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Untapped Potential. . .

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 13 / 15
Date: September 02, 2003
Author: Amazon User

"Chaos Legion" is a game with quite a few good ideas, and some of those ideas work rather well. On the other hand, it's a game with lots of wasted potential, and a slew of bad design decisions. Most of the time, it seems to be more of a tech demo designed to see just how many enemies can fit on the screen at one time than an actual game. With more time and effort, I think Capcom could have made "Chaos Legion" an excellent action game - but as it stands, it's just mediocre.

The game's storyline is nonsensical and hardly worth describing - let's just say it's melodramatic and unintentionally funny more often than not, but at least the cut-scenes are visually appealing and stylish, and therefore quite watchable. At any rate, you play through 90% of the game as Sieg, a knight of some Order or another who has the ability to summon strange monsters to battle alongside him when the going gets rough. He also has a nifty gauntlet that can electrify his opponents, and a long sword to hew them with. The other player character, Arcia, is a bit more agile, and uses two pistols in place of Sieg's weapons - but she can't summon allies. Both characters control pretty well, but unfortunately all of the work that went into Arcia seems to be in vain since you, the player, will only guide her through one short level. The rest of your time you will spend as Sieg.

In terms of gameplay, there isn't anything quite like "Chaos Legion," for better or worse. The best way to describe this one would be to say it's like a strange union of "Devil May Cry," "Dynasty Warriors," and "Gauntlet," only not quite as good as that could have been. Sure, summoning monsters to back you up is a cool feature. Sure, there are a lot of moving characters onscreen at once without so much as a hiccup in the frame rate. Sure, the two main characters play very well and provide some visceral action pieces. None of these things can compensate for the game's lack of variety, though. By the fifth level in the game, you will have encountered virtually every enemy the game provides. Even end-level bosses are not monogamous to their own lairs, and many of them, annoyingly, will take several goes at you during the course of the game. Worst of all, though, are the game's repetitive textures. You will spend 80% of the game traipsing through bland castle environments that look identical to one another.

Alas, even if you could go in and fix the repetitive monster and level designs, the game's fundamental design is so flawed that it would still be far from satisfying. Though the game seems to pride itself on how many characters can be displayed onscreen at any given time, it is all but wasted in a game that generally requires you to slay a target monster (which is usually immobile and semi-helpless) that, when destroyed, will conveniently purge the environment of all 'lesser' foes. Kill the one, and you kill the many. Hacking at one monster like your life depends on it and ignoring all the others is the kind of behavior the game encourages - and that's not a recipe for unbridled fun. Most of the time, it's just a lesson in tedium.

On the plus side, the action itself works quite well. Sieg's back-and-forth sword swipes throw his smaller enemies to and fro like rag dolls, sometimes even juggling them through the air. His crimson gauntlet sends coils of electricity snaking around his unfortunate foes, and his summoned creatures wreak havoc like a small, potent army. Sieg will rarely go it completely alone, and that gives the game a very unique feel.

When the game works, it works quite well - but that only happens once in a while, and the game ultimately doesn't last for very long. The rest of the time you'll be smashing away at repetitive foes who steadfastly refuse to fall for several long, tedious minutes. "Chaos Legion" is worth a look if you're an action fan...It's addictive in short spurts, and not completely devoid of fun. However, in case you can't tell, that's not exactly glimmering praise...

Final Score: C-

Pretty fun, once you get into it

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 12 / 14
Date: August 20, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I read lots of bad reviews of this game and was all set to forget about it rather than buy it. Then one day I read a Penny Arcade comic in which they declared that Gabe hated Chaos Legion. Well, if there's one thing I've learned from my years of reading PA, it's that if Gabe hates something, it's probably pretty good. He hated Kingdom Hearts, Gunvalkyrie, and most notably, Halo. The man is obviously not a bastion of good video game taste. Therefore, when he hates something, I assume it's worth buying. And so I went ahead and bought Chaos Legion.

At first I was inclined to agree with the reviews. My first couple of hours playing seemed to indicate a shallow and repetive game. I was expecting more of an adventure game with some exploration and such. There is none. CL is actually something of an arcade style beat-'em-up for the 21st century. You fight wave after wave of baddies. When they're gone, you fight a boss. Lather, rinse, repeat. However, the game became pretty difficult suddenly on stage 3 or 4, and I almost threw in the towel. For some reason, instead I decided to study the aspects of the game that I hadn't really been paying attention to; namely the Legions themselves. The legions are what make this game shine. Each one has their own strengths and weaknesses and abilities. You have to use them to strengthen them, you have to strengthen them to make them useful, and you WILL need their help to beat the game. The more they do battle, the more experience points they earn. You then get to choose how to spend those points to build them up. You can increase their attack power, their defense, their special abilities, etc. Learning how to use them effectively is the key to the game. Poor Gabe must not have been able to figure that out.

