X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse
Published by: Activision
Developed by: Raven Software
Genre: Third-Person Action RPG
Online enabled multiplayer
Number of Players: 1-4
Release Date: September 20, 2005 (X-Box, PS2, Gamecube, and PC) PSP version due in October

ESRB Content Descriptors: Mild Language, Violence

Media Size: 1 DVD

Sequel to the best selling X-Men game of all-time

This game is going to be the first game you'll see me advertising on campus, so incase it's been under your radar, heres some information, pics, and video links to catch you up on the game.

Key Features
- The epic battle between Good and Evil present in the comics is once again faithfully portrayed in the videogame. This time, the X-Men and the Brotherhood join to fight the greatest evil of all

- In the sequel, the games depth is a lot deeper, with the amount of superpowers for each X-Men doubled (and selecting the powers had become more streamlined than last year, making playing more effective and less annoying), deeper customization and upgrades, and an all-new storyline with an expanded lineup of characters faithful to the X-Men Universe. For example, it's possible to create over 1,000 combos by using the combined powers of just two mutants. There's at least 16 available characters, each has around 12 or so powers, and I'm not trying to add it up but you get the point.

- Multiplayer Co-Op/Player Vs Player is perfect for quick skirmish rounds with 3 other people or pulling extended hours working together to finish the game, using the expanded list of combos added in this title.

- The entire story-focused single-player experience will be available for online play. Once a host player initiates a game, up to three others can join in and select characters from the host's roster of mutants. This way, the game prohibits you from importing a ludicrously buffed out character into a game chock-full of novice mutants. Players can also join a game at any time, and also leave. Say a friend only has time for one mission or skirmish, he/she can jump in, help you beat a mission, then jump out and let you finish playing on your own. Raven is also promising a bunch of online exclusives, such as new skins and maps.

- The AI will be vastly improved over the first game. Remember times when friendly CPU controlled characters would get themselves killed, walking over the edges into bottomless pits? Not anymore. Friendly allies will now act their part, so Juggernaut and Colossus will both charge ahead of other less physically inclined characters to join battle first. What's more, there's a new leadership structure in places for enemies. Each group of enemies will have a leader, chosen at random, who will buff his minions with momentary powers and otherwise command them to kill you.

- Multi-tiered boss fights, and this isn't an easy game (Take it from me, they let us play the Archangel boss fight with fully powered X-Men, and we still got our asses kicked )

- The COMPLETE X-Men experience. For the X-Men film fans, the games rich storyline will keep them involved, and for the comic book fan, it's the quintessential X-Men experience. Definately a must-buy (But you already knew that )

- RPG fans will enjoy the games deep customization and story, while action fans will love its raw, easy-to-pick-up but advanced-to-master combat engine and more interactive (and destructible ) levels



[Edited on August 25, 2005 at 9:48 PM. Reason : .]

8/25/2005 9:38:09 PM

*Information courtesy of Activision and IGN.com*

Quote :

