X2: Wolverine's Revenge (released as X-Men 2: Wolverine's Revenge in Europe) is an action beat'em up video game released in 2003 for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Windows, and Game Boy Advance to coincide with the release date of the film X2: X-Men United, developed by British game developer GenePool Software and published by Activision. The Game Boy Advance version was also released on a Twin Pack cartridge bundled with Spider-Man: Mysterio's Menace in 2005.
The game was released as a promotional tie-in to X2 but featured an original story by famed comic book writer Larry Hama, and does not take place in the continuity of the film series, but had a closer resemblance to the Marvel Universe instead.
In X2: Wolverine's Revenge, the player helps Wolverine fight his way past the heavily guarded areas of the Weapon X Facility to piece together fragmented clues to Wolverine's murky past and to save his life. Wolverine has 48 hours to find an antidote to the deadly Shiva Virus circulating in his bloodstream and the clues point to the Weapon X facility, the Canadian fortress where he had his skeletal structure fused with adamantium.
A significant feature has Mark Hamill providing the voice-over for Wolverine in game. While Hugh Jackman's likeness is on the cover and promotional material, the character model in game is based on the comic books. Patrick Stewart reprises his film role as Professor X in game.
The game received generally mixed reviews upon release, with reviewers praising the voice acting, especially of Hamill and Stewart, and unlockables, while criticising the slow combat, lack of mid-level checkpoints, and for being too hard and requiring too many retries. It was also the last console game focused on Wolverine until X-Men Origins: Wolverine six years later.
Gameplay
The action is played from a third-person perspective as players fight a number of armored soldiers, mutant creatures, and archenemies such as Sabretooth, Magneto, Wendigo, Lady Deathstrike, and Juggernaut. While Professor X is able to assist Wolverine with powers of telepathy, the surly comic book hero must ultimately carry out his adventure alone. To that end, players must tap into Wolverine's unique talents to overcome all manner of obstacles. Wolverine will be able to hunt and track his prey using his heightened sense of smell and ability to detect body heat. As Wolverine makes his way through the military compounds, he will need to avoid defense systems and guards, and find ways into locked rooms to discover the information he needs to survive.
When engaged in combat, Wolverine can retract and release his adamantium claws at any time to perform slashing attacks, aerial combos, and a number of different throws. The strike moves used in battle are the Combat Strike Moves, which initiate a short cut-scene where Wolverine attacks the enemy.
In addition to Combat Strikes, there are special Stealth Strikes, Situation-Specific Strikes and Boss-Specific Strikes which become available at certain points in the game. Stealth Strikes are used to take out enemies silently. For example, Wolverine can do a wall-hug to creep up on an enemy and stab him before he can sound the alarm.
Wolverine's unusual healing ability allows him to withstand punishment that would kill an average human being, but he can become wounded over time. Sustaining major injuries triggers a feral rage, imbuing Wolverine with greater strength and the ferocity to take on multiple foes at once.
Plot
The story begins in 1968. Logan (Mark Hamill) is walking along a backstreet, when behind him come some agents from the Weapon X program. They try to capture Logan so they can take him to the Weapon X facility. Logan tries to defend himself, but he is shot with a tranquilizer dart and knocked unconscious. Logan is taken to the Facility and subjected to the adamantium bonding process. Soon after, he escapes from the experiment chamber and tries to get outside. The Professor (Don Morrow) calls him an animal, which enrages Logan and helps him escape the Professor's control. Logan tries to get to The Professor to confront him but he is stopped by Sabretooth (Fred Tatasciore). He defeats Sabretooth and he confronts The Professor while telling Dr. Abraham Cornelius (Don Morrow) and Dr. Carol Hines (Jennifer Hale) to take their leave. When Weapon X restrains him at claw-point, The Professor reveals that all Weapon X subjects were implanted with a dormant and deadly virus known as the "Shiva Strain" as a failsafe. The Professor also reveals that the virus would kill a normal human in one year but has no idea how long the virus would kill a human mutant.
Later in the present, Logan, who now goes by "Wolverine", is now a member of the X-Men and he has told Beast (Richard Portnow) what he remembers of his past. Beast tells Wolverine that the Shiva Virus has bypassed his healing factor and will kill him in two days if the cure is not found (ironically, which is on Logan's birthday). Professor X (Patrick Stewart) tells Wolverine to try to find the cure in the Weapon X Facility while Beast provides Wolverine with an implanted wristwatch telling him how much time he has left. After being flown to Edmonton by Cyclops and Jean Grey, Wolverine uses a private plane flown by a female pilot (Mayim Bialik) to get to the Weapon X Facility. However, the plane is shot down. He survives the plane crash and starts making his way towards the Weapon X facility.
Wolverine fights his way to a cavern where the spirit of the Wendigo lives. Wolverine fights with Wendigo and wins. Wendigo gets up and throws Logan out of the cavern where he lands on snow. Logan sees a Weapon X truck and jumps on it. Logan reaches the Weapon X Facility and sneaks in. On the way in, he is ambushed by a group of GIs. The sound of gunfire starts and Wolverine is surprised that he is not shot. He then sees another GI who shot down the ambushers. When Wolverine asks him why he let him live by asking "Am I supposed to thank you, or are you just a lousy shot?", the GI states, "Lets just say it's not your time to die...yet." Wolverine examines him a moment and he asks "You're not quite human, are you?" To which the GI states, "You should talk." As he walks away. After fighting through the base, he accesses a database and finds that the Weapon X scientists are at the Void (a maximum security mutant detention center that's similar to the Vault) so he makes his way there. Leaving, he is attacked by Sabretooth again. Sabretooth is defeated and grudgingly gives Wolverine the Part B of the virus cure after stating that he knew about the Shiva Virus a long time ago.
