Format reviewed: PS3
Since the release of Fallout 3, there has been very little in the way of gaming that has grabbed my attention. The only game I have seen with a chance to rival the story, game-play, scenery and replay-ability of this game is the up coming Batman game. That, however, is quite a way off. Fallout has been completed 5 times now! Yes, 5! Why do I like it so much? Other than the factors mentioned above there is thought required to play the game. Every action takes you down a different path. But after 5 times through, I need something to fill that void between now and Batman. Wolverine has found itself in the right place at the right time. But is it any good?
Right from the start you get a true sense of who Wolverine is. The opening sequence is quite simply spectacular. I sat watching this thinking “this is how the movie should have been!” This sequence earns the games 18 certificate right away!
The story follows the film very loosely. There are two main stories played along side each other, Logan in Africa and Logan escaping after the experiment then going after Stryker. This is done very well with the Africa “flashbacks” linking nicely with the main story. There isn’t much chopping to and from needlessly. As this is a game and not a film there is a lot of “padding” but again this is done in taste, they haven’t thrown in random comic villains for the sake of it.
This game is as visually stunning as it is gory. The settings are incredibly detailed as are the numerous foes you will encounter. The icing on the cake is Logan himself. The damage you take and the way you heal is so good you almost want to stand still and get hacked up just to watch! This adds to the games gore factor. Seeing Logan’s skin and muscle tissue leave his adamantium fused skeleton is accompanied by holding peoples heads in rota blades, impaling people on spikes and generally ripping limbs off anyone who crosses you.
The flies in the ointment are; Gambits hair, fallen enemies “phasing” through objects and invisible walls. While all visuals are top draw for next gen gaming, Gambits “block” of hair is firmly placed in the PS2 days and surely we can say goodbye to the days of characters phasing through solid objects. There is certainly no excuse for the invisible walls! I know the scenery has to end somewhere but there are ways to do it. Even in some rooms there are small boxes in the corners that are for no reason shielded by this irritating lack of thought. There is the small issue of bone claws and adamantium claws making the same sound but I’ll let that one slide.
The cut scenes could do with more consistency in their quality. There isn’t a bad one there but while some are breathtakingly detailed others are simply “good”.
So what is the game actually like to play? It’s easy to write this off as a simple “hack-and-slash” game. All the standard “hack-and-slash” aspects are here; countless drones of various abilities, mid-level and end of level bosses, collectables and even the good old “orb” from a fallen enemy! What separates this from the others is the number of attacking options you have. I know what you’re all thinking because I thought that too, “infinite combo options. Limitless attacking options.” All just crap spouting out the orifice of some big wig out to make money. This usually means that you can keep hitting those buttons and every so often see a left jab instead of a right hook. In this case though, it’s spot on! I was still finding new moves on the last level! Your move of choice will most likely be the “Lunge”, and with good cause! This move allows you to leap from target to target with ease but even this can be different each time if done right.
Movement is smooth but all pretty standard stuff and there’s a couple of Prince of Persia-esque moments that aren’t handled quite as well but are still good.
The health regeneration is handled nicely and the only way to “loose” is to simply be overwhelmed by enemies.
You can level up and spend your hard earned points how you want. After Fallout 3 this process seemed very restricted with no real choice but compared to the average game of its type this is more than adequate.
Conclusion:
This is a highly enjoyable game that will have you relish every second of the action. Visually stunning with few flaws and longer than you might expect. It’s not perfect but this is a better game than Wolverine was a movie (and I thought that was good).
If you have a short list of games to purchase then this well deserves a high spot. If you get it now you will get a very good game, if you decide to wait for a price drop you will get a bargain!
8/10