" So what's new in the X-Men Legends universe? Activision revealed an interesting gameplay element that deals with character and costume selection. Since the game will feature a wide range of characters and costumes, certain combinations of those will bestow group benefits on the party. For instance, if you chose to select four X-men with coordinated outfits from a similar time period, the group would receive a 15% health bonus. The rest of these effects are for the player to discover. Fans of the series loved the quantity of X-Men playable in the first game, and this year's title boasts an even bigger list. The whopping laundry list of mutants includes X-Men and Brotherhood members Magneto, Colossus, Deadpool, Wolverine, Juggernaut, Cyclops, Bishop, Ice-Man, Storm, Jubilee, Nightcrawler, Rogue and more. Bishop, a new character to the lineup, had some interesting abilities, including an energy absorption power. Plus blasting enemies with guns is pretty awesome in general. There were several other playable characters IGN was not allowed to see, so fans should sit tight for a few surprises. Characters who were less "interesting" last time around (like say Ice-Man and Jubilee), will, like all the other characters, possess more than twice as many powers as in the first game. And their powers, we're told, will be very distinct. While Activision wouldn't reveal full details just yet, Ice-Man, for instance, will be far more useful and diverse in combat, instead of just being useful for his handy but super dull ice-bridges. In fact, in this game ice-bridges enable him to quickly zip around landscapes. While the actual gameplay felt just like the original title -- mixing hacking, slashing, and X-men blasting -- many more things took place on screen simultaneously. The strange sensation of playing both as the X-men and as the Brotherhood together was unique and cool. Notable features include an on-the-fly ability switch that enables players to change up which skills they're utilizing with minimal button presses and without having to bring up a menu screen. Also, for online play (though IGN didn't get to either see or play this) a new automatic leveling system is optional to speed up gameplay. The leveling system was created to keep a four-player party moving quickly, without having to wait for others to slowly, tediously, and geekishly update their stats. The game takes care of your level building maintenance automatically, with no lengthy menu interactions necessary, allowing cooperative combat to proceed much more smoothly. Unlike in the first X-Men Legends in which the Mansion was the sole hub, in Legends II you'll experience multiple hubs across the world to keep out of danger. These breaks in the action will be far less cumbersome to navigate than in the original, says Activision, since the game points you toward who you need to speak to in order to pick up new quests and proceed to the next enemy-infested area. Also, different characters will produce different responses from NPCs. For instance, while an NPC might greet Cyclops in a friendly fashion, they may toss out an insult or sly remark if they were approached by Magneto. These speech differences have no actual affect on the options available. For instance, just because an NPC dislikes Magneto doesn't mean they're going to withhold items or prevent him from proceeding to the next area. It's just nice to hear the attitude and personality, making the beat-'em-up-RPG a little more authentic. In terms of items, vendors won't be selling the same old stuff all the time. The roster of available items has been greatly expanded. Also, vendors' lists will be randomly updated, sort of like the "gamble" option at certain Diablo 2 vendors. If you see something you like, it's better to buy it when you see it, otherwise you may not it may not be available for a while. In battle, characters are also more vocal, calling out witty sayings and occasionally engaging in character specific banter, though these effects appear mainly cosmetic. For instance, if Wolverine and Cyclops got in an argument while fighting enemies their stats or fighting abilities won't actually change, but you may laugh a little. Environments are being designed with much more interactivity in mind. In one Egyptian temple-themed level, your costumed band of mutants may happen to cross tiles marked with the image of a giant scarab. Seconds later...bam! A giant scarab pops out of the ground and starts clawing your face, just begging to be punished via adamantium slashes and possibly a crimson visor blast to shatter its silly carapace. Pillars will bust open and reveal enemies in a similar fashion. The environments are filled with traps, surprises, and interactivity. In the same level, there was an area where a wooden bridge gave way and players fell into a pit, which quickly filled with scarabs climbing in through tunnel openings. To escape, players could either sit and fight, or jump up some broken pillars at one of the pit's sides and break through a secret wall to land them in a corridor of relative security. Activision promised many more hidden goodies and areas to be found throughout the game. All playable characters will have a minimum of 10-plus powers. We also got to play the Arcangel boss fight, which turned out to be quite an ordeal. Though the fight just starts out as your party versus a grounded Arcangel, it quickly escalates. Arcangel eventually takes cover in a teleporter as enemies begin to randomly spawn around you. Eventually, a teleportation beam starts shooting all over the boss area, transporting anything it touches including you and even other enemies. Needless to say, you'll feel that warm, fuzzy sense of accomplishment, much like the feeling after you finally finish doing your laundry that's been building up over the past few months, after you dispatch this winged menace. In other words, boss fights like this are more complicated, mixing in slight puzzle elements that require mutant powers other than hacking and slashing. The graphics, though appearing to be cell shaded, aren't, said Activison. They just happen to feature thick black lines around characters contours to fit in with the comic book nature of the game. The action-RPG still moves at a constant 30 FPS, despite many more mutants, spells, special effects, and enemies on screen at once. The use of different hubs also helps to distinguish the variety of levels and textures, too. Lastly, PSP and PC versions of the game will feature slighly different exclusive content, though Activision wouldn't say exactly what. "

Quote :

"Activision brought by X-Men Legends 2 today and much to our frustration, demoed the same levels shown the past two times they were here. However this visit had one major difference from past appearances. When we asked direct questions about certain aspects of the game, we weren't told, "don't print." Instead, answers were given. While we still can't reveal a few of the big surprises in the game, we can offer up a few tidbits that should please fans. Blink! - As we've stated in earlier previews of XML 2, you can now teleport back to base whenever you want. We've learned that this is facilitated by Blink. In the menu system there is an option for a "Blink Portal," which we were told is the teleportation system of X-Men Legends 2. When we asked if that meant everyone's favorite lavender elf was in the game, it was confirmed. Yes, she is in the game as an NPC. Cry Havok - Sadly, Alex Summers is not a playable character. Instead he's one of the NPCs. That doesn't mean you won't be able to play as him, however. We learned last month that many NPCs and enemies will be made playable either in the main game or the arena-style multiplayer. One cool tidbit is that conversations with NPCs change depending on who approaches them. You get quite a different response having Magneto talk to Havok instead of Cyclops. Dark Beast - At the start of the battle with Archangel, there's a cut-scene showing Apocalypse standing in a teleporter. Beast (in evil mode) stands at his side and Sabretooth is bound and on his knees. Could it be that Sabes becomes another horseman of Apocalypse? Your goal after defeating Archangel is to continue pursuing Beast. Sounds interesting! Costumes - We already knew that every character begins with at least one change of clothing and we've since seen quite a few alternates for many. Expect Age of Apocalypse costumes along with a slew of other classics. We've yet to see Wolverine dressed as Patch, but we're hopeful. When we got to Storm who "has a ton of costumes," we asked about the famous Mohawk Storm. All we received was a coy smile and a "maybe." One nice touch we noticed is that the character icons change based on the costume they're wearing. This finally proves that no matter how Cyclops is dressed, he still looks like a dork. Team Bonuses - If you pick a classic team and appropriately dress them you earn a Team Bonus. There are about 20 of these combinations and each offers a different reward. Assemble four of the New X-Men (with appropriate costumes) and receive a +15% health bonus. There are classic teams for the Brotherhood as well. Secrets - There's actually several other goodies we spied, including just about every area you'll explore. We even saw a list of several bosses, some you may not be expecting. But revealing these just wouldn't be fair. You need to discover these things on your own. We'll just say that anyone who has followed the X-books over the years will find plenty of cool locations, allies and enemies. This game should rock!"

