Legendary (video game)

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Legendary
Developer(s)	Spark Unlimited
Publisher(s)	Gamecock Media Group, SouthPeak Interactive, Atari
Designer(s)	Craig Bates
Engine	Unreal Engine 3
Platform(s)	PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360
Release date(s)	PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 NA November 4, 2008[1] Microsoft Windows NA November 18, 2008[1]
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player, Multiplayer
Rating(s)	BBFC: 15 ESRB: M
Media	Blu-ray Disc, DVD
Input methods	Keyboard and mouse, Gamepad

Legendary (previously known as Legendary: The Box^[2]) is a first-person shooter video game developed by Spark Unlimited and published in the United States by Gamecock Media Group and in the United Kingdom by Atari.^[3]

The game takes place in New York City and London^[4]. The protagonist is a professional thief named Charles Deckard, who is hired by a mysterious organization known as the Black Order to steal an artifact from a New York museum which turns out to be the fabled Pandora's Box. Unaware of the Box's nature, Deckard opens it, unleashing all kinds of mythological creatures rampaging throughout the world, as well as granting him a strange power (the Signet) which could be the key to resolving this crisis. It's up to Deckard and a secret paramilitary force known as the Council of 98 to set things right, while the Black Order seeks to acquire the box and control the creatures to conquer the world.

The game features both single-player and multiplayer modes, although very few players have been found to be playing online.^[5]

Contents 1 Plot 2 Featured Creatures 2.1 From the Game 2.2 From the Novel 3 Reception 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Plot

[edit] Featured Creatures

The opening of Pandora's box introduces the world to an entire population of mythological creatures. While many appear in the game as enemies, some were also introduced in the Legendary Graphic Novel.

[edit] From the Game

Werewolves are the most common creatures encountered in the game. There are two types: Limos and Alpha, the latter of which is more powerful. However, both types must be decapitated to kill them. Possessing the ability to climb along walls and ceilings, werewolves are almost impossible to escape from.

Griffons are very numerous, but rarely attack the player directly. When they do attack, griffons can take a lot of ammo to kill and are also very quick on their feet. Their large size makes them an easy target for the rocket launcher.

Fire Drakes are fire-breathing creatures that form from pools of lava or large amounts of fire. While their main weakness is water, these monsters can be taken out with guns or the fire axe. However, they will re-spawn unless their lava pools are cooled with water.

Nari are small, demonic creatures that possess the body of a child, the talons of a bird, and the wings of an insect. They can become intangible at will, but are vulnerable when they attempt to attack. Nari can also possess objects and throw them at you.

Minotaurs are by far some of the most dangerous creatures in the game. They can charge through walls and track you very quickly. A minotaur attacks with a stone scepter, but may charge at the player on all fours. Their back is said to be their weakest spot. Despite their immense weight, minotaurs possess astounding jumping ability.

Tsuchigumo's Children, also known as blood spiders, are small insects that attack in swarms. While they are the weakest creatures, they can follow you anywhere since they can climb walls, ceilings, and fit through small spaces. These creatures are produced in a hive known as the Queen. Unless the Queen is destroyed, it will send out an endless swarm of blood spiders.

Echidna is a massive creature that resides underground. It is never fought directly, but its tentacles will often attack the surface world in search of food. The tentacles are capable of instantly killing the player, but are also very weak.

Golem is a titanic monster that is formed completely out of inanimate material that it absorbs from its surroundings. Golems are held together by a magnetic field, which means that only a strong electromagnetic pulse can tear it apart.

Kraken are enormous sea monsters with numerous tentacles. Aside from the creature's head, the Kraken possesses eyes on its tentacles that allow it to see more of its surroundings. Only a rocket launcher can defeat this monster.

[edit] From the Novel

Cyclops are massive one-eyed giants that are depicted as having only a single leg as well. Their attacks have been focused on their place of origin, Greece. Cyclops are shown to be somewhat deformed in appearance, having long limbs disproportionate to the rest of their body.

Thunderbirds are large flying predators that are able to produce lightning and thunder from their eyes and wings. The dangerous wind patterns they have caused in the modern world have made aerial travel almost impossible.

Sobek are horrifying monsters that have risen out of the Nile River and begun to terrorize the population of Africa. With the head of a crocodile and the body of a lion, a Sobek has incredible speed and strength.

Quetzalcoatl is a winged serpent that can breath fire. Many of these creatures have been attacking South America, hunting down its population for food. Unusual for its appearance, these feathered serpents wear large rock masks that may or may not be a part of their organic structure.

Enenra are spirits of smoke that are said to live in bonfires. Their bodies may be composed of smoke, but they are strong enough to cause mass chaos in Japanese cities and even set them ablaze. Their structure allows them to seep into virtually any space, so escaping them is impossible.

Dragons are enormous fire-breathing serpents that have taken over China. These beasts are some of the largest released from Pandora's box and are based on the dragons from Chinese mythology.

Other creatures were also shown, including Harpies, Gorgons, Hydras, smaller winged Dragons, and various demonic beasts.

[edit] Reception

Publication	Score
IGN	2.3/10
1UP	C+
GameSpot	3.5/10
Game Informer	6.5/10
Official PlayStation Magazine	6/10
Eurogamer	7/10
Official Xbox Magazine	7.5/10

Legendary has received negative reviews with an average critic score of 49% for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions and 49% for the PC at Game Rankings, and Metascores of 49 for all formats at Metacritic. X360Magazine faulted the game for unskippable cutscenes and "Action sections that feel like a movie you just happen to be walking through, and not interacting with". ^[6] IGN gave the Xbox 360 version 2.5/10 stating that "the gameplay comes across as messy and incomplete, the arrangement of hazards and threats from monsters is ineffective at best and boring at worst."^[7]. It went on to score the PS3 version 2.3/10 noting long load times, frame drops and a lack of trophy support ^[8]. According to theurbanwire.com, Legendary falls short^[9]. Despite mostly unfavorable reviews, reception from some reviewers has been less negative. The US version of the Official Xbox Magazine gave the game a score of 7.5/10 ^[10], as did the New Zealand based Gameplanet review ^[11].

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Legendary Website