X-Men: Destiny

In theory the game should have everything it needs to make up a winning formula, a great license, a publisher who is familiar with the action-rpg mechanics and the promise of a game which offers the user a multitude of selectable options.


Developer: Silicon Knights
Publisher: Activision
Release Date(s): Sep 27, 2011 (US)
Platform(s): PS3, 360, Wii, 3DS
Genre(s): Action, RPG


X-Men: Destiny is the next instalment in a long line of Marvel video games published by Activision, who acquired the license back in 2000. This time they’ve teamed up with Silicon Knights, whose back catalogue doesn’t exactly read like a who’s-who of video game dynasty. Their last game was Too Human, which sits nestled in a steaming pile of mediocricy. Before that it was Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes in 2004, which received positive reviews across the board; so it’s fair to say they’ve been a little hit and miss with what they’ve put out.

In theory the game should have everything it needs to make up a winning formula, a great license, a publisher who is familiar with the action-rpg mechanics, albeit a chequered one, and the promise of a game which offers the user a multitude of selectable options that completely change the way you play through it. In fact if done correctly you could even say it has the potential to be Mass Effect meets X-Men and I think many would salivate at the prospect of such a stellar combination. According to the official press release, "the all-new original video game casts players as new mutant recruits in a rich, branching storyline that features a deep element of choice and gives players ultimate control of their destiny."

Sounds great doesn’t it? But the latest demo to be previewed at Comic Con doesn’t seem to match those expectations. The gameplay seems quirky enough and possesses very sturdy beat-em’ up elements, but with a very minimalistic control scheme, requiring simple button presses to destroy waves of enemies, and I do mean waves, it leaves an empty taste in the mouth. That’s not to say it’s not fun for the most part, but there are games out there, such as Mass Effect 2, that have in-depth action and great role-playing elements, and while it’s still a little early to judge it outright, it doesn’t seem able to compete on that level.

The computer AI didn’t help matters either, as many of the enemies tend to cower in background waiting for you to encounter them, as oppose to using any real strategy to gain the upper-hand. It’s possible this is something which improves as the story progresses, but it doesn’t appear that way.

 

Will Destiny hit the ground running?

 

Action aside, the story sees you starting out as a recruit, choosing from a few pre-selected mutants to start your journey, each with their own back story and powers. Aimi Yoshida seemed to be the character most talked about; a troubled schoolgirl with acrobatic abilities, who was smuggled to San Francisco from Japan to avoid incarceration in a mutant camp. Adrian Luca was also selectable, formally a member of an anti-mutant group called The Purifiers, which he was forced to leave when his own powers surfaced. The third character is Grant Alexander, a typical jock who is more interested in fame and football than anything else.

Once selected your mutant is then able to change both ability and appearance using X-genes, which come in three different forms, offensive, defensive and utility, making each play through entirely unique depending on the choices you make. You are also able to mimic the abilities of other, more established X-men that you meet along the way, with Iceman, Cyclops and Toad amongst those encountered.

Other characters confirmed are Wolverine, Magneto, Emma Frost, Colossus, Gambit, Surge, Nightcrawler, Pixie, Mystique, Northstar, Quicksilver, Pyro Caliban, Forge and Juggernaut. Many of which can be called upon to aid you on your quest, so depending on the abilities you’ve chosen you can pick a fellow mutant whose powers compliment your own for maximum damage and effect. Others are marked as enemies, depending on your chosen path and the choices you make.

In closing, the game does hold a lot of promise, but the simplistic control scheme, button mashing tediousness and cowardly AI are hard to overlook. Graphically it holds up well though, and the theming and stylisation is excellent, right down to the words that pop up telling you how many enemies remain. However, if X-Men: Destiny is to succeed work still needs to be done, and with only two months remaining until release anything changed at this point needs to be swift.


Craig Bryan, NoobFeed
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