[Edited on August 25, 2005 at 9:52 PM. Reason : .]

8/25/2005 9:48:57 PM

I loved the first one...can't wait for this.

8/25/2005 9:50:05 PM

I want an Astonishing X-Men game.

8/25/2005 9:58:00 PM

^ it's gonna have the Astonishing X-Men costumes if thats any substitute at the moment
Matter of fact, I think it's going to have damn near all X-Men costumes, including the movies

*Interview courtesy of IGN.com*

Quote :

"X-Men Legends II: Delving into Story by Douglass C. Perry August 23, 2005 - Activision today gave us a healthy insight into X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse, the sequel to its best-selling X-men action-RPG, and a game that's pushing the boundaries of on-screen special effects, action, and chaotic activity. In this quickie interview we spoke with Activision Producer Chris Palmisano, who's worked on numerous other Marvel licenses while at the Santa Monica publisher. Here, Palmisano provides insight into the game's branching dialog, the depth of Magneto's powers, the clash of styles and personalities that take place between the X-Men and the Brotherhood, and much more. Check out the interview, then make sure to visit the new screenshots and exclusive movie revealing story-based info from the game. IGN: This is an unusual situation for the X-Men to be in, being united with the Brotherhood, their arch nemesis. How does this unique situation - of them working together -- play out in the story? Please give examples. Chris Palmisano: The unique relationship between the X-Men and the Brotherhood has allowed Raven Software to add tremendous depth to X-Men Legends II. This is the first time these bitter rivals have teamed up in a videogame and Raven has taken this opportunity to add tension, drama, and humor to the plot of the game. To create a really unique game play experience, Raven focused on highlighting individual relationships between all of the individual characters. This theme can be seen in the first moments of the opening FMV when Wolverine gives Sabertooth a rather frictional greeting, and players will find endless examples of these specific character relationships through out the rest of the story. With 16 playable characters and countless NPC's, Raven had a tremendous opportunity expose these various relationships through the script of the game. To accomplish this, Raven created a dynamic branching dialogue system to control for the various personality disputes. A great example of this system at work can be found by contrasting conversations Magneto has with Havok with conversations between Havok and the X-Men. Looking back to X-Men Legends I, Magneto and Havok had a pretty frictional ending; and in X-Men Legends II, Havok's dialogue will be different depending on if the conversation is with Magneto or with any of the less frictional characters. The two enemy factions deliver often hilarious quips of anger and dislike toward one another. IGN: How different is the play style of the Brotherhood versus the X-Men? Would you give us an example? Chris: The Brotherhood characters definitely have a different perspective on how things should be accomplished in the game than the X-Men and do not hold back their opinions during mission briefings and the in-game dialogue. However, with both teams forced to work together, the specific powers of the Brotherhood members have added a lot to the gameplay. For example, Juggernaut's raw power is virtually unmatched, and Magneto's abilities, when fully leveled-up, are almost limitless. IGN: Playing as Magneto must be awesome. He's so damn powerful. What's it like to balance him with less powerful characters? Chris: Balancing Magneto with less powerful characters was definitely a challenge in the early levels of the game. But honestly, you can only control the Master of Magnetism so much and if players take the time to level Magneto up to 99, it would just be unfair to limit his abilities. IGN: In what ways did you feel like the story in X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse is improved and more sophisticated than in the first X-Men Legends game? And what kinds of story-telling techniques and other things did you learn from the developing the first game? Chris: Having both the Brotherhood and X-Men involved as protagonists has definitely allowed Raven and Marvel to take the story to the next level. With the traditional cast of bad guys working with the X-Men, Raven has been able to pull in a number of exciting characters from the Marvel Universe. We are really proud of the character roster in the game and the effects that these characters have had on the development of our story. We have also done a tremendous amount of work to improve upon how the story is communicated. First, the five acts of the game are tied together with seven amazing FMVs created by Blur Studios. It was a pleasure working with a team that is so enthusiastic about the X-men, and the results really speak for themselves. Also, the mission briefings have been completely overhauled and really provide some exciting and humorous moments in the story. IGN: What other parts of the story will fans like and absolutely dig into that we haven't talked about? Chris: Well, we really want to save some surprises for when people actually play the game, but I can say that there are a lot of exciting Age of Apocalypse plot points involved in the story. X-Men Legends II has its own unique story, but Marvel allowed us to integrate some of the exciting moments from the Age of Apocalypse storyline into the plot. People familiar with the comics know that Age of Apocalypse had some very dynamic moments and we think fans will be very excited to see some of them integrated into our storyline."

[Edited on August 25, 2005 at 10:10 PM. Reason : .]

8/25/2005 10:09:03 PM

*Screenshots courtesy of IGN.com*
All screenshots using the PS2 engine

8/25/2005 10:25:33 PM

Mr. Sinister...heheheh...this is gonna be sweet.

8/25/2005 10:39:34 PM

Ice-man...less interesting? gg actvision

pure tank build + legend freeze + cold crush + best buff in the game + build bridges = win

8/25/2005 10:58:46 PM

WAIT WAIT WAIT

is that sunfire?

thats a deep roster if they have sunfire in the shit

also

i never really "got" how the first one worked....
sadly

8/25/2005 11:02:17 PM

^ first one was the shit...i would try to compare it but theres not really anything to compare it to

CLOSEST i would say...would be Diablo (and just like Diablo much more fun with other people playin with you)

But that comparison isn't doing the game justice

Yep, thats Sunfire

they also got my boy Deadpool in there, i remember strapping swords on my back and "being" him when i was a kid, hahaha

I'ma nerd

[Edited on August 25, 2005 at 11:13 PM. Reason : .]

