`X-MEN,' `DA VINCI CODE` BETTER FILMS THAN GAMES.

Byline: Redmond Carolipio Staff Writer

Nothing kills the post-E3 high like the following week. Historically, there have been some filthy-to-decent games unleashed during this time period -- and it's no coincidence that they've mostly been movie-related games.

On Friday, moviegoers got to check out ``The Da Vinci Code'' and this weekend brings ``X-Men: The Last Stand.'' Gamers are getting similar treatment, as titles based on those movies have already been released. Let's just say the moviegoers got the better end of the deal.

`X-Men: The Official Game'

Superhero video games already carry a bad reputation, and the last thing they need is something that upholds that image. Unfortunately, that's what happens with ``X-Men,'' which feels very basic and rudimentary compared to other hero-based works of the past. It not only brings nothing to the table, it takes stuff off.

The game's plot is supposed to serve as back story leading into the movie. But instead of animated cut-scenes, we get still illustrations with voiceovers. This is supposed to give the player a comic-book feel, but it just ends up looking like a narrated X-Men art gallery. No panels, no wipes, just pictures -- not exactly the stuff next-gen dreams are made of.

Visually on the 360, the game looks like it was simply ported over from the Xbox or PS2 version with minimal effort to make it stand out on 360 hardware. Everything -- from the levels to the characters -- looks flat and joyless, as if the designers made this game under orders from a Third World dictator.

Gameplay could have been a strong point given the source material, but it, too, ultimately feels stale and tired. As the player, you get to use three X-Men: Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Iceman. Wolverine is the beat-'em-up character, as players can use his claws to take out hordes of enemies as well as his ability to quickly heal from wounds. You'll need that ability too, as Wolverine spends plenty of time getting shot up. There's no truly effective way to avoid machine gun fire, so players end up having to take 18 rounds to the chest before getting close enough to attack with very limited combos. This is a far cry from the agile, quick-strike character we'd expect to see.

Nightcrawler can teleport all over the place, as well as whip out some acrobatic-looking attacks -- combine the two, and you have a fun character to use.

But his problem lies with his missions, which require lots of senseless running around to find a door or press a button. I call these types of missions ``inexcusable.''

`The Da Vinci Code'

When one of my friends heard there was a game, the first thing she asked was ``Uh, how do you make a game out of that?''

The answer? You don't. At least not one worth dropping 40 bucks on.

Not only does the game have absolutely NO ONE associated with the movie attached to it, but it feels like an afterthought, like it should be one of the special features on the DVD when it comes out.

While many games have you ``play the movie,'' this game has you play the book. Sadly, this is one of those books that just doesn't make a good game (and some would argue, not a great movie, either).

The book builds up a lot of its excitement by taking the reader through the thought processes of the main character, Robert Langdon, as well as using various literary devices to develop the scenery.

But the game blasts through all those intricate plot mechanics, peeling through several chapters' worth of work in minutes. Whether you've read the book or not, the experience feels rushed and slapped together.

Puzzles are the main focus of the gameplay, as you're asked to decrypt a lot of codes, find various items and complete mundane tasks such as cleaning a dirty painting.

A good chunk of your work involves staring at things like desks and moving the camera around to points of interest.This gets tedious after a while, and the rest of the game doesn't offer much of a reprieve.

The closest thing that comes to action is a weird fighting system that has you press a sequence of buttons, then watch the fight unfold. If you mess up the sequence, I imagine you get hit or fail. It hasn't happened to me, because it's ridiculously easy.

Pushing the right buttons leads to the odd sight of Langdon unleashing a crippling combo on his enemy. Never mind that in the book, he barely throws a punch -- in the game, he's symbology's answer to Jack Bauer. Perhaps later he pulls the albino into a room and says ``Tell me where the Grail is! There's no time!!''

That would be entertaining.

The book ``The Da Vinci Code'' just isn't video game material. It's about critical thinking and solving word puzzles, stuff that doesn't leave much room for innovative game mechanics.

Redmond Carolipio, [phone],

redmond.carolipio(at)dailybulletin.com

X-MEN: THE OFFICIAL GAME - One star

Rated: T for Teen.

Platforms: Xbox 360, Xbox, PS2 and PC.

In a nutshell: Everything looks flat and joyless, as if the designers made this game under orders from a Third World dictator.

THE DA VINCI CODE - One star

Rated: T for Teen.

Platforms: PS2 and Xbox.

In a nutshell: Feels like an afterthought, like it should be one of the special features on the DVD when it comes out.