DigitalBattle.com

X-Men Origins: Wolverine–Uncaged Edition Game Review–Blood Soaked. No, Really.

It’s not every day I get my hands on a game like X-Men Origins: Wolverine.  Having just covered the movie version of same mere days ago over on our sister site Screenhead, I knew that the game was going to be a baffling little package for plenty of reasons.

Perhaps the biggest of these reasons is that, the movie was a greatly flawed beast that had a lot of wild action fun involved with it.  It virtually ignored canon and went off on a truly bizarre tangent that only resembled in passing any of the previous events.  So knowing what we all know about movie-to-game translations, how would the game version, the Wolverine Uncaged Edition (now available for Playstations two and three, Xbox 360, PC, Wii, PSP, and the Nintendo DS) play for us?

First, the plot—basically, X-Men Origins: Wolverine—Uncaged Edition will follow the movie plot, somewhat, as we follow Wolverine through his military service to where he joined the Weapon X program and beyond from there.  He’ll fight government supersoldiers of every stripe, including his “brother” Sabertooth (which even casual fans will know is a crock of the highest order) to get revenge on the government that betrayed him.

Now…on to the game itself; I don’t remember the last time I played a game involving Marvel characters that was this extravagantly blood-soaked.  And I definitely don’t remember the last time Wolverine did quite this much killing.  Seriously—by the end of the first level he’s going to have a body count higher than any Marvel enterprise I’ve seen lately, and probably higher than the last time Jason Voorhees took a run at some campers.  When Wolverine’s outkilling the undead juggernauts of my favorite horror classics I know something is GRAVELY wrong.

And the plotlines of the movie and the game will actually be somewhat divergent.  How divergent, you wonder?  Well, let me put it to you this way—the game will involve Sentinels.  You see so much as a robot in the movie?  No?  Well, neither did I.  I’m having a hard time with this game—most movie translations to game at least TRY to look like the movie they’re translated from, but this is just ridiculous.  And sure, I’m glad that a Marvel property actually tried to be mature for once, but all this blood is actually sort of out of place.  I remember thinking, this is why Wolverine pretty much had to be a good guy.  If he were evil he’d be an unstoppable killing machine.  And this is actually the biggest problem of all.

Wolverine is supposed to heal up from pretty much any damage, up to and including being shot in the skull with adamantium bullets.  That’s canon.  We saw that in the movie, too.  So how do you translate this into a play mechanic that doesn’t end up with the character being invincible?  Sadly, you can’t—thus, you have to water down Wolverine—give him a health bar and force him to regenerate by not taking damage until you can recover.

So really, the movie to game translation of X-Men Origins: Wolverine—Uncaged Edition is much bloodier, and yet at the same time much less substantial than the movie.  And the movie wasn’t saying much to begin with, so it’s safe to say unless you’re dying for that sweet Wolvie Berserk Style in your gameplay, this one isn’t worth a snikt.

Activision Announces Availability of X-Men Origins: Wolverine Video Game

It didn’t take long for Activision to launch a game from the explosive movie, X-Men Origins: Wolverine. In fact, it is now available globally. Developed by critically acclaimed studio Raven Software, the game allows players to harness Wolverine’s brute strength, regenerative mutant abilities, and indestructible adamantium claws as they battle powerful forces and uncover the mysteries behind his origin.

Inspired by the feature film from Twentieth Century Fox released in theaters everywhere on the same date, the X-Men Origins: Wolverine video game also features the voices of some of the film’s leading men: Hugh Jackman (Wolverine), Liev Schreiber (Sabretooth) and will.i.am (John Wraith).

“X-Men Origins: Wolverine features the most authentic Wolverine experience ever in a video game,” said Rob Kostich, vice president of global brand management, Activision Publishing, Inc. “The game captures the uncaged nature of Wolverine and allows players to uncover an incredible storyline that will appeal to comic book and gaming enthusiasts, as well as fans of the action-packed feature film.”

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is an epic action-adventure game featuring a true-to-character Wolverine gameplay experience that takes gamers through and beyond the movie’s storyline. Set in a variety of vivid real-world locales, the title challenges players to hone their animal instinct as they uncover hidden dangers, hunt and defeat enemies, and take on seemingly insurmountable situations while discovering the truth about Wolverine’s tragic past.

With razor-sharp adamantium claws unsheathed, the future X-Man enacts lightning-quick combat, evasive maneuvers, in-depth combo attacks, and an array of brutal finishing moves. Wolverine doesn’t just deliver massive damage, either – he also takes it, thanks to his mutant regenerative power that heals him in real time right before the player’s eyes.

(Source) Press

X-Men Origins: Wolverine behind the scenes trailer

The developers of X-Men Origins: Wolverine discuss their work and passion they have for the game. A look into the development of the game is quite interesting, and the game seems to be shaping very nicely.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine will be hitting the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, PC, Wii, and PlayStation Portable on May 1st, which will coincide with the movie release.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Well I know I almost fell off my chair when I checked out the new X-Men Origins: Wolverine website. But really Wolverine is it fair that you’re getting all the attention? I mean the movie should be coming and the game too. What will the other X-Men say? Coincidentally I always preferred Wolverine from the bunch but that doesn’t necessarily mean I also like the idea of having a movie centered around him.

Moving on to more important business, if you start slashing that title you will notice the counter on top. What’s the purpose of that counter you ask? Good question! According to the press release, the Raven team will make some sort of announcement when they the number up there is high enough. Should I read between the lines there? Did they finish the game or not? Is it going to be released soon? What about that movie?

So anyway, which X-Men character would you like to be? Check the site here and the picture above for some Wolverine previews.

Wolverine Platforms Confirmed

Having revealed the game, Activision today announced the platforms for X-Men Origins: Wolverine, disclosing that, as expected, the movie tie-in will be released on almost every imaginable console and handheld.

The game is due out alongside the movie in May 2009 on PC, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, DS and PSP. It is being developed by Raven Software – Marvel: Ultimate Alliance veterans – and Amaze Entertainment. Though it wasn’t mentioned which studio is handling which platforms, but considering Amaze’s history, it can be concluded that they are working on the handheld editions.

First X-Men Origins Wolverine Screenshot Sighted

The very first screenshot from X-Men Origins: Wolverine game – being worked on by Raven – has been released and can be viewed above.

To tie-in with the upcoming film starring Hugh Jackman, the game will tell the origin story of the popular X-Men character, dealing with his past and his arch nemesis Sabretooth.

“… The game itself, from everything I’ve seen and been told about it, is going to be slightly harder-edged than the X-Men games that have come before–which fits the tone of the movie,” said Fox executive Jeff Katz.

The game is due out alongside the film in May 2009. PS3 and Xbox 360 versions have been confirmed.