8/25/2005 11:11:30 PM

WOW. Deadpool! Well, I guess it's guaranteed that I have to buy this game now. It'd be the funniest thing ever if he had an ability in the game to taunt enemies.

8/25/2005 11:22:56 PM

I got to play the advanced version of it with Deadpool

and if memory serves me right, he does have a taunt, its one of those "lower defense send enemies into panic" things

btw if anyone has any ideas on what they would like to see done, what kinda contest they think would be best, i'm open to any and all suggestions

So far im thinking of wolfbytes trivia and a skirmish mode tournament, most knockouts wins a copy of the game

8/25/2005 11:25:45 PM

Quote :

""

damn thats bad ass

8/26/2005 9:04:56 AM

Magneto is badass

8/26/2005 9:07:04 AM

This game is gonna be badass

dont forget to hit up the facebook group

http://ncst.facebook.com/group_profile.php?gid=6861



[Edited on August 26, 2005 at 9:23 AM. Reason : ]

8/26/2005 9:19:22 AM

DEADPOOL!

8/27/2005 4:20:38 PM

my brother and cousin played the Xmen legends 1. they were addicted to that game. i dont play video games so i dont know what they were hooked on, but damn they beat that game in like a couple days.

ill let him know about this game

8/29/2005 12:32:10 AM

I really liked the first one. Glad to see it's still on GameCube.

8/29/2005 1:55:59 AM

*Movies, Screenshots, and Information courtesy of Activision and IGN.com*

Quote :

"X-Men Legends 2: The Super Powers Why mutants will take over the world. Exclusive new interview, images and movies. by Douglass C. Perry August 30, 2005 - For an X-man, it's one thing to temporarily partner with your enemies, a band of no-good mutant losers. But if you're Cyclops, team leader of the X-Men, and a stalwart company man, it's quite another to pull off a team combo with the most treacherous and powerful member of the Brotherhood, Magneto. Quite another thing altogether. But that's what's going to happen in X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse. Due on Xbox, PS2, PC, and GameCube in late September, this dungeon-crawler-style action-RPG builds on the basic premise of the first game, broadens its gameplay value with four-player online action, and creates a far deeper move set from the basic list of moves to cooperative team moves to the ultimate attacks, those things we call Super Moves. For today's piece on the intricacies of the game's super powers, we spoke with Raven Software Project Lead Dan Vondrak, who dished out a rapid-fire repertoire of super powers, new abilities special to this sequel, and details you won't find anywhere else. How much better are cooperative team combos? What are some of the niftier super moves? What are Xtreme moves? And just exactly how evil can playing with the Brotherhood be? Vondrak gives us the skinny. Oh, and if you think you've seen too much of this game, wait til you see this video. It's a highlight reel of kick-ass Super moves. Sweet, sweet mutant madness. IGN: So, we know there are many more super powers for each character now. Would you give us a little highlight list for some of the more popular characters? Dan Vondrak: Sure. Here is a trio of good examples, including powers from Wolverine, Sunfire, and Nightcrawler. Wolverine's Claw Flurry is an awesome move where he'll actually spin through the air slicing through the opponents around him. It's a great way to clear guys out in front of you. Sunfire has one of the coolest "boost" powers in the game. His Ion Shield forms a massive circle of fire and radiation around him damaging anyone who walks into it, and even ups his defense too. Nightcrawler's Sword Whirlwind was so effective we were forced to bring the damage down a bit later in development. He pulls both swords out and spins continuously while you hold down the power button. You can move him all around the screen forming a little path of destruction. IGN: You could team up for some serious team combos in the first X-Men Legends. How has that mechanic changed or been improved upon in this sequel, and what is the result? Dan: We've made combos easier to pull off. We've also increased the bonuses for combos. We wanted to make sure people used their powers together more often. It really has become a favorite tactic in the coop mode for XMLII. Both online and offline coop mode has the difficulty of the game ramped up depending on how many human players are present. Combos are a great way to help you through the game, especially some of the Boss fight. IGN: Characters such as Ice-Man were rather, oh…, less than fun to play in the previous X-Men Legends. How has a potentially awesome character like that been improved and made to be more fun, as opposed to just being utilitarian with his lovely ice bridges? Dan: I've never heard of Iceman as the "less fun" one. Did you try freezing people in mid-air or ramming them with your Ice Slide? One of his coolest new powers is his alternate Xtreme. All Characters now have more than one Xtreme power. Iceman can actually summon an Ice side-kick to fight along side the party. That side-kick is a tough little guy, it can really absorb a lot of damage for you. IGN: OK, so maybe I wasn't all that fair about old Ice-Man. Anyway, has the presence of the Brotherhood brought a different kind of super-power to the game, seeing as how that team has such a different set of strengths? If so, what is it? Dan: We could be a little more evil with the powers, do stuff to enemies you normally wouldn't see X-Men doing, which can be a little more satisfying. Magneto has a power called "Death Trap" where he will actually put metal shards all around an enemy so they will take a considerable amount of extra damage. Another fun power comes courtesy of Juggernaut. When using Crimson Rage, Juggernaut will actually grow in size the longer you can pummel your enemy. There's a particularly nasty attack one of the unrevealed Brotherhood characters can pull off. I'd love to tell you about it, but then I'd have to use it on you to keep you quiet. IGN: Ohhhh. Glad I'm still alive (*wipes brow*). The menu systems in the first Legends were serviceable, but had room to grow. How have they changed and been improved for a better user experience? Dan: When we re-did the menus for XMLII we completely overhauled the graphics and presentation. They now animate in and out and use the FX system. Overall the graphic quality has been upgraded several times. There are even different backgrounds to some menus depending on which point of the story you are in. Even more important, the functionality was really scrutinized. We made it so the menus are accessible to both Action and RPG fans. We streamlined the amount and placement of text and numbers in the menus so the Action Games can go in and get just the info they need. But all the detailed information is just a button press away as the RPG guys can bring up other panels or windows to get to all the RPG detail. "

