X-Men Legends
X-Men Legends is an action role-playing video game developed by Raven Software and published by Activision. It was released on the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles in 2004. Barking Lizards Technologies developed the N-Gage port of the game, which was released in early 2005. Players can play as one of fifteen X-Men characters, with the ability to switch between four computer- or human-controlled characters at any time.
X-Men Legends
- Raven Software
- Barking Lizards (N-Gage)
Robert Gee
Patrick J. Lipo
Tom Odell
Daniel Edwards
Brian Pelletier
Robert Love
X-Men Legends follows Alison Crestmere, a young mutant who has the ability to summon and control volcanic activity. As Alison is taught to control her powers at the X-Mansion, the X-Men are sent on several missions. Eventually the X-Men learn of Magneto's plan to cover the Earth in darkness from his base on Asteroid M.
X-Men Legends received generally positive reviews from critics. The Xbox version was the best received, garnering aggregate scores of 83% and 82/100 on the review aggregating websites GameRankings and Metacritic respectively. Reviewers praised Raven's variation on cel-shaded graphics. Due to the success of the game a sequel was made, X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse.
Plot[edit]
X-Men Legends is not set in any particular Marvel Comics universe. It is played from the perspective of a teenage girl named Alison Crestmere, a mutant with the ability to control volcanic activity. At the start of the game, Alison is abducted by the Genetic Research and Security Organization (GRSO).[7] As GRSO soldiers take her away, Mystique arrives with Blob and takes Alison from the soldiers.[8] She is in turn rescued from Mystique and Blob by the X-Men Wolverine and Cyclops, who take her to the Xavier Institute to explore her powers.[9]
As Alison trains, the X-Men investigate an Alaskan research facility being attacked by the Brotherhood of Mutants, then rescue Gambit from the Morlocks.[10]
They then try to stop the Brotherhood from rescuing Magneto from captivity aboard the U.S.S. Arbiter, a submersible aircraft carrier. Mystique is able to penetrate the defenses and free Magneto, and the ensuing damage caused by the Brotherhood leaves the X-Men to rescue several Arbiter crew members.[11]
With Alison's training complete, she takes the codename Magma.[12] The X-Men travel to Russia to help Colossus prevent the Brotherhood from obtaining weapons-grade plutonium from a nuclear power plant.[13] After the team defends the X-Mansion from GRSO infiltrators, Cyclops goes alone to investigate the old Weapon X facility in Canada, where Wolverine had been experimented on before joining the X-Men. There, Cyclops meets his younger brother, Havok. Havok reveals that he has joined the Brotherhood and was involved in the attack on the nuclear power plant. [14] Wolverine, who arrives at the facility on his own, stops the brothers from fighting each other. Together, they work to rescue the mutants that are held captive at the facility.[15]
After accomplishing these missions, the team discovers that Colossus's sister, Illyana, is in a coma from a psychic hold placed on her by the Shadow King. The Shadow King reveals that he is aiding the leader of the anti-mutant movement, General William Kincaid. Professor X, Emma Frost, and Jean Grey enter the Astral Plane to save Illyana. They succeed, but Xavier is captured by the Shadow King in the process.[16]
After Xavier's capture, the X-Men learn that General Kincaid is building upgraded variants of the mutant-hunting Sentinels. Magneto travels to his base on Asteroid M, where he reveals his plan to cover the Earth in asteroids to darken the surface. Havok tries to fight back but is imprisoned. The X-Men must prioritize their resources on three separate missions: rescuing mutants from Sentinels at New York, stopping Juggernaut’s rampage on Muir Island, and protecting the Morlocks from a GRSO invasion. Afterwards, the X-Men free Xavier, who defeats the Shadow King in a psychic battle.[17]
The X-Men travel to Asteroid M, where they rescue Havok and defeat Magento in a final battle. After an attack by Sentinels, the X-Men discover that the asteroid is on a collision course with Earth. In the control room of the asteroid, they fight the General Kincaid as he pilots Master Mold, a larger and more powerful prototype Sentinel. After defeating General Kincaid, the X-Men locate the Gravitron, the control mechanism of the asteroid. The Brotherhood’s initial plan was to use Magma to control the device if Magneto couldn’t be rescued due to her ability to manipulate rocks in a similar fashion to magnetism. Magma uses her powers to steer the asteroid back into space.[18]
The X-Men's victory on Asteroid M is watched by Apocalypse, who makes his upcoming plot from his base.[19]
In the game's epilogue, a television news anchor reports that Magneto is still at large and that General Kincaid has been arrested for crimes against humanity. The game ends with the President of the United States thanking the X-Men for their service.
Sequel and similar games[edit]
X-Men Legends sold enough copies to be inducted into the budget lines for all three consoles on which it was released: PlayStation 2's Greatest Hits,[55] GameCube's Player's Choice,[56] and Xbox's Platinum Hits.[57] By July 2006, the PlayStation 2 version of X-Men Legends had sold 800,000 copies and earned $28 million in the United States. Next Generation ranked it as the 74th highest-selling game launched for the PlayStation 2, Xbox or GameCube between January 2000 and July 2006 in that country. Combined sales of the Legends series reached 2 million units in the United States by July 2006.[58]
A sequel, X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse was released for all major platforms in the fall of 2005,[59][60][61] and the N-Gage later that year. Barking Lizards again helped port the game, this time to mobile phone devices. Vicarious Visions ported the game to the PlayStation Portable (PSP), and Beenox developed the PC port.[62][63]
The success of the X-Men Legends series led Raven Software, Marvel, and Activision to create the video game Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, which was released on several consoles, handheld devices and the PC in 2006.[64][65][66][67][68] Barking Lizards, Vicarious Visions and Beenox handled the ports for different platforms.[63][69][70][71] Marvel: Ultimate Alliance was followed by Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, jointly developed by Vicarious Visions, n-Space and Savage Entertainment. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 was released on several consoles and handhelds in the fall of 2009. Vicarious Visions developed the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions,[72] while n-Space developed the Nintendo DS, PS2 and Wii versions.[73] Savage Entertainment ported the version developed by n-Space to the PSP.[74]