20 Comic Book Video Games You Must Play Before You Die

2. X-Men Legends

Although superhero properties have proven themselves to be incredibly malleable over the years, Raven Software's Baldur's Gate-meets-Marvel hybrid is easily one of the best uses of any cross-medium license in gaming. This is the origin of the template that would then be used for Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, meaning you're assembling a team of four X-men from a huge roster including stalwarts like Wolverine and Cyclops, but also unlocking the likes of Jean Grey, Nightcrawler and even Professor X. Gameplay is the timeless isometric RPG-style button-bashing, but it's the range of abilities and character-combos you can put together that give the whole thing a brilliant sense of fan-serviced identity. Solo-players are joined by A.I. partners and there's some X-Men trivia to partake in if you're out to prove yourself, but the campaign is lengthy enough with heaps of cameos and major players featured in prominent roles to make it all worthwhile. The Diablo-born reward-loop of loot and levelling keeps you powered from one area to the next, so for Marvel - and in particular X-Men - fans, this is simply the perfect RPG.