death, simply rewind time to before you died and your back running again. Arguably the best, not only Xbox Live Arcade title available, but the best downloadable game available period, Braid is a game that every gamer should give a try, especially if you enjoy 2-D puzzle-platformers.

9.25/10

*Originally written April 18, 2009*

LittleBigPlanet Review

For years now, gamers have wanted to make their own games. We've written down our ideas on paper, shared them with our friends, and more recently, written blogs about them for others to comment on. Now that LittleBigPlanet is here, we can finally put some of our imagination to use, and show our creative prowess to the world.

The gameplay in LittleBigPlanet is simple, all you need to know to get through a level is how to run, jump, and grab. The actual platforming, however, can be rather imprecise. This is because of the "plain" system that LittleBigPlanet uses. Your Sackperson won't always jump onto what you want them to, and this leads to occasionally frustrating cheap deaths. Its particularly annoying when there's a prize bubble that's out of the way of the main path and you can't get your Sackperson to reach it because they want to remain on the main plain. This never becomes so frustrating that you want to throw your controller at the television though. In fact, the platforming in LittleBigPlanet is very fun and enjoyable most of the time, you'll just have to deal with some floaty controls.

The main "story" mode in LittleBigPlanet lasts roughly five to six hours. There's plenty of replay value to be had with these levels though. There's plenty of prize bubbles, and keys to collect that unlock various mini-game challenges that you wont be able to access on your first playthrough. The official levels also serve as an inspirational garden of ideas for people to use in their own levels, which is the core component of LittleBigPlanet.

LittleBigPlanet's level editor can seem very overwhelming at first, but there's an hour long set of tutorials that show you how to make things move, dissolve, blow up, and more. Once your ready to start creating, starting small is key. But once you've mastered all of the mechanics, you can make pretty much anything your imagination cooks up with relative ease.

This brings us to the biggest concern about LittleBigPlanet since the beginning, will users be able to create quality content that others will find enjoyable to play? Well I can safely say the answer is yes. There's already been a slew of levels that absolutely just blew my mind away. Some are even more imaginative and more impressive than the campaign levels, even though they might not always have the same polish. I can't even count how many times I've been playing through user created levels and said, "How did they do that?" Yes, worry no longer, the gaming community is completely capable of making fun, quality levels. Of course there's some real stinkers in the mix as well, but you can successfully avoid them as long as you stick to playing the levels with high play counts, lots of hearts, and positive tags.

There's sadly more negative than positive things about playing online cooperatively though. First of all, its difficult to even join a game, since most of the time a "Failed to load all player profiles" error message will come up. Once you are playing with others, the game starts to have to have some lagging issues. And the camera also presents a problem, like the Lego games it doesn't pull back far enough, so those that fall behind won't be able to see where they are going. This applies to both online, and offline co-op. Which is unfortunate because playing cooperatively with others is some of the best fun to be had in LittleBigPlanet.

The graphics in LittleBigPlanet would even impress the guys at Pixar. The visuals are cute, clean, stylistic and simply beautiful, and the art direction is absolutely top-notch. The soundtrack is as perfect as it gets, LBP features plenty of British pop-rock and Indy tracks that fit the game perfectly. And the rest of the sound work is excellent as well, from the clashes of different materials, to the pops and squishes, it simply sounds great.

Overall LittleBigPlanet is one of the most creative and imaginative games ever made, and the best platformer since Super Mario Galaxy. Its also one of the best games available for the PlayStation 3, and a title that all PS3 owners should play. Despite its problematic online and offline cooperative play, LittleBigPlanet is hugely fun and entertaining, and extremely charming. Its also one of the few games that has nearly limitless replay value, and will keep you coming back to it for months, if not years from now.

