Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

X-Men: The Last Stand delivers a tightly focused gameplay loop set across three distinct acts, each presenting a series of isometric levels that challenge you to think strategically about which mutant you deploy. You never control more than one character at a time, nor can you switch on the fly, which forces you to plan ahead and sometimes backtrack to unlock certain routes. This structure keeps the pacing brisk and ensures that each level feels like a self-contained puzzle.

The heart of the experience lies in mastering each character’s unique moveset. Wolverine barrels in with brutal melee combos, ripping through foot soldiers with ease, while Nightcrawler phases through walls and enemies in a blink. Iceman glides over pits, hurls ice blocks to solve environmental puzzles, and freezes foes in their tracks, and Cyclops can clear swarms of enemies or burn through barriers with precise optic blasts. Even Magneto enters the fray later on, shifting metal objects and hurling metallic foes. To access their full arsenal, you must scour levels for hidden mutant cores—collect enough and you unlock new powers, from upgraded slashes to more powerful beam attacks.

Blending beat-’em-up action with light RPG progression and environmental puzzles keeps the gameplay fresh. You’ll smash statues, clear rubble, and activate switches by using mutant abilities in creative ways: slide under gates as Iceman or teleport past laser grids with Nightcrawler. Special moves consume your power gauge, but bars regenerate over time, as does your health, encouraging a measured approach rather than button-mashing recklessness. Along the way, pick-ups include health and power expansions, mutant cores, and X-points that boost your end-of-act score—feeding into a grading system that rewards exploration and efficiency.

Graphics

The visuals in X-Men: The Last Stand capture the gritty, industrial aesthetic of Alkali Lake and Stryker’s hidden labs. From the murky depths of submerged corridors to the rusting walkways over icy waters, each environment feels lived-in and suitably hostile. The isometric camera angle gives you a broad view of the battlefield, though it sometimes makes judging depth tricky when precise platforming is required.

Character models stay faithful to the film likenesses, with Wolverine’s signature claws gleaming in the low light and Cyclops’s ruby visor reflecting every pulse of energy. Particle effects, like Iceman’s frosty blasts or Magneto’s metallic telekinesis, deliver satisfying visual feedback even if they occasionally obscure smaller enemies. It’s not cutting-edge by today’s standards, but the animations are smooth, and each mutant’s abilities are distinct enough to read at a glance.

The in-game cinematics that move the story forward look noticeably sharper than regular gameplay, offering dramatic camera angles and dynamic lighting that heighten key narrative moments—especially when Sentinel robots make their surprising entrance. Performance is generally stable, though you might spot occasional texture pop-in or framerate dips during heavy onscreen action. Overall, the graphics successfully convey a Marvel-sized adventure without demanding too much hardware.

Story

Picking up where the third X-Men film left off, The Last Stand casts you into the aftermath of William Stryker’s fall at Magneto’s hands. With Stryker dead, the X-Men must infiltrate his Alkali Lake research facility and recover the cerebros components—vital pieces of technology that could turn the tide against Magneto’s Brotherhood. The game’s structure mirrors a covert operation, gradually peeling back layers of conspiracy and mutant politics.

Narrative progression relies on in-game cutscenes punctuated by surprise encounters. Just when you think you’re close to restoring cerebros, the ever-looming threat of Sentinel robots emerges, throwing a formidable wrench into your plans. Along the way, fan-favorite characters like Rogue and Professor X make cameo appearances, offering guidance and moral perspective on the trials the team faces. These moments heighten stakes and remind you why you’re fighting alongside these heroes.

While the plot doesn’t dramatically deviate from the film’s broad strokes, it does deliver a few original twists—particularly the surprise alliances and betrayals that play out through the final act. The pacing is brisk, ensuring you’re never bogged down in exposition, yet there are enough narrative beats to satisfy both longtime comic readers and movie fans. Though it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, the story effectively bridges gameplay and cinematic drama.

Overall Experience

X-Men: The Last Stand offers a satisfying blend of action, puzzle-solving, and light RPG progression that will appeal to fans of the franchise. The one-character-at-a-time constraint can feel restrictive at first, but it ultimately encourages you to master each mutant’s abilities and revisit previous levels with newfound powers. The balance of melee brawling and environmental challenges keeps each mission feeling distinct, even after multiple playthroughs.

The thrill of upgrading skills with mutant cores and chasing high scores adds replay value, as does hunting for every hidden upgrade and mastering each character’s ultimate moves. While the lack of co-op might disappoint players hoping to team up with friends, the solo experience remains engaging thanks to varied level design and the constant drip of new powers. The story and presentation lean heavily on movie tie-ins, making it a must-play for fans of the X-Men cinematic universe.

Ultimately, X-Men: The Last Stand delivers a solid, if not groundbreaking, superhero adventure. Its combination of faithfulness to source material, accessible yet challenging gameplay, and stylish visuals makes it a worthwhile purchase for anyone looking to step into the boots (or claws) of their favorite mutants. Whether you’re drawn by Wolverine’s ferocity or Nightcrawler’s teleportation tricks, there’s plenty here to keep you invested until the final Sentinel falls.

Retro Replay Score

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