Spike Spiegel
Member
Lately I've been revisiting some of the old, dust-covered games in my PS2 collection, to see what kind of fun can be wrung from them with my new Code Breaker. And you know what? With the right codes, a clunker like Wolverines Revenge can change from a "deeply flawed and disappointing" game into a... well, into a "still flawed, just not as disappointing" one.
Dont like standing around for 5 minutes, waiting for your health to regenerate after every fight? Turn on invincibility, or use the modifier codes to speed up your healing factor. Wondering why Logan's adamantium claws cant turn those army guys into Swiss cheese faster than Drano cuts through clogs? Turn on 1-hit kills, or give yourself all Strike levels up front so you at least feel like more of a badass. Wish that annoying Rage meter wouldnt fill up so fast, or just go away? Use a modifier code to slow it down.
Best of all (IMHO), there are codes that let you take control of the targeting system for combat, and tailor it to your preferences. I like using the code that maps Combat Initiate and Target Select to separate buttons (L1 and L2); it gives you more control over when and how you get into fights.
Too bad there arent codes to fix other problematic areas of the game you know, like the crappy camera, the glitches, the lack of enemy types (Oh look! Another squad of army guys!), and the general feeling of having been rushed to stores for the film (which the game has nothing to do with, btw). I forgot about Omega Red! Oh well, games over Whatever. Something tells me, though, that even with some extra time this game wouldnt have turned out any different; there are some fundamental design problems at work here.
Still, the game is not without its charms. The graphics arent amazing, but the visual style is interesting and there are some nice weather/screen effects on display. The Wolverine character model looks good, and the extra costumes are a nice touch; its too bad most of the games other characters werent paid the same level of attention (3 words: oven mitt hands). Mark Hamill and Patrick Stewart do a nice job with the voice acting, though Hamill as Logan takes some getting used to. The boss battles tend to stand out from the rest of the games action, requiring some thought and situational attacks to achieve victory (seems to be a theme with Activisions Marvel games ). The stealth aspects, though not perfect, are manageable for most of the game, and Logans hyper senses are a great touch. And the Strike attack system is pretty f*cking cool, I must say, even if pulling off a Triple Strike is damn near impossible most of the time.
Wait. When did this turn into a review?
Anyway, Code Breaker breathed new life into this old game for me. The tweaks helped make the bad parts a little more bearable, and the good parts a little more fun. If youve got a copy of X2: Wolverines Revenge and a Code Breaker, give it another try.