Aside from my ongoing Halo 2 addiction, I've been enoying the hell out of X-Men Legends on Xbox. I haven't been the world's most dedicated X-Men fan for... oh about 20 years or so (I'm a big fan of the Chris Claremont/John Byrne-era Men.)
The good news is that the developers, Raven, have cleverly devised a game that should appeal to anyone who's read the comics -- no matter your favorite era. Through liberal use of playable 'flashback' missions, you might find yourself battling Sentinels in NYC circa 1989, or trying to keep Juggernaut from smashing up the X-Mansion in 1968. Playing as a Kirby-era Beast is a hoot.
The most compelling part about the game, though, is the pure visceral thrill of cutting loose with the various characters' powers. Cyclops, who's never been my favorite character, becomes a deadly scalpel in this game. His Optic Blast, at higher levels, will destroy most anything on the screen. And Storm, once fully amped, is amazing. (Almost makes me forgive Halle Berry's lame casting in the movies. Almost.) Cutting loose with Colossus is fun, too. I'd have to say my favorite character to play, though, is Nightcrawler. The 'poof'-ing 'bamph'-ing acrobat is realized perfectly. Just the way my 12-year old imagination dreamed.
I do have to say that the gameplay becomes somewhat repetitive (walk from scene to scene, fights thugs. Occasionally take on Boss. Repeat.) But you know what? Wielding Jean Gray's Physic Scream, or zipping around the screen on Iceman's Ice Tracks just never gets old. I've spent entire hours just busting up shit in empty hallways. And loving it.
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