9/10

*Originally written March 30, 2009*

E3 2010: Top Ten Most Impressive Games

Obviously, I was not actually at E3. So I'm basing this list off of gameplay videos I saw, and hands-on previews I read. All the games I included to had to be playable at this years E3, so games that just showed a trailer were out. Also, I should mention I wanted to include Metroid: Other M, but decided not to since really nothing new was shown.
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#10: Halo: Reach

Space combat. Let me say that again, Halo: Reach has SPACE COMBAT. Sure, the rest of Reach's campaign looks awesome, with the return of the Elites as enemies and all. And the graphics look great, and the new multiplayer modes are exciting as are the new weapons. But for the first time, Halo has SPACE COMBAT. And it looks awesome.
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#9: Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

Post-apocalyptic Earth never looked so good. Seriously, have you seen how colorful this game is? Sure, it may look something like "Escort Mission: The Game" but that's also what makes it unique and impressive. Trip could potentially be one of, if not the smartest AI companion in a game before. Enslaved also has some pretty sweet looking combat and some nice variety in the gameplay. Ninja Theory's latest looks like a winner.
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#8: Marvel Vs. Capcom 3

Fighting fans and Marvel fans alike rejoice, the sequel to one of the most popular fighting games ever is a dream no longer. What impresses me most about MvC3 is its attention to detail, not only of the environments, but of the characters. Deadpool yells at the player, and even grab his own life-bar and beats his opponent with it. The Daily Bugle stage has photographers and J. Jonah Jameson shouting from a helicopter. These small details, plus gorgeous graphics and a promised more accessible fighting system and balanced character roster makes MvC3 one of the most exciting games of 2011.
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#7: Vanquish

If there's one thing that sets Vanquish apart from all the other 3rd-person shooters out there, its style. Vanquish has style in spades. With crazy over-the-top action, lightning fast gameplay, and its own version of bullet time, Vanquish looks like one heck of a robot shooting good time.
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#6: Donkey Kong Country Returns

Fans of 2-D platformers rejoice! Donkey Kong Country is back, and its developed by Retro Studios, makers of the incredible Metroid Prime trilogy. What else really is there to say? Its Donkey Kong Country in all its banana collecting glory. I could mention how gorgeous that sunset level looks. Oh boy, that sunset level...
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#5: Disney Epic Mickey

Mickey finally returns to a starring role in a video game, and it looks stellar. With a paintbrush that can delete or restore objects in the game world, Disney Epic Mickey has one of the more interesting gameplay mechanics in recent memory. Add to that some amazing looking 2-D platforming levels including one based on the classic "Steamboat Willy", Epic Mickey looks to be another Epic addition to the Wii library.
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#4: LittleBigPlanet 2

The original LittleBigPlanet is one of the best platformers of this generation, with some of the greatest creation tools ever seen in a game. Now, LBP steps out of its platformer shell, and becomes a "platform for games". User will be able to create literally anything from top-down racers, shooters, even RPG's and RTS games. Media Molecule is even hoping players will create "whole new genres" with LBP2. Even the story mode has been expanded will fully voiced characters and cutscenes. Creators, get hype.
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#3: Kirby's Epic Yarn

To quote Destructoid's Jim Sterling: "Honestly, do I need to really say anything else? Kirby. Made out of string. Nintendo's press conference was already kicking ass, but when this was announced, it had won everything that there ever was to win. It's Kirby and he's made out of string."

I couldn't have said it any better myself. Not only was this one of the most unique looking games of the show, its one of the most unique looking games in years. The art style is incredible, the gameplay looks insanely fun. Its Kirby, made out of string. He can turn into a car, a UFO, even a tank, and he surfs.Epic indeed.
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#2: Portal 2

The first Portal was a huge success, it was one of the most unique and innovative games in years, and Portal 2 looks to be expanding on that same innovation in first-person gameplay even more. With all new environmental items like the Pneumatic Diversity vents, Aerial Faith plates, Repulsion and Propulsion gel, and more make Portal's puzzles look even more diverse and challenging than the first. Portal 2 also carries the signature humor of the original.
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#1: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

I'm glad no one saw my reaction to Skyward Sword's debut footage, because I was more giddy than a...than a...a giddy thing...Seriously though, despite Miyamoto's unfortunate and somewhat embarrassing on-stage demo, Skyward Sword was still the most impressive game of the show to me. A beautiful art style, exciting new items, and innovating swordplay make Skyward Sword one of the most exciting games in quite some time.