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~jmthoma3/bishop1_wmvhigh.wmv

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~jmthoma3/Cyclops_smaller_wmvhigh.wmv

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~jmthoma3/juggernaut1_large_wmvhigh.wmv

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~jmthoma3/magneto1_large_wmvhigh.wmv

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~jmthoma3/nightcrawler1_wmvhigh.wmv

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~jmthoma3/storm1_large_wmvhigh.wmv

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~jmthoma3/sunfire_movie_wmvhigh.wmv

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~jmthoma3/wolverine1_large_wmvhigh.wmv

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~jmthoma3/xmenlegends2_wmvhigh.wmv

[Edited on August 30, 2005 at 11:51 PM. Reason : ]

8/30/2005 11:47:53 PM

**Oops forgot to add you must right click -> save as if you're having trouble viewing the movies**


Look for me around campus and the surrounding area handing out stuff

if theres a certain dorm/building you want me to visit and want some posters/tshirts, collect some friends and IM/PM me and i'll come through your building with some shirts and posters to decorate your boring ass room, and you'll get first dibs to be in the tournament for a copy of the game

8/31/2005 9:31:16 AM

Be on the lookout for me around campus passing X-Men 2 Merch out, and collecting e-mails for future mailing list about upcoming events and tournaments

Also working out some tournaments at University Towers and other activity rooms around campus (possibly Bragaw) and maybe even at my place at Wolf Village

Also, keep an eye on Wolfbytes TV for your chance to call in and win free Activision merch and copies of X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse

9/5/2005 8:33:44 PM

*Movies, Screenshots, and Information courtesy of Activision and IGN.com*

Quote :