AND YOU THOUGHT DEVIL MAY CRY WAS COOL!?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: August 10, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Man,than this will blow you away!!I can't believe how amazing this game is.First of all,let me stress how beautiful the graphics are.When I first started playing this game,my jaw dropped because the graphics looked as fluid and life-like as they do when then cinema plays.Also prepare to be amazed the first time you summon.Wow!Way to go Capcom!

Second,and most importantly,the gameplay!There is a good reason that the name of this game is Chaos LEGION;you fight armies and armies of demons.Think just like the Dynasty Warriors games,only take away the asian feel and add a very gothic touch!When I first started playing this game,I wasn't really paying much attention to the storyline or the directions that tutor you on how to do certain moves.I was just having SO much fun chopping up hordes of enemies!Later on I learned how to do diffrent moves and command my summon spirits to perform certain commands.Just Excellent! Experience gaining system is similar to DMC,but with much more improvement. Basically you still collect the souls of your enemies(only ALOT more at once)and for every 100th demon you kill you get an item.So you can really stock up on items and bulk up experience in this game as the enemies can be limitless(granted that you don't kill the monster generators first!)I guess Capcom borrowed an element from Gauntlet.

Third,is the sound.Voice Acting is great and even better than DMC.Also the lip synching is better matched to the words to make it look like they are actualy speaking the dialouge.But more importantly is the soundtrack.Beautifuly orchestrated music
with a passionate rhythm.Reminds me of the soundtrack for Castlevanaia:Symphony of The Night....only better.I was really impressed by the music that plays during boss fights.

Lastly,the storyline is as you would expect it to be:dark and masterfully written.I'm not going to go into detail;you'll just have to experience it yourself.To quoate a caption on the back of the game case,"If you loved Devil May Cry,then you'll love Chaos Legion!"They aren't kidding!This game delivers everything you could want and then some.Buy a copy now!

A Fantastic Action Game!!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: July 08, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I have noticed that the other reviews so far don't say much about the game, so I am going to try to give a better idea of what this game is like. This game was made by one of the head guys behind Devil May Cry. That alone should pique most players interests. This game is the absolute best action, "hack and slash" game I have ever played. I have played through both of the Devil May Crys and the Onimushas, and I think this one is better than any of the other two combined. First of all, the action is great. Each level is challenging enough to give a gamer a couple of run throughs to beat it, but it isn't hard enough to be frustrating, and if it is for you, you can always cut it down to Easy difficulty level. Sieg and the Chaos Legion summoning system works well together. Before each level, you can equip two legions (whichever two you think will be needed in the level, whichever two you like best, or whichever two give your favorite power-ups to Sieg), and during the level you can summon the legions to fight alongside you, or send them in for a quick special attack. This allows two styles of fighting; a grand melee style, or a more conventional hero with special powers style. The grand melee can be maintained as long as the Legion's health meter is up. This meter is filled from the souls of your vanquished monster enemies. Each legion can give Sieg special powers too. For instance, the Flawed legion can give the special powers of jumping higher and double jump. These special abilities can be unlocked by leveling up the legion. Yes, that's right, during intermission screens (in-between levels) you can level up the legions that were equipped using the experience they gained from fighting through the level. Also, there are experience gems that can be used on any legion to give them experience. Later on in the game, there are items that allow you to level up your legions to the point that you may use their special abilities even when they aren't equipped; thus, this allows you to use the other legions while still keeping your favorite abilities. Finally, I must talk about the story. The storyline of this game is very good (the best I have seen in an action game), and it isn't exactly what it may seem. The cut sequences are the best I have seen in visual style. They look like a really well done movie. One of the best touches is that flashbacks are done in a "grainy film" way. It makes the cut sequences even more beautiful and the game even more enjoyable. I hope that some of you out there will buy this game and enjoy it as much as I have.

Awesome! More like DMC 3

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: August 22, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Chaos Legion is very awesome. it has great graphics, sweet moves, many different enemys and seig has the very cool ability to call upon different kinds of creatures to help him fight! This game was very obviously built off Devil May Cry (DMC), but instead of having devil trigger you have SOUL, to call upon creatures. I really loved DMC and DMC 2 and this is so much like them that i would re-name it DMC 3, but i guess it is a bit different.

