X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse

Cincinnati Enquirer

Also new, and welcome for those who don't favor the role-playing aspect, is the ability to ignore the character management with automated leveling up.

Gaming Age

There’s quite a bit of replay value involved, primarily when trying to get the three hidden characters unlocked.

GameZone

I really liked that you can play with both the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants; these two teams make for a great combination.

Gaming Illustrated

An absolute thrill to play with all the elements of both a top notch action and RPG title.

1UP

A terrific action-RPG that serves as an example of what a sequel ought to be. It's better than the original, absorbing and well balanced with enough challenge and variety to keep you busy for the 20-plus hours you'll need to get through it.

GameSpy

If you're a fan on the comics -- or the movies -- you'll be sucked in from the first frame of the visually stunning opening clip.

Game Informer

Pure fun that increases exponentially has you add more friends to the mix. [Nov 2005, p.138]

Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

With balanced gameplay, lots of depth, 20-plus-hour play time, and online play, this is what sequels should be: better than the original. [Dec 2005, p.122]

GamePro

A solid, riveting story combined with refined gameplay set this game firmly in the outstanding (or should that be "uncanny"?) category.

RPG Fan

The game can be completed rather quickly (in less than 20 hours), but there are tons of unlockables to keep you playing well past 40 hours, such as secret characters, a Hard Mode, and the option to start a new game with your cleared save data.

PGNx Media

X-Men Legends II isn’t a drastic improvement over the first game, but it is definitely an improvement and ultimately a fun game.

Next Level Gaming

More characters? Check. New and better storyline? Check. Updates in gameplay? Well, half-check. Online play? Check, check, and MATE. Thank you Activision! You have finally given X-Men fans the game they were really waiting for!

GamingTrend

A vast improvement over its predecessor, just by adding online play and improving the character management system.

Just RPG

While "X-Men Legends: Rise of Apocalypse" might have some problems, the option to play as Magneto and the rest of the Brotherhood is an excellent addition to an already interesting game.

Gaming Nexus

With the huge selection of playable Marvel mutants and the horde of extra goodies, X-Men Legends II is another solid and enjoyable action-RPG entry into the comic-book genre.

Gaming Horizon

The result – a fantastic action RPG that fans of the Marvel universe and non-fans alike should enjoy sinking their teeth into for more than a couple of hours.

Game Over Online

Legends II more than pays for its fifty-dollar price tag by delivering hours of mutant melee mania.

WHAM! Gaming

Offers everything you need to get your mutant mayhem on – minus the blue and yellow tights. You’ll have to get those on your own.

BonusStage

The story mode alone took me around 25 hours to complete, so it’s not a game for those looking only for a quick experience.

IGN

While the biggest and most obvious addition is the spectacular inclusion of four-player-cooperative online play, the doubled super powers, the playable evil mutants, the streamlined menus and more interactive environments make this sequel a worthy sequel in all respects.

Game Chronicles

One of the most amazing action-RPG’s of the holiday season. Whether you are a hardcore X-Men fan, an RPG-lover, a single-player, or a multiplayer, this game has something to offer everyone, and with more than 70 branching levels and over 100 potential hours of gameplay, there is a whole lot of X-Men and Brotherhood action just waiting for you to explore.

PSM Magazine

The control system has been tweaked, too, so you have quick access to more special attacks at once than before. [Dec 2005, p.98]

VGPub

It is more of the same type of addictive gameplay from the first Legends title, but now you can play as the bad guys and have the ability to play co-op online.

GameSpot

In most respects, the game doesn’t differ much from the first title in the series; but the novelty of teaming up the good guys and bad guys to go after the really bad guys is enough to make this game enjoyable in its own right.

Yahoo! Games

Unfortunately, one of X-Men Legends II's greatest strengths is also its greatest weakness. There is virtually nothing different about the actual gameplay.

Gamer 2.0

If you loved the original, or require the online play, feel free to pick up X-Men legends II; just don’t expect more than a continuation of the title you finished a year ago.

Cheat Code Central

Promising at least 20 hours plus gameplay (not including the multiplayer facets) is nothing to sneeze at. X-Men Legends 2 isn't miles away from the original which will please fans of the first game undoubtedly.

Gamenikki

If you have multiple gaming consoles, I’d strongly recommend picking the game up on either the GameCube or Xbox, both of which support four-player mayhem without something as impractical as a MultiTap.

DailyGame

It gets the job done in gameplay mechanics, but the online co-op and number of playable characters save the day.

G4 TV

Players who can't stand "Diablo" won't much like Legends, no matter their mutant fanaticism. But for everyone else, the mutant madness will be addictive and appealing.

DarkStation

The sequel to the surprisingly good actioner does well here, as the chance to play as the bad guys and enhanced AI keeps it entertaining throughout.

3DAvenue

Where X-Men Legends 2 shows its franchise roots is in the fact that it genuinely isn't that much of a visual step up from last year's model.

TotalPlayStation

Better than the first, but not by much. If it weren't for some roster upgrades that more or less make the game, and a little more control over how your characters level up, this WOULD be the first game all over again.

Play.tm

Rise of the Apocalypse could suitably have been named 'X-Men Legends II: More of the Same +', for that's what it offers.

Jolt Online Gaming UK

Its simplicity is its strength, and its weakness – while traipsing around looking for annoyingly hidden items and backtracking is almost completely avoided, the limited direction of the game reduces its chances of holding your interest for long enough to play it all the way through.

eToychest

In the end, how you receive this game will depend largely on how much weight you put on the X-Men franchise, because without it, Legends would be a very average brawler at best, and an overwrought, slightly clumsy bore at worst.

PALGN

If you like X-Men and have four friends that share that like, you are going to find that there's a lot of fun to be had in X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse. It's just a shame that it doesn't really appeal to the rest of us.

Computer and Video Games

Rise Of The Apocalypse shows great attention to detail, with genuinely exciting gameplay. Even for an occasional Marvel fan, this is more than worthy of your time.

AceGamez

An adaptation of a popular game format rather than anything particularly new and innovative.

Total Video Games

Very much in the same vein as last year's effort, Legends II manages to make further improvements especially with the introduction of online functionality though it still fails to offer the level of immersion that perhaps shoudl be expected of an RPG title.

Sydney Morning Herald

Navigating the menus and many options can be seriously intimidating for the uninitiated, thanks to some complicated design features.

Game Revolution

There's not a great deal here that you haven't played before - like, last year - and we can't help but feel that this particular dungeon-crawl epic needs more updating and fewer characters. A little more, shall we say, mutation?

Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK

A game that's forgotten it's about superheroes. They're supposed to be spectacular, aren't they? This isn't. [Dec 2005, p.111]

TotalGames.net

Having old enemies join forces against Apocalypse is a decent idea for an X-Men story, it's a shame that it has been rendered into a series of dull maps and substandard action. One for collectors.