by Eric Eckstein
Man has always been fascinated with myths and legends, and today all sorts of otherworldly monster-hunting TV shows grace the airwaves. But what would actually happen if you came face to face with one of these creatures? And why would we ever expect them to be friendly? Thankfully, an upcoming video game promises to inject the stuff of legends into the present day, and it's called Legendary.
Griffins, werewolves, and minotaurs (oh my!) have sprung forth from Pandora's Box, wreaking havoc in contemporary Manhattan, and it's up to you, a little old art thief, to stop them. When we say wreaking havoc, by the way, we mean it. In the first few minutes of the game the New York City streets are turned upside down with giant griffins tossing police cars around with abandon and citizens being immolated by dragon-like firedrakes... and that's all before the 40-story golem shows up. Epic set pieces win the day in Legendary, taking players down scripted, yet exciting path through its sequences. At times it's almost more ride than game, and you'll forget that occasionally the monster which just ate the guard in front of you is going to be after you next.
As Legendary's hero, you're far from defenseless when that werewolf sets his sights on you, though. By opening Pandora's Box, you have acquired a magical Animus Energy, that allows you to absorb magic and use it to heal yourself -- or stun enemies. As any Star Wars fan knows, ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, so more often than not you'll be toting modern-day weaponry to take down terrors as well. Old favorites like shotguns and sub-machine guns will become your new best friends, as will more advanced weapons like rocket launchers and flamethrowers. In practice, this leads to an interesting dynamic of magical blasts to push back beasts while you finish them off with gunfire. Moreover, the environment has its share of interactivity, allowing you to use fallen electrical wires, gas vents and, in some cases, fire hydrants, as weapons; the latter being very effective against the flame-breathing firedrakes which harden and crumble when hit with water.
There's something tense and unique about being the deciding factor in the battle of man vs. monster.
All Legendary's monsters have their quirks: Werewolves are agile warriors that can only be laid to rest if you separate them from their heads, forcing a lot of carefully aimed head shots or mad dashes to their corpses if downed, and minotaurs are only vulnerable from the back so evading their charges is crucial. One of the game's most frightening creatures is the Nari, a demon of eastern European descent, which flies about like a pixie, giggling like a child, but can go into a ghost-like state and inhabit objects, throwing them around or causing trouble by, say, stealing a wheel you need to turn. When swarms of these things are after you, it's a real challenge staying alive. Other creatures you encounter include Echidna tentacles that try to drag you away to your death, "Tsuchigumo's Children" -- spiders that spawn from a cocoon and explode on contact -- and the mother of all monsters, the Kraken. Clash of the Titans, indeed!
The most exciting feature of Legendary though is its three-way combat system. You're not the only one interested in Pandora's Box; human soldiers will aid and assault you during your quest, and they'll also fall prey to the creatures. There's something tense and unique about being the deciding factor in the battle of man vs. monster. In one particular sequence, you're hiding in a destroyed building watching two soldiers cage an unconscious werewolf. You can just let it be, take out the soldiers and go on your way; but naturally, we chose to shoot the electrical generator powering the force field, allowing Wolfie to thin the herd for us. There are lots of sequences where you'll need to make decisions as to which threat is more immediate -- and besides, it's fun to watch something else besides you get slaughtered for a change.
Legendary certainly is trying to live up to its name, boasting spectacular action sequences, a variety of interesting mythological monsters, and lots of bloodshed, human and otherwise. If you enjoy a fight for survival or just want to help turn the tide on some big ugly beasts, then embrace the call, get your gun and make humanity proud! Legendary will be released initially for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, with the PC version coming shortly afterwards.
Posted: 6 Oct 2008
