Reviewed: January 2, 2009
Reviewed by: Mark Smith

Publisher
Gamecock

Developer
Spark Unlimited

Released: November 4, 2008
Genre: FPS
Players: 1

8
8
8
7
7.7

Supported Features:

  • 560 KB Save Game
  • HDTV 720p/1080i/1080p
  • In-Game Dolby Digital
  • Online Multiplayer (2-8)
  • Voice

    Screenshots (Click Image for Gallery)


  • Pandora’s Box is the stuff that inspires great fiction. The mythical box was created to contain all the world’s evil, which is great in theory until you realize that all of that concentrated evil is contained in one location. Just how would you secure such a potentially dangerous device? Such a concept was actually addressed in the second Tomb Raider movie and to a much greater degree of realism.

    In Legendary Pandora’s Box has been reduced to a mere museum exhibit, and for an artifact that could easily destroy the world, it’s not all that well protected. Where are the armed guards, the lasers, the pressure sensitive floor panels, and the bulletproof glass box? Pandora’s Box stands proudly in a barren exhibit hall, protected only by a digital keypad that master thief, Charles Deckard easily hacks in the opening cutscene.

    In all fairness, Charles doesn’t really know what he is about to do. His employer, LeFey, is the head of an ancient cult who is trying to unleash the power of the box and harness it for their own dastardly purposes…mainly world domination. Charles unwittingly inserts the key into the box unleashing all sorts of unimaginable evil into the New York art museum, which soon spreads to the city and eventually the entire world. But in doing so, Deckard is also branded by the box with a sigil on his left hand that might just give him the help he needs to right this wrong.

    For whatever reason, I was late in receiving my review copy of Legendary, so I had plenty of time to read all of the dismal and bashing reviews for this title before I ever laid eyes on it. It would be all-too-easy to turn this review into an anti-IGN, anti-Gamespot, anti-mainstream media propaganda piece, so let me just say that Legendary is awesome, or at least a whole lot better than most so-called professional game review sites would have you believe. And thanks to IGN and all the other “haters” out there, Legendary has quickly dropped in price to a mere $29 making it a must-own game for anyone who loves FPS and action titles.

    I’ve played Legendary from start to finish and for the most part, loved every second. There was an issue with an insanely difficulty final boss fight (that really didn’t have a boss), but other than that, Legendary is one of the most original and creative FPS games I’ve played in a long time, especially when it comes to concept, level design, and especially creature design. You start in New York, go to London, and back to New York exploring amazing indoor and outdoor locales full of detail and exciting scripted event sequences.

    From the moment you exit the New York museum you (as Charles) will be challenged with defeating a host of legendary creatures ranging from griffons and werewolves to firedrakes and blood spiders. You’ll also get to face off against a small army of secret society black ops soldiers who work for LeFey and are bent on ushering in a new era of evil domination fueled by Pandora’s Box.

    The mechanics are simple. You run around killing countless evil creatures with a variety of weapons ranging from pistols and shotguns to assault and sniper rifles. You’ll throw grenades, toss Molotov cocktails, spray flamethrowers, and even wield some magical powers bestowed upon you by the sigil on your hand. Early in the game you will be able to perform a repulse attack much like the Force Push in Star Wars. You can also use your sigil to absorb the life essence (Animus) left behind by defeated creatures which fuels your mystical attacks and can also be converted into health.

    The game is a non-stop rollercoaster ride starting with the opening level which doubles as a tutorial. This museum escape and subsequent dash down the streets of New York mirrors the excitement and intensity of the opening level of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare where you are escaping the sinking freighter. Legendary is full of exciting scripted events as well as non-stop combat action. There is so much going on it can get quite distracting at times.

    And even when the game slows things down, you are still besieged by fierce and deadly werewolves lurking in a graveyard outside London, or fighting your way through Parliament or launching lock-on missiles at an attack squadron of griffon or trying to protect Big Ben from a giant Kraken. There are no conventional puzzles, although you will do some mindless door hacks, but these are only to mask the load times for the next section of the level. For the most part, the game is seamless with no mid-game loads or pauses.

    Again, what really sells the Legendary experience is the level design and the sheer originality of the creatures you will be fighting. The werewolves are the highlight of the creature library with some frightening designs and wickedly cool animations. Second on my list would be the Griffons followed by the rampaging Minotaurs. I’m also a big fan of the pixies, or phantoms, or whatever they are called. These poltergeists fly around in ethereal form, immune to your attacks until they become solid just prior to slashing you, or you can turn them solid with a pulse attack. What is even more interesting is that these ghostly creatures will possess items in the environment and attack you in the most original ways, like possessing a soda machine then launching cans at you.

    Admittedly, you have to check your brain at the door for this game. It’s hard to believe an art thief can stand side-by-side with military personnel and wield their weapons with equal or better proficiency than they can. You have an entire army trying to defend London and they are like, “hey, wait for the guy in the sports coat to show up”. Even so, Legendary is a fantastic ride that lasts for at least 8-10 hours and provides plenty of intense and memorable gameplay moments.

    Legendary even offers some fun multiplayer gaming, albeit limited by only a single game mode. Here, you have four vs. four battles that blend CTF and team deathmatch concepts into a highly original mode where everyone is hunting down werewolves to harvest their Animus. You then race back to your HQ and deposit the energy into a machine that, when filled will turn those werewolves against the opposing team. It’s a great concept where you have two sides to a battle enhanced with a neutral element that endangers both teams while offering a bit of battlefield distraction.

    I was more than amused by IGN’s comment that nobody was playing the game online. What did they expect after their “glowing” review, a review that was posted before most stores even had the game in stock. Yes, let’s shred a game at every possible level then condemn it further because nobody is playing it. Brilliant. Thankfully, by the time I got my review copy the price had dropped, and positive word of mouth on the forums was counteracting all the unjust evil perpetrated by the mainstream media. Now you can find plenty of people playing Legendary, and the online game is extremely fun.

    There are also 50 fun and often-hilarious achievements to be earned through both single and online play. Not only are the names for these achievements totally brilliant, the ways in which you must earn them are equally as amusing. What other game is going to give you 5 points for getting stepped on by a giant boss or reward you 14 points for using a bad pun as the name for another achievement worth only 1 point. You can tell these guys had as much fun making this game as I did playing it.

    I’m not saying that Legendary doesn’t come with its faults, but the game is a lot better than anybody is giving it credit. Don’t take my word on it as a review writer, but as a gamer that loves FPS games. FPS is my favorite genre and it is also a genre with plenty of gaming choices and options when it comes to selection. Legendary is definitely worth a look, especially at its new budget price courtesy of all the unjust and totally biased reviews.

    Honestly, the only thing Legendary really did wrong was trying to release alongside games like Gears of War 2 and Call of Duty: World at War. There is no way it’s going to get fair reviews or a fair share of the holiday market. But I am making it my personal quest to get as many people to play, rent, and/or buy this game, especially as we start a new year of gaming. Legendary is a fantastic thrill ride that you won’t soon forget.