X-Men Origins: Wolverine Uncaged Edition – PS3 – Review

If there’s one thing a Wolverine or
any X-Men fan will want in a video game based on the clawed anti-hero, it would
have to be violence. If you consider yourself in that group, then you shall be
pleased to hear that Activision has created an ultra-violent superhero/comic
book video-game in the fashion of X-Men Origins: Wolverine for the PS3
(among other platforms). Is there enough to hold the interest of a fan or any
gamer? The truth of the matter is yes, the action and combat should keep the
attention of its audience for at least one play-through.

As you maim and dismember your way
through each and every stage, you’ll begin to feel more like Wolverine with
every passing minute. Having Hugh Jackman’s likeness plastered onto Wolverine –
as anyone should’ve expected as this is a direct tie-in with the movie that
releases today – X-Men Origins: Wolverine has more in common with God
of War then any past video game on the X-Men franchise. The
over-the-top violence helps push the game in this direction since you’ll be hack
and slashing your way through countless enemies without any thought on the
matter. So set your expectations low and be prepared to be blown away by
over-the-top violence.

The game goes beyond the film’s
storyline with having players play through events that correlate with the movie
both before and after. If you haven’t seen the film or heard much about it, both
the movie and the game tackle Wolverine’s origins in the Weapon X program as he
joins Colonel Stryker (the same Stryker from X-Men 2: X-Men United who
wanted to capture and use Wolverine) as part of his team to do his biding. The
Weapon X program has the likes of mutants such as: The Blob, Sabretooth, Gambit,
Deadpool, John Wraith and Agent Zero/Maverick showing their beautiful mugs
through the game. If that doesn’t entice you, then the giant robots, the
Sentinels, make their appearance known too. X-Men Origins: Wolverine is
bound to please comic book fans; though, it must be said that creators of the
movie have changed a few of the origins of the characters such as Wendigo, who
originally was a mythical beast that resides in Canada that is akin to The
Abdominal Snowman. Instead, the story disappointingly changes them into
super-soldiers for the military; thus, the video game uses that same likeness
instead of a mythical beast.

Before moving on from the story, it
must be said that the game isn’t paced well and is often times frantically
trying to get back to the action rather than providing a strong narrative for
the players to follow. There are times where Wolverine is about to accomplish a
task to only be catapulted into a more dreadful situation without any questions
asked. If you are playing X-Men Origins: Wolverine for the storyline and
plot progression, then you are playing the wrong game as this is a title meant
for action fans.

Back on track, X-Men Origins:
Wolverine focuses much more on the gore than any other X-Men game
before it. This is great for those bloodthirsty fans who want to live out the
much more aggressive side of Wolverine that they have craved from the movie
adaptations of the franchise. Sure, the game throws some puzzle-solving
mechanics such as crate shifting and finding keys, but its main feature is the
slicing and dicing of Wolverine’s adamantium claws. The one issue players could
possibly find deceiving is that while you might think the leveling up of
Wolverine’s stats would make him much stronger, the game is designed to have his
enemies scale up to your abilities. So in other words, the stats don’t matter.

Without the combat system, it’s safe
to say that this game would’ve been overlooked and thrown away in the discard
pile faster than you can say James Howlett (Wolverine’s alter ego). While the
action won’t wow action die-hards since it’s not innovative by any standards,
it’ll at least help hold them over for a week’s worth of gameplay. The combat
allows for the standard regular and heavy attacks that can be combined together
for a much stronger attack. When you throw in grappling and jumping, you make up
for the rest of the basic combat system that is provided for the title. Further
on in the game, you can mix in more advanced Rage attacks to have Wolverine go
berserk through the stage shredding through your enemies without any remorse.
Lastly, if that doesn’t satisfy urge to see gore and numerous deaths via the
means of Wolverine’s claws, then maybe the addition of throwing your enemies off
levels, into obstacles and onto spikes will grab your attention as you can kill
them with environmental hazards.

Using the Unreal Engine 3, Raven
Software has done an incredible job putting the production of the title through
the roof. X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a fantastic looking game with
excellent environments to battle through, superb looking character models, and
fluid animations. The big issue that players will find in the graphical
department is that the PS3 version stutters more often then not and there’s also
some low texture work in some of the stages.

So what’s the final word on X-Men
Origins: Wolverine? If you are an X-Men or Wolverine fan in general,
this game is aimed at you. Action fans will find bits and pieces to adore, but
for the most part, the gore and violence of the action is what sticks out. If
you aren’t into dismembering your enemies, you may want to avoid this superhero
title as X-Men Origins: Wolverine clearly isn’t for those who faint at
the sight of blood.

Gameplay: 7.4
As predicted, the puzzle elements are weak and the action elements are
entertaining. It’s a button-mashing action title, so don’t expect Ninja
Gaiden depth.

Graphics: 8.0
Majority of the environments are stunning, but the drops in framerate can’t
be overlooked.

Sound: 7.5
Hugh Jackman provides his voice for Wolverine, so you won’t be sitting
through the game listening to a sound-alike.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Once you get the hang of the game, you’ll be able figure out how to advance
through each level with ease.

Concept: 7.5
The regenerating powers of Wolverine are shown off quite well throughout the
game.

Overall: 7.4
This is ultimately aimed at people who have short-attention spans. If you
consider yourself as a person who just wants to pick up and play without
worrying about investing too much time into the game for results, then X-Men
Origins: Wolverine is definitely right up your alley. It’s a brutal game
with violent deaths and gruesome action, so be prepared to be in awe when you
take a hold Wolverine’s mutant powers.