"X-Men Legends II: Hands-on Rage against the Abyss. Battle aginst the blimps. Dampen the Pyro. You go, Mutey. You just go. by Douglass C. Perry September 6, 2005 - When Activision showed up last week at the Clift Hotel in San Francisco to show off X-Men Legends: Rise of the Apocalypse again, there was something fresh about its re-emergence. We saw -- and played -- new parts of the game, fought new enemies, and raged against new bosses -- as opposed to just seeing the same footage against scarabs and a boss fight with Arc Angel for the, oh maybe, third time. For a game that can be whittled down in description to a simple four-person dungeon crawler, you'd think we might be getting a little overly excited such a thing. But we are talking about a four-person co-op game that happens to be a four-person online co-op (on Xbox, PS2, PC, and PSP, anyway), one that stars a massive gang of playable X-Men and now the playable Brotherhood of Mutants. Which makes this seemingly simple action-RPG a little more interesting, a little more inviting than your ordinary gang of elves, dwarves, warriors and magic users fighting off trolls and spiders, right? X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse follows a new storyline created for the game in which X-Men arch-nemesis Apocalypse attacks both the X-Men and the Brotherhood, forcing the two enemies to work together to fight off Apocalypse's attack on all of mankind. There is more to the story, but Activision wants to keep gamers guessing a little, plus there are hundreds of details that are far more fun to uncover while playing than from a simple preview. The point is, you're working with the Brotherhood, and you get to fight as them arm-in-arm to conquer a greater evil. Who do you play as? From the X-Men camp, there is a classic mix of old and new heroes: Cyclops, Wolverine, Rogue, Nightcrawler, Jubilee, Ice-Man, Bishop, Storm, and perhaps Beast (who, to our knowledge, is at least an NPC). Magma won't be re-appearing from the previous game. From the Brotherhood are characters Magneto, Sabretooth, Toad (yes, he's playable) Juggernaut, and perhaps Mystique. Arc Angel appears, and he's one of the first bosses you'll fight, and Pyro appears as an NPC who fights alongside you in your battle against...Abyss. Along with Angel, Emma Frost, Forge and Heather Hudson have been confirmed as NPCs. The PC and PSP versions are a little diffent when it comes to characters. They will each get a handful of exclusive characters as part of an incentive for people to buy those versions, none of which will appear in the Xbox, PS2, or Cube versions. Who are they? Activision isn't saying a word just yet. All of the various versions look solid. The visual detail level on the small- to medium-sized characters has increased to create more distinguished looking heroes, each with Raven's comic book black outline style. Each character facilitates better, quicker and a greater number of animations than in the previous game, created to execute the quadruple amount of super-powers with which each mutant is equipped. The PS2 version was crisp and impressive looking, while the Xbox version runs in a super sharp 720p. Very nice. When I initially saw it, I thought it was running on a PC. The PSP version is a high-functioning affair. It looked crisp and clean, exactly like the console versions on a smaller screen, with a few exceptions in the preview build. The load times are naturally slower, and there are still some framerate issues, which should be worked out when all is said and done. The PSP version matches the strengths of the other versions by giving up to four players ad-hoc wireless play, and it also enables players to team up online. Not too shabby. To make the simple formula work on a more refined, more super-powered level, the amount of interactions -- breakable, destructible objects, and command-able mutant powers -- has increased, in addition to amount of characters on screen, creating a massive swirl of chaotic attacks, actions, and team blasts simultaneously. It's quite a rush to pull off a newly earned super move; but when combined with a Brotherhood power in a team combo? In its own way, that experience is unbeatable. When you think that there are more than 100 different types of enemies to combat, several new levels, each with various color palettes, interactive nuances, and inventive designs, and the possibility of five to 10 different mutant powers going off simultaneously, you will soon realize just what a giant display of bells, whistles, lighting effects, and oh say, Juggernaut smashing the living daylights out of things will bring. It's going to be a gigantic whiz-bang affair, all in the name of mutants and humans just trying to get along. The gameplay itself is quick, easy, and satisfying. The menu systems are easier to handle this time around, as they're laid out more efficiently. The addition of key options makes powering up more co-op friendly. First, you can choose to let the system divvy up the random items to whom they are best suited. Or you can do it manually like in the first game. The system can now automatically and evenly update your characters when they have reached another level. This might sound a little silly for gamers who love the tweaking and upgrading aspects of RPGs, but the new functionality works great when playing online with three others, and you're in the mood to just keep moving, non-stop, well into the wee hours of the morning. Fighting Abyss is a different kind of treat. First, your band of mutants finds the Australian accented Pyro pleading for your help, as he is stuck in an energy field trap, designed by Apocalypse. Smashing a few choice energy nodes takes the shield down. Then he joins you in a fight with Abyss. The fight starts off on the ground, and then as you whittle down the over-the-top boss's energy down, you end up chasing him onto two blimps. He hurls timed explosives from his blimp onto yours in hopes of destroying it, and while you and the X-men fight off his annoying little minions, you must retrieve the explosives and hurl them back onto his dirigible before they explode. By managing the action, and hurling about five back onto Abyss's blimp, he then changes the playing field. You blow up his blimp, and he sucks you all inside him, into a three dimensional trap inside his "body." The environment is textured with spacy, infinite-looking "walls," and you're meant to figure out how to switch off three to four different timed-bombs to set free yourself from the…wait for it…Abyss. Using an elevator-like portal, you must hit the switches on each one, then travel back and forth between the levels, while fighting off little minions again, to destroy the trap, freeing yourself and eventually defeating Abyss. Taking some of the themes from the Rise of Apocalypse arc in the X-Men comic book, this sequel will see the X-Mansion blown to smithereens (yes, we know it wasn't the same as in the comic; there is was Magneto's compound in the boondocks, but it's similar in theme). New environments include the temples of Madripoor, the primitive jungle of the Savage Lands, the island of Genosha and Egypt among other key locations in X-Men lore. Each area features more interaction, tons of secrets and unique enemies. The Skirmish and Sparring modes return, both for online and offline play. Once more players can take the role of just about any character in the game -- good, bad or indifferent and duel it out in arena battles. Adding online play to the mix is merely icing on the cake. In short, there aren't too many surprises with X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse, but they are numerous things to look forward to. The new story, the superb addition of the playable Brotherhood characters, the four-player online co-op mode, and the story, replete with side missions, surprise twists, and hopefully, we can all safely assume, a temporary defeat of Apocalypse. X-men II is will, without doubt, steal many, many hours from you in the blink of an eye. Check our exclusive mini-interview on the multiplayer aspects of the game today for more."

9/7/2005 12:37:31 AM

Hova you gotta hook me up w/ some X-Men stuff you know me I'm a big fan!

9/7/2005 12:39:46 AM

Quote :

