I have mentioned before that there are basically two kinds of movie games: games that try to directly emulate other successful titles, and games that try to be another generic entry into a broad genre with only the movie license separating them from the pack. Comparing one game of each type shows the benefits of just directly emulating another game; the original Batman game on NES does a pretty good job of emulating the play style of Ninja Gaiden on the NES, right down to the wall climbing, and because of this it is actually a surprisingly good game with the added benefit of being about Batman. Then you look at the second Batman game also for the NES, and its just a generic side scrolling beat ‘em up, that plays more or less like any game in the genre, except without any of the originality and interesting gameplay elements that set the classics of the genre apart. The graphics may be better, but the game was junk nonetheless. Even if you emulate a classic though, it’s rare for the copycat to become a classic itself, but occasionally a dash of well-designed originality coupled with proven gameplay can push an imitator to classic status. Not only is X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a smartly designed movie game that follows in the footsteps of a proven title, the minor bits of originality thrown in also push the game forward as one of the best titles to come out this year.
So what game does Origins try to follow? God of War, and it does a fine job of using Sony’s slash ‘em up style to the fullest extent. Obviously you play as wolverine, a rather violent individual who uses metal claws to slice apart legions of enemies. The controls are very similar to GoW, with a light and strong attack button and a grapple button that can also be used for quick kills. Attack combos are performed with various combinations of the two primary attack buttons and there are some special commands that are used for high power, energy consuming special attacks. Unlike GoW where finishers are automatically performed on the weaker enemies after hitting the grab button, in Origins you must first grab and then initiate a finisher by hitting the strong attack button during a grab. After hitting it, Wolverine will pull back his fist,his claws will flash, and you have to hit the strong attack button again at that moment or the kill will fail. It might seem like an unnecessary addition, but actually the kills force you to stay focused during even the most violent assaults, and also help you feel more in the action instead of just a spectator to a bloody death. Like GoW harder enemies cannot be killed in this manner unless they are low on health, and they also require more complex button sequences. Another nice thing is that there are quite a few different finishing sequences for each enemy, so you aren’t watching the same scene over and over again. The grappling button is also used for many other attack combinations, and can be used to throw enemies into spikes and other environmental hazards.
Quick kills take precise timing
One of the big things that sets Origins above other movie games is the fact that it adds a lot to the GoW niche in the action genre. Wolverine as a character is very different in his fighting style that Kratos, even if both games feel like they could be running on the same gameplay engine. Wolverine is a very fast agile character that can move from one group of enemies to a group all the way across the screen in mere seconds with is lunge skill, and the sheer amount of enemies assaulting you at all times keeps the game running at a blood boiling pace. Wolverine also has the best excuse of any character in a game to have auto healing, since it is his main power in the X-Men comics also. The whole system works out really well since the hordes of enemies make it difficult to avoid taking some damage, but Wolverine’s natural healing ability allows him to push through anyhow as long as you keep up a fast pace using his incredible agility. In fact I have to say I actually enjoyed playing as Wolverine with his fast paced style better than playing as Kratos in GoW, and while that will be a matter of player taste it really does say something about the quality of X-Men Origins. It is important to keep in mind though that unlike Kratos, Wolverine does not use weapons so there is actually only one fighting style available in the game compared to the multiple styles offered by GoW’s weapon system.
Violence is another similarity Origins shares with GoW. X-Men is not a series I generally associate with ultra violence, but when you hand the reigns over to a company like Raven Soft, the guys behind the original Soldier of Fortune games and the notorious Ghoul engine, you might not be able to look at Wolverine the same way again. In fact the violence here actually surpasses GoW, so expect dismemberment and exploding heads at every corner. It’s a little jolting at first, but paired with the momentum of the combat, the violence really gets you inner animal instincts roaring, and I could think of no better way to make a game about Wolverine.
This scene does not end nicely
Graphically the game doesn’t stand out much from any other games this generation. The environments are quite nice, but a bit repetitive, and the character models need some work, especially with facial animation. One good thing about it is that the violence looks good with lots of cool looking slow motion special effects and blood hitting the camera. Wolverine himself also has a pretty impressive character model not so much in looks but in how damage is animated. Each shot you take in battle is actively mapped onto his character model and with enough shots to the same area you might even see a gaping hole right through his chest. If you sit back and watch him for a wile, his wounds will slowly close back up as they heal, but the damage done to his clothing will remain. It really is one of the most impressively animated character models I have ever seen.
Fans of hardcore slash ‘em up actions games should absolutely not miss out on X-Men Origins: Wolverine. What it lacks in originality it more than makes up for in nearly perfectly executed gameplay. A demo is currently available for download, so give it a shot and see if you aren’t blown away by what Origins has to offer.
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9.0