"An amazingly rewarding game!"

I have been curious about this game for a few weeks now... not because I am an X Men fan so much, but that I used to be really into Marvel comics and wondered why all of the games that are comic related are lousy. When I saw that this game was more or less Untold Legends, I thought it may be a fun diversion to rent...

After looking more into it, I knew I would have to buy it. And even at $49.99, it does not disappoint. From the minute you see the awesome CGI intro, you are sucked into the comic book world. It even brings you up to speed on what happened in Legends one, which was something that adds to the feel that this is a real world... not just a "lets find a way to use these characters." Everyone seems to have issues with each other, and there are some deep relationship subplots.

And thankfully, it is not a bastardized version of the comics, it is true to the fans. Unlike UL, it has a deep (not FF deep, but deep), lucid plot, and a lot of supporting narration (voice actors!) and plot points to give you the feeling you are working toward something. Also, something that was lacking in UL was extras. XML has a ton of unlockable content. A few extra characters and a lot of fan service stuff (like the ability to change between classic and new age costumes for each character... good old blue and yellow Wolvie!).

The biggest appeals of the game to me are its gameplay. A few reviews mention the load times being poor, but let me say it in a glass-half-full way... they are no worse than UL. The game features a 4 character party, unlike UL, which works a lot better than I feared. Actually, the switch on the fly works rather intuitively. You use the L button as a shift key, and push the directional button that is assigned to that party member, and they immediately are under your command. The super powers system works in a similar manner, with the R button as shift... working better than the UL system.

You start off with a lot of characters to choose from for your team of four... which is killer, considering those of us who prefer 100 other titles to X Men may not like all of the characters. My team is Bishop, Magneto, Wolverine, and Storm. Gambit, Cyclops, Juggernaut, Rogue, Nightcrawler, Toad, Jean Grey, Scarlet Witch, and Iceman are also available (and some others I don't know so well). There is a stripped down item system (coat, belt, and gloves), but it adds enough item collecting/buying/customization to make it fun.

There is a big reason there are so many characters... because you need a variety of powers to completely clear each level. Some levels have walls that need crushed to access hidden areas or avoid traps. Some need a character that can create a bridge. Some have areas for people who can fly, and others need someone who can extinguish flames. There is even a puzzle that involves uses telekinesis to throw a switch. Its no God of War, but it has nice variety without being a "backtrack and find a switch" game.

There is a nice variety of enemies, and they are tied to their levels. In UL there were nice enemy models, but they seemed to get repetitive. In XML, so far, they seem to be just fine. The graphics and action are well balanced. There are the usual collision problems, but nothing horrible. It does not have the manual cam feature of UL, but the camera tracks your movements and self adjusts... and 90% of the time it is good enough not to be aggrevating.

My light complaints come at the long load time to get to the team management screen, the fact you have to return to Sanctuary to save, and the confusing skill power up/skill point system. Thankfully, if you are very lazy, you can have the CPU do all leveling up for you... but what fun is that?

Oddly, there is a "danger room" that offers extra areas you can play... you can even use characters that are not unlockable as heroes in this mode. I think this mode is meant as a quick start for people to play on short rides, and so on. You gain nothing that I can tell from doing this (not EXP, money, or items). But it is a nice addition for what it is. At least they are thinking of value added features for once.

The clencher is that the game has infrastructure and ad hoc play. I have not yet tried this out, but until UL2 comes out, this will be a HUGE selling point for those of us who are patiently waiting for the first online hit from PSP.

All in all I am very pleased. I have played it almost 3 hours already, which is way too much considering I need to be studying my @$$ off. The price is a little steep (I intended to trade in Tenchu PSP but no one will take it, so I guess I am stuck with it), but it is more worth it than other games for the same price. I would give it an 9 out of 10.

And by the way, I think two characters that I saw in the strategy guide are missing from the game... Iron Man and Deadpool. I think I called him deathlok in another thread... : ( Anyway, the red ninja guy. Both seem to be gone from the PSP version. This makes me sad... And although you have 4 guys to unlock, I don;t think any of them appeal to me... except maybe Cable. But then again, Cable is just a bigger version of Bishop... and If you have a powered up Magneto, no one is more bada$$ than that, right?

Good graphics, easy controls, good camera, lots of extras, lots of variety, and a ton of characters equal a rewarding experience.

Worth checking out, even if you aren't a X Men nut.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 10/31/05