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Which version is best?
With X-Men Legends, Raven Software took the X-Men franchise and appropriate molded it into a satisfying action RPG in its own right. The addition of the X-Men license and the unique characters and abilities that come with it is just icing on the cake, as the kids say.
Activision released the game across the three major platforms: Gamecube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox. While the experience is largely the same throughout the games, there are a few differences here and there.
The actual gameplay is identical across the three SKUs. All of them have the same missions, features, and the control is responsive and accurate for all three versions so you’ll have the same experience regardless of your platform of choice.
On a normal 480i TV, the visuals are almost indistinguishable. The Xbox version has a bit better textures, as in, they have a higher resolution but you’ll really need to squint to find it. What really sets the versions apart is their HDTV support. The PlayStation 2 omits any progressive scan support at all, and its load times are a bit higher than the other two. The Gamecube version has Progressive Scan support, which gives it additional clarity and makes the game look just a bit better. The Xbox version really takes the cake with 720p support. That means that the game runs at an amazing 1280x768 resolution. Ask any PC gamer, increasing the resolution goes a long way in increasing the game’s visual quality and that holds true here, as well.
While the audio is the same in all three versions, the Gamecube and PlayStation output with with Dolby Pro Logic II, which is excellent and does a great job of bringing the game to life. The Xbox version, with its in-game Dolby Digital support, sounds just a bit better and makes the audio more impressive overall.
If you have a HDTV, get the Xbox version. The 720p support makes a huge difference in visuals. Regardless, both the Gamecube and PlayStation 2 remain very solid choices they just aren’t the best by technicalities.
Individual Reviews:
X-Men Legends (GCN)
X-Men Legends (PS2)
X-Men Legends (Xbox) -- Adam Nunez, PGNx Media
---- Oct 5, 2004 Screenshots
    
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