E3 2010: Top Ten Trailers

Trailers are a huge part of E3, whether they are showing the very first footage from an anticipated game, debuting something completely new, or delivering a movie like CGI experience, trailers are a crucial way publishers sell their game to us. These are my personal picks for the best trailers of this year's E3.

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#10: Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit debut trailer

Its Need For Speed. Its the return of Hot Pursuit. Its made by Criterion. Yeah, nuff' said.



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#9: Halo: Reach Campaign trailer

It has space combat. Nuff' said.



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#8: Portal 2 teaser trailer

The only reason this isn't higher, is because its simply a teaser trailer. It mainly shows what we already know about Portal, and not any of the new gameplay mechanics present in this sequel. But its still the first footage of Portal 2, and that's enough.



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#7: Infamous 2 debut trailer

Love it or hate it, Cole's got a new look, a new voice, and new powers. He also has a new threat, all debuting in this new trailer.



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#6: Metroid: Other M trailer

It may not show much of anything new, but its still Metroid, its still awesome, and the music is epic.



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#5: Donkey Kong Country Returns debut trailer

Its Donkey Kong Country, its made by Retro Studios, the music is awesome, that sunset level looks beautiful, nuff' said.



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#4: Kirby's Epic Yarn debut trailer

Its Kirby, and he's more adorable than ever. Boasting a completely unique visual style and gameplay, this trailer needs to show nothing more to be epic.



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#3: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II "Betrayal" cinematic trailer

Lucasarts certainly seems to have taken a fond liking to releasing cinematic trailers, as their latest trailer for the sequel to 2008's smash hit is pure brutal dual-lightsaber wielding CGI beauty.



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#2: Star Wars: The Old Republic "Hope" cinematic trailer

At last year's E3 we were treated to the awesome "Deceived" cinematic trailer for The Old Republic. Apparently because of the positive reaction to that trailer, they decided to go ahead and make another one. This time showing just how tough a Republic soldier can be, and a Jedi that looks very similar to a certain Knights of The Old Republic character.



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#1: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword debut trailer

Is this really surprising? This is the trailer we were all waiting for. Does anything else really need to be said? Its Zelda, its awesome.




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X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Uncaged Edition) Review

Movie games suck. Its one of those unwritten laws of gaming. So upon first hearing of the X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie tie-in game, I was quick to judge. I rolled my eyes, and thought great, another sucky movie game featuring one of my favorite superheroes. But then, I discovered that it was being developed by Raven, the guys behind the fantastic Action/RPG series X-Men Legends, and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. And, they had actually been working on the game for quite some time. After reading plenty interviews and previews, I started to get excited, even hopeful. So, against my better judgment, thinking for sure I was setting myself up for disappointment, I went out and bought a copy, placed it in my 360, and hoped for the best. And this time, I'm glad I took the risk.

First thing first, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a whole lot of bloody fun. Bloody, BLOODY fun. In fact, I haven't had this much fun with a game in a while. The combat is fast and visceral, and, most of all, brutal. This is not your family friendly version of Wolverine your used to seeing in games, movies, or cartoons. This is Wolverine in his purest, most brutal, berserker rage form. If you ever wondered what exactly it is that Wolverine does best, play this game, and you will quickly find out.

"HEY GUYS!"

