by Mike Smith
Top shooter Legendary is on its way to the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC this fall, pitting man against man against legendary beast in a battle for the future of civilization. Check out five things you need to know about its myth-busting gameplay.
1. Find out what happens when myth meets machine.
Ever wonder what happens when a mythological griffin meets a good, old-fashioned rocket launcher? (Answer: a startled squawk and a cloud of feathers.) Plenty more stimulating combinations of ancient legends and modern firepower await in Legendary. Theseus took on the Minotaur with nothing but a sword and a ball of string, Odysseus blinded the Cyclops with a pointy stick, but you -- thankfully -- can count on a more up-to-date armory.
2. Discover what's inside Pandora's Box.
According to the myth, it held all the evils of mankind: greed, malice, jealousy, envy, and granola bars. But what exactly does that involve? Legendary opens as art thief Charles Deckard is sent to steal an oh-so-mysterious box. Naturally, he's an inquisitive sort of chap, so he takes a look inside -- only to find he's released all manner of heinous beasts onto the world. Turns out Pandora's Box contains a truckload of griffins, minotaurs, ghosts, werewolves, and golems, and that's not good news for humanity. Fortunately, Deckard is just the sort of enterprising chap we need to sort out the mess.
3. Join in a three-way.
Humanity being what it is, plenty of groups are quite happy to exploit this unexpected mythology-reality interface. Legendary depicts two in particular: the Black Order and the Council of 98. To put it mildly, they don't get along, and Deckard can exploit this dissent as he sees fit. You're often thrust into the middle of firefights between the Order, the Council, and the baddies. As seasoned gamers will know, it just takes a well-placed shot here or a sneaky grenade there and all three factions are too busy blowing each other up to worry about you...
4. Fight legendary beasts.
How big can bad guys get? Legendary's are, well, the stuff of legend. In one boss battle, you'll take on a golem the size of a skyscraper. How can you tell? Because the fight takes place in New York, and the golem is probably standing right next to the Empire State Building. Nice. Legendary uses the well-respected Unreal 3 engine to provide its graphics, so you can count on a smooth experience no matter how big the beasties get.
5. Watch real cities -- destroyed.
London's seen some punishment over the years. A big chunk of it caught fire in 1666, another sizable chunk was flattened during World War II, and to add insult to injury, it had to watch that clown David Blaine shut himself in a Perspex box above the Thames for six weeks. But none of that ignominy matches the punishment it takes in Legendary; you'll see it burn to the ground and will have to fight your way through the smoldering ruins. It's not the only city to come in for a pounding, either.
Posted: 6 Oct 2008
