Chaos Legion

"Gives a new dimension to the word repetitive"

Mind you, I expected much from this game. Capcom promised another intense action game in the Devil May Cry vein, with the same RPG depth as was featured in mentioned masterpiece, but with an entirely original twist; namely the main character's ability to summon supernatural creatures, or Legions, to assist in combat against the myriad enemies that were promised. This seemed likely to become the successor to the PS2 action throne that Devil May Cry 2 failed to be. Boy, was I wrong.

In this game, you as the player will take on the role of Zieg Warheit, a young man (designed in an altogether tasteless manner, one might add) tied with a bond of vengeance to the mysterious antagonist Victor Delacroix (who seems to be Sephiroth's missing brother). As the game begins, Zieg is thrown into a hellish abyss Victor. Apparently Zieg was responsible for the death of a woman named Siela, whom Victor had a strong affection for, and this is his punishment. But this act of vengeance stretches out to the player as well as he is now forced to undertake a series of redundant and utterly rewardless tasks.

It starts out well enough, with the game sending a seemingly unending stream of enemies for our virtually invincible hero to slay. But upon reaching the fifth or so stage, you will realize that the game hasn't changed at all. It's still the old running around pretty but repetitive vistas, slaying endless enemies that all look the same by repeatedly pressing the square button. The legions too ultimate prove to be a gimmick more than anything else, as they are most effective when sent away attacking the minor enemies, so that you can focus on the more important ones. Thus you get the feeling of still being a one-man army, despite your legions that work hard somewhere in the periphery. The fact that your character doesn't evolve anything during the course of the game (the RPG element only involves upgrading your legions) makes the massive slaughter of hellspawn seem utterly repetitive and meaningless.

So, in the end, Chaos Legion is a disappointment. Despite some remarkable effort from Capcom in cramming so many enemies on screen at once, and adding a storyline that's at least slightly engaging, the game falls flat. A pity, really.

Graphics; Nothing wrong here, nicely rendered locales, and MANY enemies on screen at once: 7/10

Sound; The usual, crappy voice actors and an overly dramatic music score: 6/10

Gameplay; Press the square button, press it again, summon your legions and make them fight for, repeat: 4/10

Lasting appeal; The game is not that long, and after beating it once, you probably won't want to play it again: 3/10

Overall score; A promising concept falls into the dreaded pit of repetition: 4/10

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 08/09/03