Graphics 4.5/5
Gameplay 4.5/5
Plot 5.0/5

Controls 3.5/5...very confusing at first
Overall 5.0/5

P.S. If you did not like DMC or DMC 2 i would recamend renting this game before you buy it or at least let the price cool off a bit.

Diamond in the Rough

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: January 26, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I LOVE THIS GAME.

It isn't perfect; the story is largely the typical throwaway reason to fight a bazillion demons and monsters...regardless of what other reviews say. However, the gameplay is stylish, unique and deeper than the first few hours suggest.

Chaos Legion was marketed by Capcom as a cousin of Devil May Cry. While the tone and subject of the game suggest similarity, however, the gameplay is a totally different beast. In fact, the comparison probably hurt the game, because reviewers went in expecting a DMC clone rather than being open to letting the game's unique strengths take hold.

Some reviewers have argued that the game is repetitive. This is true only A) at the beginning before the importance and depth of the legions is revealed and B) on easy difficulty. If this game is to be enjoyed, it if for those people looking for a challenge. In that way, it is similar to Devil May Cry. This isn't a game to run through in 8 hours...that might be less than enthralling. The real joy in this game is that of discovery and accomplishment. In fact, the game is so difficult that it has a system much like DMC3 where experience from ATTEMPTS at beating missions can be kept to level up legions.

Your character plays a bit like Dante with maybe slightly less moves. However, depending on the legion he has equipped, he can perform different moves and gain different abilities.

And then there are the legions. The legions are spirits that the main character summons to fight at his side; each one has very unique strengths and weaknesses. Combined with the abilities they add to the main character, which legions are equipped at the beginning of a mission makes a big difference.

The controls for the legions are surprisingly deep...they are by no means simply autonomous once summoned. It takes several hours to understand half of the strategy behind using them and most of the game to master it. Combine this with the ever present challenge of staying alive and you have a very compelling action game. Luckily, the game also features a relatively forgiving checkpoint system.

Of special note are the boss battles, which are very fun to figure out. When you bring down these bad boys, you know you've accomplished something.

In addition, the graphics and character animations are very well done...especially for the main character.

Finally, and importantly, a very impressive soundtrack accompanies the gameplay. Most of it is a mix of techno and chanting/choral work. All in all, it does a SURPRISINGLY good job of elevating the combat and making you and your legions feel like a force to be reckoned with. The soundtrack is so good in fact, that I OFTEN listen to it by itself...probably more than any other soundtrack I own.

I didn't expect much going in to Chaos Legion. The reviews had been mediocre and most people said it was repetitive. And these complaints underline an important point: Chaos Legion isn't for the casual gamer....it's for those in search of a challenge. That said, Chaos Legion is the source of some of my most memorable gaming moments in the past year, and I play a lot of games. For those with the appropriate skill, Chaos Legion is a must play and an absolute steal at most game stores.

I loved, but it takes a while too

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: December 20, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This has got to be one of the worse games for mixed reviews. Some love this game, some despise it. Now what's our thoughts on this gothic, hack and slash? Well, I can say for myself, that I love ever bit of this game. Before you hit me with something, let me explain why this game is so awesome.

The story is mysterious, enthralling, deep, and it keeps you wanting more. That is, after the first couple of levels it gets interesting. The first three levels you will find boring, but don't stop playing, because trust me, it will get better.

The story goes like this: You play as Seig Warheit, who must fight against a past friend of his. The reason being? It's unknown until you delve deeper in the game and unlock the peices of the story. But I will tell you this, it involves the killing of a beautiful woman named Siela.

The graphics are simply stunning. Screenshots cannot capture the beauty this game holds. The graphics are bright, gritty, vivid, and smooth all that the same time. The characters, legions, and enemies are all awesomely designed. The main character, Sieg, he is designed perfectly, his clothing and hair just screams "Bad Boy". The design and graphics team have certianly outdone themselves.

The sound was great, the clashing of swords on the armored hide of the enemies was music to my ears. The screams of the enemy creatures was great as well, whatever a 4 foot spider would sound like dying is probably what the spiders in Chaos Legion would sound like dying. The only gripe I have is when you first start a level, Seig, takes his sword and taps it on his shoulder... But it sounds like he is taking a wooden stick and slapping it on a towel...

The music was perfect, it totally fit the mood of the fights and the tear jerking movies. The only thing I disliked about the music is that in some parts it was low, like I couldn't hear it over me beating my enemies to ground beef. That's not neccessarily a bad thing though.

In Chaos Legion, you use allies to fight along side of you. These allies are called "Legions," the legions are powerful creatures. They each have there strongpoints and their weakpoints. So when you first equip a legion, try equiping one that will work best for the mission. This aspect mixes the generic hack and slash genre to a RPG-type action game, making it much more appealing and far less repetive.

