| X-Men Legends is, without a doubt, one of the best Marvel Comics-based video games to come out in recent years. The game features impressive combat design and nicely executed gameplay. I have spent several hours doing battle against Magneto's gang of freakish mutants. It was a blast throughout, especially playing cooperatively. The game has a rather lengthy adventure that kept my fingers busy and senses on highest alert. The different objectives for each level kept the tempo smooth and interesting. As you progress through the game, some of the levels become a bit more challenging but never frustrating. Teamwork is the key to your success and it's up to you to build a team that fits your playing style.
The game does an excellent job with the distribution of stats and powers that are divided equally among your X-Men characters. You don't have to keep swapping roles just so the other X-Men receive experience points. Your team gain experience points altogether, no matter who is active onscreen; but the skills earned are different for everybody. For example, Cyclops can boost his leadership skill as he gains additional experience in the game; Jean can pump more energy into her telekinesis; and Iceman gets a powerful subzero blast! Besides these usual mutant fighting skills, each character is equipped with an Xtreme super-move that can be unlocked once you past level 15. This supernova-like finisher, once unleashed, is a very gripping graphical scene, with frenzy lighting effects and enemies flying in different directions. You can only use your Xtreme power after you have collected four Xtreme icons in the game.
Xtreme power is a very devastating charge of attack(s) that could wipe out an army when executed properly. For instance, Cyclops has the power to unleash an earth-shattering optic beam that can clear an enemy-infested area just by adjusting his sunglasses. Jean produces an awesome Phoenix Force, while Wolverine likes to claw foes with his legendary berserker attack that involves a fury of multiple slashes. Using any of the X-Men's Xtreme power comes in very handy especially when your enemies are as powerful as you are. It's obvious that the game focuses a great deal on combat and there are so many team combos you can learn that it is nearly impossible to exploit them. For instance, it's possible to set up your enemies with Jean's telekinesis and have Wolverine slash them to smithereens! While it maybe tough to find all the hidden combos in the game, the prize of discovering one will certainly bring in additional XP.
In the gameplay department, Legends' combat system works flawlessly and is very easy to handle. Thanks to the simple plug and play feature, any of your friends (up to three players) can come in and start taking control of one of the X-Men. Switching between characters is as easy as point and click with the d-pad button. If your friend decides to drop out, the computer can assume position without a glitch. When playing alone, the game's AI does a good job of following your lead and providing team support. In fact, the AI is pretty accurate in following your commands for attack. So you can definitely count on them when hell breaks loose. There are certain times that you will need to use your wits instead of your fighting instincts to solve certain puzzles in the game; but these puzzles simply require you to use a combination of powers. More often than not, the intellectual challenge presented before you, such as creating a bridge to close a gap, is not that complicated. Therefore, you will overcome any situation like piece of cake.
The game features an incredible lineup of Marvel characters, which include everyone's favorites like Gambit, Night Crawler, Iceman, Cyclops, Wolverine, Psylocke, Jean Gray, and more. Among the enemies you'll face are Mystique, Juggernaut, Toad, Avalanche, Blob, X-staples and the evil mastermind himself, Magneto. On the graphical scale, X-Men Legends looks pretty good with its cell-shading technique. The environments are polished with nice details and the characters are visually impressive. The game packs in plenty of great voice acting throughout but a little short on dialogue. The music is ok for the most part and it does a good job of shifting mood onscreen. The sound effects are cool and do their part to heighten the level of combat.
No matter how you look at it, X-Men Legends is a great action RPG title to add to your Xbox collection. The game is easy to pick up and features a nice effective combat system. It's fun to watch the frenzy lighting effects that are going onscreen, while the enemies are flying off in different directions following a powerful "Xtreme" discharge. Not to mention the countless team combos you can create in this game. There are also some rather interesting levels to choose from besides trying to dismantle Magneto's plan. You can visit the danger room to hone your mutant skills or explore the X-Mansion and take on several "flashback" missions.
The biggest attraction in the game so far is the ability to team up with friends in co-op modes for up to 4 players, where everyone work together for the greater cause. Developer Raven Soft did a great job with plugging in as much details as possible to the X-Men's universe. As a result, X-Men Legends is one of the best-looking X-Men titles to date. If you had a chance to choose a life in this universe, would you want to live life as everyday human or live a life as an X-Man Legend? | 
