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Preview:
X2: Wolverine's Revenge


Due Spring 2003 for All Systems.

Snikt. Snikt. Comic fans, and maybe a few Mallrats fans, know what that sound means. Wolverine just popped six adamantium-laced claws and is about to open a can of whoop-ass. The X-men have entered a second renaissance. The comic books are better than they have been for years. They have a successful cartoon (X-men Evolution on WB), and a blockbuster movie with a sequel due out in May 2003. Now videogamers will get to be Wolverine, my favorite X-man, in his own solo adventure in the form of X2: Wolverine’s Revenge.

This isn’t Wolverine’s first solo videogame and so far they have been less than remarkable. Being a true fan I have played them all regardless. What has me excited is it looks like Activision is planning on doing it right this time. They are not only focusing on graphics and gameplay but on the story as well. Writer Larry Hama (known for his long run on the GI. Joe comic and of course his pivotal run on the Wolverine comic) has been tapped to write an all new story specifically for the game.

The story will tie in with both the movie and the comics to make both sets of fans happy. Wolverine will be in search of clues to his past and be forced to delve deeper into the Weapon X program that turned him into the ultimate killing machine all those years ago. It all starts at the X-mansion where Wolverine finds out that a long dormant viral time bomb has gone active, leaving him with 48 hours to find a cure. He will meet up with a slew of Marvel characters along the way including Professor X, Beast, Colossus (who is dead in the comic but set to appear in the movie), and foes like Lady Deathstrike and his arch-nemesis Sabretooth.

X2: Wolverine’s Revenge will also feature the voice talents of Mark Hamill, filling in for Hugh Jackman who had scheduling problems, and Patrick Stewart, who plays Professor X in the movie. Many people are familiar with Mark Hamill from Star Wars but he has lent his voice talents to such cartoons as Batman: The Animated Series, Spiderman, and the Powerpuff Girls. I can’t wait to hear his rendition of the berserker mutant.

Wolverine will not only travel to places familiar to fans but also take them to places they have never seen before. This not only means new locations but all new, playable, flashbacks of Wolverine’s past. Wolverine will be visiting a place called The Void, a high-tech mutant prison. Another bonus for fans is a chance to see more of the Weapon X facility than ever before.

Wolverine’s Revenge is set to utilize Wolverine in ways that previous videogames never even came close to. Not only will you be able to slice and dice, but Wolverine’s healing factor, and heightened senses will play a prominent role in the game. If done right this could be amazing, taking this game to places few other comic book based games have been. This is what they have set out to do, giving the game less of the familiar Action/Adventure game structure and more of a cinematic feel.

Activision is also responsible for the latest game to feature Marvel’s merry mutants, X-men: Mutant Academy. If Wolverine’s Revenge looks half as good then we are in for a treat. Judging from the screen shots I think that fans will be pleased.

X2: Wolverine’s Revenge, is scheduled for release in spring of 2003 with an eye towards May, coinciding with the movie’s release. While officially falling into the action/adventure genre, they are trying to do something different. It will be available on all of the current consoles, the PC, with a side-scrolling version on the Gameboy Advance scheduled for March of 2003. If you need anymore reasons to check this game out just remember that snikt, snikt sound.

Matt James (01/07/2003)