Look beyond comparisons before you decide, i.e. don't judge a book by it's cover. Chaos Legion deserves better.
I've read so many "official" reviews that harp on the controls, the camera, the monsters, the graphics, the protagonist (Seig)'s limited skillset, the comparison to Devil May Cry (another Capcom title btw), etc. What's up with those people? Don't they actually play the game for more than 5 minutes?
It starts off a tad slow, I'll admit. Seig's moves are yet to be supplemented by the Legions, of which he will gain one in the next few levels until the max is reached; upon which, through the standard kill-for-exp process he will be able to unlock more moves (counters and finishers mostly) as well as Legion Assists, depending on which two he has equipped at the time.
There doesn't seem to be anything missing from the PS2 port - I own both versions and they play exactly the same. So what's missing? I don't know. The bland scores and the across-the-board moaning about being a clone seems to me that biased people fixated on the next Devil May Cry have drunk too deeply from the marketing Kool Aid too see the merits of this game on its own.
I heard it was originally specced as a tech demo, and I'll tell you this - it looks great. Sure, there's the usual misting distance effect, but the enemies, which come at you thick and fast, never pop-up and disappear or reappear suddenly like happens in, say, Dynasty Warriors. Other than poor camera positioning (on the player's part) leading to surprise flank attacks, you'll be aware of everything around you - helped also by the useful radar. Also, despite the so-called mist effect, the textures create the illusion of a gothic environment very well. Technically, it's very good as well - I've never seen any clipping in this game, not even when jammed in a corner, penned in by a charging boss.
One thing about the camera, if you use the lock-on controls a lot that can lead to confusion. I bet this is the source of a lot of the gripes. What did you expect? This isn't a one-on-one beating game. You can't allow your focus to be dictated by one opponent, when a whole bunch of them are ganging on you, which is almost always the case. Also, the wide, swinging arc of Seig's massive legion blade hit a very wide area around him - it's not the game's fault if you panic and force him into a combo. The trick is to learn the timing, and STOP jamming that attack button. It isn't a mindless shooter, dammit. If you see that your next attack will carry Seig a step forward too far and you know he'll have his rear exposed to the crowd he just walked through, then quit mashing attack and prepare to dodge, sidestep, or something. Jeez. Basic game mechanics 101.
If the controls were TRULY bad, you'd get a lot of negative player reviews. But see? They are almost uniformly all 8+, giving credence to the theory that "official" reviews have to pander to the hype and graphics, and screw gameplay. If yet another GTA game came out and played like crap I bet they'd still give it good reviews, since it's got "shooting and picking up hoes, and oh, you can run around mindlessly if you want! zomg!" Blechh. GAMEPLAY is paramount, and if you're a graphicswhore you'd be playing, I don't know, BF2 or something - instead of reading up on other games like this.
The music is awesome. Hideyuki Fukasawa rocks. None of that rap, hiphop, or R&B crap. Pump up the bass and run with the adrenaline. It's a pretty fast paced game even when you're jammed in one of the numerous traps where you need to destroy a spawner before being allowed to continue. Sound effects are good, although the swish-swishing of gaining phantom life and phantom soul are a tad overused.
True, there isn't too much to miss on a single outing, but the different playable characters, as well as slightly different level layouts depending on which legions you bring along, combined with the extras and unlockables, make for decent replay value - just as in the original game. Even now, years after, it's still fun to pick up the sword and start kicking Blasphemy (the Bomb Legion) around. Can't say that to many games now, can you - and I don't count multiplayer: that's a cheap and cheesy cop-out: "I know! Let's include multiplayer so we don't have to program a decent AI! Players will provide their OWN AI! And if they get pissed, they'll get angry at the others, not the game!"
This is a big reason why I hate multiplayer-centric games. I buy games to enjoy them at MY OWN leisure, not to wait for hours on end just to find a decent opponent, not a horde of 13-year olds who scream profanities or elite players out to crush all newbies and ruin all the fun. Chaos Legion is a great game, and more than enough bang for your buck. Given its age, it'll be in bargain bins now already - at $5 a pop, it's a steal. Do yourself a favour and get it, if you like the action genre at all.
Oh, and for a good "official" review, check this one out: http://worldzero.com/reviews/ChaosLegion.html
- Ce.