X-Men: Mutant Revolution

Just saw that Wizkids and Gail Force 9 are teaming up to release X-Men: Mutant Revolution. This is essentially a re-themed version of Spartacus. You can read more here .

I am of two minds here. I'm not sure how well the X-Men license will fit here based on the explanation. On the other hand, I loved Spartacus but held off buying it because I didn't want to go to the trouble of explaining to churchier gamers why I had a game with a card called "Jupiter's Cock." This is something I would feel more comfortable purchasing.

It sounds like a bad idea. The rules for Spartacus completely supported the theme and setting. Porting that same structure over to the X-Men seems like a terrible fit. Auctions and money have no place in the mutant world. I can see how the gladiatorial combats could be re-fitted as missions, but four miniatures aren't going to satisfy most X-fans. More miniatures would drive the price point up higher than Gail Force 9 wants to go. And Wiz Kids have a track record of sloppy game design.

I guess I don't know the storyline this is based on, but this sounds awful.

Hmmm... that's some pretty tenuous theming (competing mutant schools). Why not X-Men, Brotherhood of Mutants, Hellfire Club, and the Morlocks, or something to that effect?

Well, don't the x-men train against each other in the danger room all the time?

Seems like they used to.

Mr. White wrote: Well, don't the x-men train against each other in the danger room all the time?

Seems like they used to.

sure, but that's not what this is, and I'm not sure how the host/betting part would work in that phase even.

One thing that makes Spartacus such a dynamic game is the opportunity to cut deals involving money at nearly any moment during the game. Because the money part is such a bad thematic match with the X-Men, this retrofit just feels wrong. However, I suppose the currency of Spartacus might be re-themed as something altogether different, like maybe "popularity." That could be a better fit with the insular mutant community of the Marvel Universe, with various mutants pulled between conflicting philosophies, like Xavier's Dream vs Magneto Was Right.

I love Spartacus. Based on the description this doesn't sound nearly as compelling, but who knows... GF9 certainly know what they are doing.

Sounds like it's based on the very recent (post AvX) comics, where the old gang splintered off into various factions and there's a lot of competition for recruiting new mutants. So Wolverine and Storm run the "Jean Grey School for Higher Learning" while Cyclops leads the "New Xavier School for the Gifted" and so forth. Wouldn't have been my first choice for a setting (I would have replaced Storm with Mystique, at the very least) but it's not unreasonable.

I'm not a fan of Wizkids game design. As much as I like X-men and the Spartacus game, I need some major convincing to agree this is a good thing. It feels like an attempt to get some superhero action and being forced to play with people who own the sole license for what they need. Blech.

I am really disappointed in so many companies teaming up with Wizkids.

Stormcow wrote: Sounds like it's based on the very recent (post AvX) comics, where the old gang splintered off into various factions and there's a lot of competition for recruiting new mutants. So Wolverine and Storm run the "Jean Grey School for Higher Learning" while Cyclops leads the "New Xavier School for the Gifted" and so forth. Wouldn't have been my first choice for a setting (I would have replaced Storm with Mystique, at the very least) but it's not unreasonable.

I first noticed this game when I looked up Spartacus and saw this game as a reimplementation. It does sound ... pretty bad? I guess the one thing I give it some props for is being set in a relatively "contemporary" Marvel setting/story line rather than a nostalgic 1980s one.

Colorcrayons wrote:
I am really disappointed in so many companies teaming up with Wizkids.

Yeah, they are a total shit show from what I've seen. Some good IP marred by shoddy production values and support.

They put out Mage Knight and it's pretty fantastic on all fronts.

hotseatgames wrote: They put out Mage Knight and it's pretty fantastic on all fronts.

Except the front of not having to study as if you were taking the bar exam just to play it.

Thats a steep entry. One which stops many people from even bothering to try. But then again, that's what you often get in a Vlaada game. Labyrinthine rules that require special educational components used only in order to be able to know how to play.

Yes, the game is complex as hell, but that has nothing to do with WizKids' ability to produce quality.