Stan Lee's team of multitalented superheroes has fought "to protect a world that fears and hates them" in many video games, but outside the fight-game arena, they've given us plenty to fear and more to hate. Nevertheless, their peculiar potpourri of powers, along with their tendency to work together, makes them ideal candidates for an action RPG. And because you demanded it, it had to happen.
The epic 20-hour storyline serves as a crash course in mutant lore as you lead teams of four into battle against Sentinels, Magneto and belligerent citizens. As in most real-time combat RPGs, sometimes your AI teammates require baby-sitting, but the depth of play and some really sweet unlockables make Legends a delight for RPG fans and a must-play for comic lovers. 'Nuff said.
Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone (T) (4 stars)
Atari
PlayStation 2
Continuing the trend of literary heavyweights like Tom Clancy contributing plots to games, Atari gives us this fantasy yarn from D&D scribe R. A. Salvatore. But you needn't know how to pronounce Drizzt Do'Urden to enjoy this epic hack 'n' slash fest. Increasingly cool attack combos will have your trio of switchable heroes slaughtering orcs for hours.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 (E) (4 stars)
EA Sports
PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube
Not as remarkable a hole-in-one as last year's offering, PGA 2005's minor tweaks still make it par for the course. New additions include famous opponents like Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, and the absurdly enhanced Game Face option lets you add enough wrinkles to your player's mug to make you think he's as seasoned as Arnie.
Monster Hunter (T) (2 stars)
Capcom
PlayStation 2
Monster Hunter takes players back to a time when majestic, prehistoric animals roamed the land ... to be mercilessly slaughtered in the name of humanity. Why was man so cruel to these creatures? Given what a chore it was to deal with the frustrating combat controls, it's surprising they didn't just peacefully observe the beauty of these beasts' graphics.
Matthew Scott Hunter has been known to mumble, "Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start" in his sleep. E-mail him at
[email protected].