Scene, Sunday, May 24, 2009

He slices. He dices. He lunges to heights unusual for a game based on a Hollywood blockbuster.

"X-Men Origins: Wolverine — Uncaged Edition" is Activision’s M-rated take on the hit movie starring Hugh Jackman as the title mutant.

Fans will recognize the star, major plot points and even some lines of dialogue. But even summer blockbusters don’t really offer enough action to keep a game interesting for long. As a result, developers have added a number of puzzles and greatly multiplied the number of foes. They’ve also expanded on events that occurred during a renegade commando mission in Africa and at experimental facilities at Alkali Lake and elsewhere. This might disappoint fans of the flick, but they help create a solid game.

The game does a good job of showcasing Wolverine’s razor-sharp claws and power. He slashes, pounces, lunges, grabs and flings. He also leaves a gruesome trail of severed heads and limbs in his wake.

The controls are very smooth and effective. Basic attacks, combos, special attacks and lunges require the press of just a button or two. And the results are quite satisfying — whirling fists and flashing blades. You can also take out enemies using objects in the environment, ranging from electrical grates to cement mixers.

The foes aren’t overly bright but they can be tough and plentiful, which keeps the game interesting. It also helps that the fighting is broken up by a good mix of puzzle-solving and exploration.

In addition to his adamantium claws, Wolverine is known for his ability to heal himself and his extremely keen senses. Both are key elements of the game. While foes usually suffer gruesome wounds, the hero himself absorbs an immense amount of punishment — ranging from hideous lacerations, to gaping holes and charring. These heal before your eyes as long as he’s not taking additional damage. Also, if you’re lost or need to know more about your surroundings, you can hit the button that activates his feral senses. Both of these abilities, as well as Wolverine’s attack skills, level up as the game progresses.

The graphics are generally pretty good. The character models and animations are realistic and the environments — especially those in Africa — usually offer plenty of rich detail. There are some problems with characters sinking into terrain and items floating in mid-air. However, my biggest gripe is the inability to tone down the gore — an option common in other games.

In addition to the "Uncaged Edition," the game is also available in a family-friendly version for Nintendo’s Wii.

The game is rated T, so the violence is much less intense and the gore is nonexistent. In addition, the graphics aren’t quite as good as those in "Uncaged," but they’re still pretty good for a Wii game.

Game play is also different. However, if you’ve imagined yourself flailing around the living room trying to re-create Wolverine’s slash attacks, forget it. The motion-sensitive controls are reserved for special "Weapon X" attacks and lunging movements.

Most commands are handled through buttons and the nunchuck’s joystick. Most attack combos are handled through pressing the B and Z buttons in different sequences — but mashing the buttons at random works pretty well, too.

It all works well enough for short busts of fun. However, there just isn’t enough diversity in the game’s actions and missions to keep it interesting for too long. In addition, prolonged pauses for saving slow the game down all too frequently.

While I wouldn’t quite call the Wii version the "Caged Edition," it definitely lacks the spark that powers the other version.

Platforms: Xbox 360 (tested), Wii (tested), PlayStation 3, PS2, PC

On the Web: www.uncaged.com

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