The Skald and His Goddess: Les Scélérats (aka the X-Men game design never to be approved by Mr Lee)

This is crazy. Period. When I decided to bin this one, it's down to an unwillingness to supplant Jack Kirby and Friends. And besides, I'm not going to be crazy enough to attempt the unthinkable. I mean, have you ever seen William Stryker killing Thanos one on one? We all know that's a load of bull.

How it all happened

It has been a peaceful time so far. A far cry to the days of battle the X-Men had to endure. From the struggle between Charles Xavier and Max Eisenhardt to the necessity behind the X-Force. Then it happened abruptly. Peace arrived with the sudden disappearance of numerous mutants marking the start. Months have passed and many have forgotten what conflict looks like. There is no war between homo sapiens and homo superior. Nor is there any amongst their own. Yet, is the tranquility as the world now knows it real? Or perhaps it is no different from a scheme devised by the trickster god himself.

Note: Above plotline is pure drivel despite the prim and proper English. Quite obviously, the correct Mr Lee won't approve this blog post of mine.

Above gif symbolizes the dream of every Marvel video game developer. Period.

Brief introduction

Les Scélérats in French means The Scoundrels. This game won't just involve one character. You'll be controlling different characters throughout their journey to uncover the truth. The truth behind the unreal peace enveloping the world. Below is a list of controls (note: the list is based on the PS4 interface since that's the console I'm most comfortable with. I blame the fact that I actually bought a [modded] PS2 during my NSF days)

Left analog stick: Character movement

Right analog stick: Camera zoom

D-pad: Item usage

Triangle: Forward attack

Square: Guard

Cross: Mutant ability

Circle: Sweeping attack

L1, L2, R1, R2: Superhero powers

L1+R1: X-treme Team-up 1

L2+R2: X-treme Team-up 2

L1+L2+R1+R2: Omega Drive

Options: Game options.

Base and checkpoint

In this game, having a base is a must. The starting base would be X-Mansion. However, as the game progresses, bases like Utopia, Avalon, and even the likes of Avengers Tower and Asgardia can be unlocked. The base is basically a safe zone where you can interact and do stuff without any worries of fighting and getting attacked. In any given base, you will have a few NPCs.

Raid NPC: Talking to this NPC will gain access to raiding instances involving a 5 player co-op mode. Note that different bases will offer different raid instances with one normal and one epic per base. In certain bases, however, cosmic raid instances are available. Also, raid NPCs are your only source of direct equipment purchase via currencies specific to the respective raids.

Crafter NPC: This is where you can get your gear. Unlike the standard fare elsewhere, you don't purchase equipment. You craft them. Crafter NPCs will have four ranks: Normal, Heroic, Epic Heroic, and Cosmic. To level such an NPC, you'll need to donate crafting ingredients. The higher the ingredient rarity and level, the more level up points given.

Vendor NPC: This is where you buy your supplies. Stuff like healing potion, buffing potion, and basically any type of potion (note to Deadpool: No, you won't get to purchase love potion in this game. Also, you need Chris Claremont's permission to date Psylocke). Like the crafter NPC, you'll need to donate things to level up this NPC. However, you'll need to donate equipment instead. Also, vendor NPC has the same four tier system as the crafter NPC.

For checkpoint, there's basically nothing. However, checkpoints are used for auto game saving. Once you logged out, you'll appear at your latest checkpoint upon logging in again. Otherwise, you'll need to manual save. In certain checkpoints, however, vendors are available. Note that such vendors cannot be leveled up and that they're most likely normal rank anyway.

Note: Unlike bases, there will always be a possibility of enemies targeting checkpoints if too many characters are gathered there.

Add note: Manual saving involves pressing the Options button.

Further explanation on the controls and buttons

Item usage covers a wide variety. On one hand, you have every manner of potion. At the same time, you got stuff like grenades, throwing knives, and even artifacts (apparently, Cyttorak doesn't just favor Koreans alone).

Character movement and camera zoom should be self-explanatory.

Forward attack involves striking the opponent(s) at the front. Such attack is fast to come out but less damaging. At the same time, spamming forward attack will result in any given mob splitting up and flanking you. Not to mention a rear charge as well (please note that I use "will", not "can").