After completeing a mission and defeating numerous enemies, you gain experience points. With these experience points you can upgrade your legions in many, many aspects. For instance you can upgrade their strength, defense, or you can upgrade them to where more legions can come out and help you.

The gameplay seems shallow at first, but once you get passed the first three levels, it becomes addictive. The thing that makes it unappealing to most is the steep difficulty level. But when you pass those three levels, you gain enough experience to upgrade your legions too make them stronger. Once upgraded, it makes the game much more enjoyable.

This game is the perfect game for an action addict, like myself. I totally enjoyed it to the last minute. I enjoyed it so much, that I cannot wait for the next installment to the series. I reccoment this to anyone who is looking for a challenge and a new adventure. If you are still skeptical about buying Chaos Legion, atleast rent it to see if you like it.

Hit
+Addictive
+Beautiful story
+Breath taking graphics
+Deep Gameplay, believe it or not
+Great difficulty level
+Character, Legion, and Enemy designs are awesome
+Sieg is just a plain awesome character!

Miss
_Difficulty is hard for the weak
_Takes a while to really get sucked into it
_Some gamers will get tired of it before actually playing through a good bit of it

50% Graphics, 40% Gameplay, 10% Substance

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: September 25, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Okey doke, let's just get the bad stuff out of the way shall we. After playing an hour into the game(yes, it doesn't take long to judge a game with little variety), I've concluded that it's an even 3 out of 5. First of all, after starting up the game(while bypassing flashy screens and menu saves) and starting off you'll notice that you won't really understand the story. Everything said is slightly hushed under the music, but even so, the characters begin talking in rapid Olde English, so as much as you can hear, little of it can you absorb. You could read the manual, obviously, or just try and hear it again, but what they give you doesn't offer much information besides "you are in a gothic world that's not Earth. You had a friend, he's not your friend, he wants you dead because you did something to his girlfriend." Just to name off a few cliches, I expected a love triangle, a bunch of FF-esque backdrops, clothes, and weapons, and finally, a Sephiroth carbon copy villain. Those who cared enough to get past an hour, tell me if I'm wrong. I don't mind criticism.

So, aside from that, let's talk about the good stuff. Let's face it, this game is less than loaded. It's set up in walled in "Stages" where you fight a bunch of monsters, summon your own, and occasionally have an objective aside from getting to the boss guy. And that's the game. Well, it does have some pretty unique high points. For one, this is one of the most graphically intricate games since the Onimusha series, with fleshed out models, sexy weapons, attacks, and characters. It all just looks so cool. The gameplay isn't so bad either. The camera control threw me off at first, mainly because I didn't read the manual, but it's just something that gets used to. Meanwhile, there are lots of options for spending exp(though it may take you awhile to allocate enough to get even one notch ahead) and the battle system is pretty nice. Nothing overly amazing, but the Legion summoning system is pretty effective.

Think Golden Sun for GBA. You fight mini-bosses at the end of each stage to grab new Legions, or monsters that fight for you and do other handy tricks. As far as I was in the game, I liked the ability to snipe with the Malice Legion. Anyway, the point is that you summon them to fight for you, either by targeting monsters and letting them rip away or by using their unique abilities, as described above.

All in all, it piqued my interest, but for now I just feel like selling it to get Monster Hunter. The one thing I have the most beef on is the story. You can't have a mildly exciting action game without a story to make up for it. Shame on the developers for making it unbalanced. One last thing that turned me off is how restricting the whole game is. It's one stage after another and that's it. Sonic would have made a better game, and it was the first game to use stages. As for how it's better than DMC, I can only imagine that it's because you have some liberty in navigating.

Fun: 2/5 Graphics: 5/5 Soundtrack: 3/5 Story: 1/5 Overall: 3/5

Come get some

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: March 17, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Very addictive - it is in your remit to collect powers with which to go against your adversary and enemy.
Travel various stunning locations upgrading your powers and abilities until your 'legion' is respectfully motivated to kick arse.
Not everyones favourite game but I found the game easy to play and the upgrades easy to follow.
Made it through a second time for alternate end - I got two weeks out of it - with this I am impressed.
Stylish if not long enough.
Don't pass this one by.

Better than Devil May Cry!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: August 23, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game is simply better than Devil May Cry. Sure, Devil May Cry might be the original and more famous, but Chaos Legion is also made from Capcom which makes Chaos Legion like a brother to Devil May Cry. So, if you are a owner of Devil May Cry, this game is MUST HAVE!!!

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