"X-Men Legends II Multiplayer Interview Details on XMLII's online and multiplayer. New trailer too. by Charles Onyett September 6, 2005 - Bashing away at enemies with your team of superpowered mutants may be fun, but it also can be limited. When you finally topple that one boss or group of particularly pesky enemies by using a ridiculous combo of moves that clearly requires the most finely tuned skills imaginable, who else will know but you? It's like getting a hole in one without a witness. The need to immediately and definitively ensure the depth of your gaming skills are properly recognized is very real, and something Activision is trying to fulfill for players with X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse. While XMLII may have its share of mutant smashing single player action, it's also got a huge multiplayer component. How huge? We recently spoke with Matthew Paul, a Producer at Activision to get the details of the various online and multiplayer aspects of the sequel. Check out what Matthew has to say about online voice support, saving your online progress, the online interface, offline four player action, and then watch the new trailer. We'll have more for you as it comes. IGN: So, the original four-player co-op has been altered to include four players online. How has this changed the gameplay and how is it improved? Matthew Paul: Well, our fans really loved the original offline co-op in the first game, and we wanted to preserve as much of that as possible for online. You can plan the entire 40 hour story mode from beginning to end with up to 4 players both offline and online. We added voice support to online so that you can talk to anybody at any time during gameplay, because you're obviously not sitting next to your buddies like you are with offline co-op. The only time you can't talk during the game is during cinematics because we didn't want to ruin them, however, they can still be skipped in multiplayer. The voice support makes it so you can combo coordinate attacks much more easily and as well as discuss your strategies.Online multiplayer also has exclusive Danger Room missions that are only unlocked when playing online. In addition, my favorite thing about online multiplayer is that you can use your save games from offline. So, if you want to jump into a quick match with your friends, you don't always have to start at the beginning of the game or at level 1. Or, if you've been playing online with your friends and they can't continue playing, you're not stuck with a useless save game. You can take the save game offline and continue playing to play out the rest of the story. IGN: Will the four-player offline game be different in any way from the online one? Matthew: At the core, the co-op offline game is the same as the last - you can plug and unplug controllers at any time, and join at any time during the game. However, we've made many changes to make the experience even better. We created the option so that players don't have to play with AI characters if they don't want to. In fact, you can play the entire game controlling just 1 character if you want a real challenge. In addition, we also made it so you never need to reduce your party to less than 4 characters, so your friends aren't waiting around for you to finish a solo mission. IGN: Can players drop in and out of games without problems and does that affect the difficulty of the game? Matthew: Offline players can drop in and out without problems simply by inserting a controller and pressing the start button. With online gameplay, it is more complicated, but with the unique save game system for our game, players can easily join in on somebody else's game, so new players won't have to start at the beginning. Just have somebody start up a game with any save game (it doesn't have to be one from multiplayer) and anybody can join it - they don't need to have the same save game on their system. Once everyone is ready, the save game will be transferred to each person's system so everyone starts at the same point. IGN: How will the online lobbies look and work? Can you give us an example or two? Matthew: Since we wanted everyone to take online for a spin, we made it as user friendly and easy to get into as possible. It varies slightly differently on the different platforms, but basically you can simply search for a list of games by criteria, pick one, and then join it. Once inside a game lobby, voice chat will be working, so you can discuss how to want to play with everyone in the lobby. Some games will be co-op story mode games and some will be competitive games, such as our skirmish mode. In the list of co-op games, it will be clearly marked which games are starting from the beginning of the story and which games are continuing from a save point in the game. Of course we fully support Xbox Live Aware, which includes friends lists and game invites, so you can also easily find your friends that way on the Xbox. IGN: Will you talk a little about how the improved power-up system works? You've said it's now more flexible and easy to use than before. Matthew: Absolutely. First, just navigating through the menus to assign your skills and powers is much more intuitive and fluid. We doubled the number of powers to give much more variety to the heroes. Then, we added in-game power switching, which lets you switch powers on the fly just by holding down the "power" button and toggling through the powers by pressing the directional buttons. It's the best way to maximize the powers at your disposal. Finally, we added an auto level up feature, knowing that waiting for other players to assign powers and level up their character can sometimes be tedious. You can turn auto level-up on at any time and it's flexible enough to be specific per hero. So, if you only want to level-up the hero that you're controlling, you can leave the AI to auto-level up their own characters. Basically, we've give plenty of options to the player to customize the advancement of their characters as they see fit."

9/7/2005 12:43:39 AM

9/7/2005 12:49:10 AM

Aiight, this is my first event, so i'ma need everyone's help to make it a success

Event: X-Men Legends 2 Tournament
Location: University Towers Dining Hall
Date and Time: September 29th 9:00pm

Come out and get your T-shirts, Posters, Stickers, and have your chance to win copies of X-Men Legends 2 through playing in the tournament, trivia, and raffles (I'm going to try to have at the VERY least 5 to give out) So drop me a line if you want any additional info, through facebook or post on the message board. Hope to see you all out there

9/9/2005 8:29:19 AM

I'm glad that I may not have to play a tourney to get a game.

Heh, I still haven't beaten the first one. It's the one game where my two brothers and I sit together and play. We don't play if we're not together...since that doesn't happen very often, we still got a few hours to go, I think...

Speaking of which, I got the White Queen but I haven't picked up Psylocke yet. How far am I from finishing the game? ...Kinda don't want it to end.

Since I don't play as often, I don't consider myself an expert by any means and would get manhandled by the better players...(well, I'd be Iceman and try to freeze and mash A as fast as I could).

I'll try to be there to make your thingy a success.

9/9/2005 9:03:17 AM

You still got a little ways to go...the last few levels are a bitch

and yea man, come out and give it a shot, depending on how many people we have, it might be single/double elimination...and the matches dont take anything but 5 minutes or so anyways (may extend, pending on how many folks wanna try it out)

I think i'll do raffles and stuff as well, i'ma try to give out at least 5 copies that night

also, keep an eye on Wolfbytes TV channel and look out in the tecnician, try to have some trivia questions for the entire week of the games release, so i'll be giving out 5 copies then, too

9/9/2005 9:08:18 AM

http://ncst.facebook.com/partyprofile.php?id=582









[Edited on September 10, 2005 at 9:12 PM. Reason : .]