Guard is self-explanatory. While holding down the square button is the easiest way to do so, it will also result in the mob staging a rally effect (will try to explain this in later posts). Pressing the button before getting hit requires timing, but success will earn you a reprieve in the form of a counter-attacking blow capable of inducing a specific control effect.

Mutant ability is a property unique to the individual characters. Basically, it's a general term referring to the various abilities your favorite Marvel heroes/villains are naturally/instinctively capable of.

Sweeping attack covers the area surrounding the character (for melee) or dealing damage in a circular area at the front (for ranged). Dealing much higher damage than any forward attack (more specifically 250% more), sweeping attacks are slow to come out. Used correctly, however, and it can turn the tide of battle to your favor.

Superhero powers can be seen as a more powerful version of mutant ability where the characters will perform specific moves involving their respective mutant abilities.

X-treme Team-up is an extremely powerful team-up attack (pardon the pun for Chuck Woo's sake) which will unlock at level 30. You can have up to two active X-treme Team-up attacks active per character. Involving two characters instead of just one, any X-treme Team-up requires two things.

1. The partner character specific to such an attack.

2. Unlocking the specific X-Treme Team-up during the game.

Omega Drive is basically a one-man nuking move. Once triggered, it will have a massive impact on any given fight. Unlike X-treme Team-up, partner characters aren't needed. Omega Drive will unlock at level 50.

Power gauge

Power gauge is integral to the combat gameplay. Activating mutant abilities and superhero powers require power usage and that's where the power gauge comes in. Once totally emptied, this gauge will replenish automatically at a certain rate (10% per second). However, this gauge will also constantly regenerate throughout combat at a slower rate (2% per every 5 seconds).

Upon the end of any combat, the power gauge will automatically revert to 100%.

HP bar

This is an indication of how much damage the character can take before going down. If this happens, there is still a chance of revival via any other character nearby. Failure to do so means this character will be removed from combat and moved back to the base where you first set off. This rule also applies to raids where a thirty-second re-entrance penalty will be imposed, so please take note.

Upon the end of any combat, the HP bar will not automatically revert to 100% unless a healing potion is used.

Stats

We all love stats despite what Mark Twain always said about the third kind of lie. Every character will have four core stats available. Namely Strength, Fortitude, Reflex, and Intellect. Then you have three secondary stats. Namely Fighting, Tactic, and Control. These stats will not just give your characters a specific base value in terms of damage, defense, and movement. At the same time, they will also add in modifiers.

Strength:

Base physical damage-10% bonus damage dealt plus an additional 2% per Strength point beyond the score of 4.

Gear modifier-1% increase in physical damage rating per Strength point beyond the score of 4.

Fortitude:

Base defense-20% damage reduction from enemies of the same level plus an additional 1% per Fortitude point beyond the score of 6.

Max HP modifier-Additional 3% max HP per Fortitude point beyond the score of 5.

Reflex:

Base deflect-5% chance of half damage taken from any single target attack plus an additional 5% per Reflex point beyond the score of 5.

Base dodge-3% chance of totally avoiding damage from any area attack plus an additional 2% per Reflex point beyond the score of 4.

Movement modifier-Additional 5% movement speed per Reflex point beyond the score of 5.

Intellect:

Base critical chance-15% critical hit chance plus an additional 0.5% per Intellect point beyond the score of 7.

Critical impact modifier-Additional 3% critical efficiency dealt per Intellect point beyond the score of 3.

Fighting:

Critical hit chance modifier-Total critical hit chance multiplied by 10% of its value per Fighting point beyond the score of 5.

Damage modifier-3% more damage dealt per Fighting point (no minimum limit)

Deflect modifier-Further reduce damage taken upon successful deflect by 4% per Fighting point beyond the score of 7.

Tactic:

Critical impact modifier-Total critical efficiency increased by 2% of its value per Tactic point (no minimum limit). This multiplier will increase to 4% if the character's Tactic score is above 7.

Control:

Max power gauge modifier-Additional 1% max power gauge per Control point (no minimum limit).

Power cost reduction-Base 0.5% power cost reduction plus an additional 1% power cost reduction per Control point beyond the score of 6.

Starting characters

NIGHTCRAWLER aka Kurt Wagner