The highlight of X-Men Origins: Wolverine is without a doubt the gameplay. You have your standard light and heavy attacks, which you can chain together in a variety of ways to execute different combos. You also gain a set of Fury attacks that include the group devastating claw spin, the dismembering claw drill, the out of control claw cyclone, and of course berserker rage which makes your attacks way more damaging among other bonuses to your attributes. In addition to those are the grab attacks, which you can use to impale enemies on objects in the environment, or execute a quick kill. There's also a nice set of counter moves, blocks, and aerial combos. To top it all off there's the Lunge ability, which allows you to leap to enemies over vast distances. At times this ability reaches comical heights due to the absurd lengths you can use it to lunge to, but lunging strategically across the battlefield is so much fun that you'll likely ignore how unrealistic it is.

Graphically wise, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is impressive. The environments are nicely detailed, and the lighting effects are well done. The visual highlight however is Wolverine himself, particularly his healing factor. This is the first time Wolverine's healing factor has truly been nailed. As he takes damage, you'll see it, from his clothes to his skin, and all the way down to his adamantium skeleton. After large battles I found myself zooming in and watching the real time healing factor go to work. Watching Wolverine fully heal from a bloody mess back to full form is truly an impressive sight. There were a couple times I noticed some texture pop-up however, as well as some jaggies in the background, but this was in only one area toward the end of the game.

X-Force costume FTW.

The sound work in X-Men Origins: Wolverine is also impressive. Hugh Jackman does a fantastic job voicing the character he's become so accustomed to playing on-screen. Liev Schrieber also reprises his role as Sabretooth, and will.i.am as John Wraith respectively, and both do a fine job. The rest of the voice-overs are generally well done. Hearing the screams of fallen enemies is cringe-worthy, but in a good way, as its oddly satisfying. And the chatter of frightened and paranoid soldiers is often times hilarious. The sound of Wolverine's claws tear through flesh and bone is also sickly satisfying.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is also a very cinematic experience. The camera will often times zoom in on the action and slow down, giving you a nice visual of all the carnage. To add a little variety, the game throws in some thrilling moments such as using a turret to gun down speeding boats, taking down a group of helicopters, leaping from truck to truck escaping a rushing flood of water, and skydiving after a sentinel. As fun and exciting those moments are, perhaps even more so are the boss battles. You can't just run up and mash the attack button to defeat these bosses, they require you to utilize all of the skills you have accumulated, sometimes in inventive ways. Thankfully the game doesn't make the mistake of using quick-time events, you'll need to rapidly tap a button now and then, but that's it, you always feel in control of the action.

Turns out the cake wasn't a lie...

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is far from perfect however. First of all, the storyline is a jumbled mess. Logan often recalls his mission in Africa, which is told in bits and pieces throughout the course of the game. For the first half of the game, you'll return to Africa every couple of hours or so, but around the beginning of the second half, you'll be returning roughly every ten to thirty minutes. This flashback style of storytelling works well for TV shows like LOST, but here it just falls flat. Probably as expected there's also some repetition issues. For a game that relies heavily on flashy combat, you need to keep upping the ante. Unfortunately the game runs out of new tricks about two thirds into it. Another area where the problem of repetition arises is with the mid-bosses. These enemies come in two forms, and their attacks are nearly identical, therefore the technique needed to defeat them is the exact same. Dodge, lunge, slash away, jump off, repeat. There's also a few technical faults typical of movie games that X-Men Origins: Wolverine unfortunately shares, including occasional framerate dips, and buggy collision detection. You'll likely come across a few random glitches during your playthrough as well, some even may require you revert back to your last checkpoint. Along the way you'll also come across some puzzles which serve as sort of a breather between all the chaotic action. Unfortunately these puzzles are mind-numbingly dull, as they almost always require slowly pushing some sort of object into a specific place. Even worse are the platforming sections, which feel extremely clunky and at times can be infuriating.

Despite these faults, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is the first game to make you truly feel like you are Wolverine. The storyline is a mess, its sometimes repetitive, and it has a number of technical failures and glitches. But X-Men Origins: Wolverine can't help but be a whole lot of fun. Its sure to please any Wolverine fan looking for a true to the character experience. At least those old enough to appreciate him at his most brutal.

7.75/10

*Originally written May 11, 2009*