9/10/2005 9:03:41 PM

I have some questions (sorry if they've already been answered):

1. It seems like the GC is going to get shafted seeing how it's online capabilities (or the somewhat lack thereof) is minimal compared to the other systems. Is this addressed anyhow?

2. The multiplayer deathmatch for the first one really, well sucked. Very few options. They tried to weigh each character with the appropriate level/stats so that they'll all be "equal," which didn't work. There were some characters that just plain sucked (Blob, for example). Playing as some of the enemies was fun, but it was more of a novelty. Will there be any improvements on this?

3. In online multiplayer, how's skill/stat distribution going to work? Can anyone in the game do it? If that's the case, then what prevents some noob from coming into your game and messing up one of your character's stats/skills?

4. Is skill damage still designed with fix damage ranges? It seemed kinda goofy for Wolverine's abilities to not get stronger when putting more +Strike. I mean Nightcrawler's best build was just a pure a Energy build, and you just keep spamming those teleport kicks.

5. The character menu is neat... but where are the numerical displays for HP/Energy!?

6. In one of those screenshots, there appears to be a lv. 62 Bishop. So, I'm guess this game is going to be longer?

9/10/2005 9:46:04 PM

Quote :

"ve some questions (sorry if they've already been answered): 1. It seems like the GC is going to get shafted seeing how it's online capabilities (or the somewhat lack thereof) is minimal compared to the other systems. Is this addressed anyhow? 2. The multiplayer deathmatch for the first one really, well sucked. Very few options. They tried to weigh each character with the appropriate level/stats so that they'll all be "equal," which didn't work. There were some characters that just plain sucked (Blob, for example). Playing as some of the enemies was fun, but it was more of a novelty. Will there be any improvements on this? 3. In online multiplayer, how's skill/stat distribution going to work? Can anyone in the game do it? If that's the case, then what prevents some noob from coming into your game and messing up one of your character's stats/skills? 4. Is skill damage still designed with fix damage ranges? It seemed kinda goofy for Wolverine's abilities to not get stronger when putting more +Strike. I mean Nightcrawler's best build was just a pure a Energy build, and you just keep spamming those teleport kicks. 5. The character menu is neat... but where are the numerical displays for HP/Energy!? 6. In one of those screenshots, there appears to be a lv. 62 Bishop. So, I'm guess this game is going to be longer? "

1) They haven't told us specifically how GC users are going to be compromised..but he did say something about unannouced secret characters...so who knows..GC could have come exclusive ones (As the PC/PSP versions do)

2) They didn't tell us how more balanced the characters were going to be in this version (I didn't find em terribly unbalanced in the original, Jean Grey whupped my ass and I was Cyclops)

3) They added an automated stat distrubtion system, to handle all that (SOMEONE didnt read the aritcles in the thread

4) All the characters are alot more balanced this time around, you won't find that "one move kills all" as in the first

5) The front menus have been streamlined (to appease more casual gamers), but when you go into each character you get the vastly detailed information as in the first

6) The game is 40 or so hours long (at least double the length of the first) availble both on/offline

9/10/2005 10:21:41 PM

Also, are there still 3 attack types (physical, mental, energy)?

9/10/2005 10:26:51 PM

Yep, nothings been takin out, just expanded on to make the game even better

now im gettin too drunk to talk abotu this so ima head out before i make activision look bad

9/10/2005 10:30:34 PM

9/13/2005 1:10:17 PM

please tell me that is Deadpool

9/13/2005 4:40:55 PM

it's pretty obvious it is

plus, i mean, you can check the fucking filename

9/13/2005 5:12:28 PM

btt

the ad is running on WOlfbytes now

Starting the 21st, watch wolfbytes for 5 X-Men trivia questions

be the first to email me at activisiononcampus@gmail.com, and win an Activision Prize package including a free copy of X-Men Legends 2 (X-Box version only, but go trade it in at KMart and get another console version if u like)

9/18/2005 4:15:41 PM

I don't live on campus..! Doh

9/18/2005 4:29:09 PM

Damn this mess is tight.

9/18/2005 4:45:13 PM

^^ if it gets to be late in the afternoon and i dont get any responses, ill post the questions here

9/18/2005 5:06:29 PM

[Edited on September 18, 2005 at 11:21 PM. Reason : ]

9/18/2005 11:21:00 PM

That's pretty frikkin sweet

9/18/2005 11:34:51 PM

Man I got so desperate to win that I actually tried to watch wolfbytes on the Internet

Didn't work tho

9/19/2005 12:23:32 PM

^ well the trivia questions dont show up til wednesday

9/19/2005 1:51:48 PM

9/20/2005 2:30:29 PM

X-Men Legends 2 released TODAY

KEEP A LOOK OUT FOR QUESTIONS ON AND AROUND TDUB FOR A CHANCE TO WIN AN ACTIVISION PRIZE PACK

9/21/2005 12:09:52 PM

Hova why's Best Buy tellin' me that shit doesn't come out till tomorrow, the site says 9/21!!!

9/21/2005 2:28:47 PM

must win..will starve til questions arrive

9/21/2005 6:43:49 PM

i've been playin this for the past 7 hrs
gamertag is Ravage6969 if anyone wants to play on Live

9/21/2005 7:01:36 PM

I hope you're enjoying it

9/21/2005 7:12:18 PM