It is nice to reach for the stars, but when that reach comes up very short, you are bound to hear about it. GameCock and Spark Unlimited teamed up for a first-person shooter-adventure game that had the potential to realize what its name implied – Legendary – but the end result was far from that lofty status.

Don’t blame the concept. The game tracked the adventure of an art thief (Charles Deckard) who was hired to open a box inside a well-guarded museum. Well, the museum was not as well guarded as it should have been, nor was Deckard’s suspicion aroused like it should have been. Nope, this clever and cunning thief makes it to the room, sticks his hand in a lock, has it trapped, gets branded with ‘something’ and opens the box … Pandora’s box, to be exact. The box that contains untold evil. And, Deckard just released all that into the world – specifically into New York City. Now while New Yorkers have a terrific knack for ignoring strange and weird, some things just can’t be ignored – like griffons swooping down to eat the pedestrians, or golems made of wrecked cars and building materials smashing their way down the side streets, or the hordes of werewolves … Well, you get the idea.

Part of the problem with Legendary is the linearity of the game. The walls that corridor the path through the game can be very tangible. When you first exit the museum – which serves as the tutorial – you encounter the massive destruction that the unleashed creatures have created. However, look a little closer and you will see that they are arranged in such a way to create your path through the zone. Head inside a building that appears to be blocked off and a griffon lunges through the wall and window at you, creating another connecting path.

The story behind Legendary, though, is quite inventive. Deckard, the master art thief, was the dupe of an organization with its own reasons for wanting the box open. But it was not the only human player in this game. Deckard, the one who thinks he can correct the wrong he committed, and the only playable character in the game, will also have to contend with human foes as another organization enters the mix – one that seems to have some military experience.

The game’s graphics are hit and miss. There are some texture issues and the environments tend to lack certain distinction at times. The monster models are, though, reasonably well done. There are some animation issues that can distract as well.

The controls are set up for either an Xbox controller, or keyboard and mouse. The controls are not that bad, and seem to play out well. The mouse and keyboard combo seemed to be very responsive, which is a good thing – Legendary has moments when the mobs swarm and you will need to have a quick trigger finger.

The game has a decent selection of weaponry, but because the monsters are varied, you will have to find out what works best against what mob. Werewolves can be nasty and some dismemberment helps vanquish them. The inclusion of the animus is a nice touch. Deckard collects it from fallen enemies and then can channel that energy into a pulse that drives mobs to the ground.

But for every positive step Legendary takes, there seems to be one in the opposition direction. The AI is suspect at times and the game is way too predictable with no options to follow a different route.

This is all truly unfortunate.

Gameplay: 5.0
If you want to know what defines a linear game, Legendary could be the poster child. There are some load times.

Graphics: 5.8
Decent monster models, some animation problems and a few problems with environments that seem to be on the generic side.

Sound: 6.0
Decent, not stellar, voice acting and music.  

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 6.0
The idea was good, but the way it plays out is lacking

Multiplayer: N/A
Multiplayer is available but at the times logged in, there was not anyone to play against. However, you will find the usual suspects here, including the deathmatch-type scenarios and capture-the-flag elements.

Overall: 5.0
This is a game that could have been much more. The game’s linearity really hampers immersion, and there are some odd animation elements that also distract from the game. The game has a decent backstory, but the way it unravels is a bit on the predictable side. This is a game with potential that didn’t quite live up to it.