• Publisher: Capcom
  • Release Date: Aug 6, 2003
  • Also On: PC
Metascore
65

Mixed or average reviews - based on 34 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 34
  2. Negative: 3 out of 34
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  1. Solid in virtually every way, it’ll more than tide you over till Devil May Cry 3 comes along.
  2. Game Informer
    85
    The nonstop action Chaos legion exhibits is unparalleled. [June 2003, p.101]
  3. GameNow
    83
    Apart from the minute-to-minute madness, Chaos Legion rocks a pretty cool amount of depth. [July 2003, p.56]
  4. GMR Magazine
    80
    Brings not only addictive, up-tempo hack-n-slash action, but also a great new A.I. system that raises the bar on computer-assisted beat 'em ups. [July 2003, p.78]
  5. 80
    Those who manage to get through the first few levels without being bored will find that the game becomes very interesting, though the storyline remains somewhat odd and convoluted.
  6. Play Magazine
    80
    This game's strength lies in its heavily nuanced gameplay, integrated story, and its gloomy heretical aura. [June 2003, p.64]
  7. As hero Sieg Wahrheit, enjoy third-person action with strategizing and upgrading, RPG-style, plus plenty of splattery hack ’n’ slash fun.
  8. Chaos Legion is one of the great unsung brawlers of the PS2. So the story is cliched beyond belief. So the characters are forgettable. Maybe its presentation could have been executed better. Big deal. The game is overflowing with some of the toughest brawling action you’ll ever face.
  9. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    78
    First, it provides an engaging story (told through beautiful cut-scenes that kept me on my toes till the very end. Second...building up each legion's stats keeps the action from feeling monotonous. [July 2003, p.112]
  10. TotalGames.net
    71
    Underneath the gloss and overblown script, behind the limited tactical use of the Legions, Chaos Legion is an old-fashioned hack ‘n’ slash adventure. Just like "Devil May Cry 2," the next-gen visual wizardry and slick character design hide a game that isn’t quite as original as it thinks it is.
  11. Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
    70
    Although it's a beautiful game full of nonstop, relentless action, Chaos' flaws turn a potentially stellar title into merely a solid one for genre fans. [July 2003, p.96]
  12. netjak
    70
    An above average action game for the PS2 that has some great character designs and a world that needs more fleshing out. Still with all it's small faults it's still a game I keep coming back to just to witness another beatdown, and if a game can do that it's not so bad in my book.
  13. 70
    Although its replay value leaves a bit to be desired, Chaos Legion is still a decent brawler with some clever combat and stylish visuals.
  14. Has all the style of "Devil May Cry," but like the second installment in that series, some poor gameplay mechanics keep the title from achieving all that it could.
  15. PSM Magazine
    70
    It has some great strategy elements and intense action, but is marred by repetitive level design and slow pacing. [July 2003, p.34]
  16. Despite Capcom's protestations of Chaos Legion being some 'intense gothic opera' fusion of action, RPG and strategy, it's still an essentially simple game at its heart, and might not be as involving as many would like.
  17. A standard slash-'em-up that is all too nasty, brutish and short to measure up to Capcom's usual quality. It's fairly entertaining but all too brief. [Playstation 2 Max]
  18. Stark mastery of skills has its place, but it's a true shame that the developers couldn't shape Chaos Legion into a more compelling experience.
  19. 65
    While the game promises something interesting, Chaos Legion levels off mid-way through and never elevates over redundant button masher status.
  20. Chaos Legion is like a train on a circular track: it goes round and round, never veering from the path. I'll leave it up to you to decide whether or not that's a good thing.
  21. Playboy
    63
    You slash through swarms of monsters, getting an assist from seven specialized ghostly legions that you summon just as the frantic button-mashing grows tiresome. [Aug 2003, p.32]
  22. 60
    It’s too easy. You'll be able to breeze through the game's 13 levels and only encounter about three tough bosses, which comes out to roughly $17 a challenge.
  23. 60
    You may weary of war before you've won the relatively short campaign. And if you do slog on, you'll be "rewarded" with an even tougher difficulty setting.
  24. "Devil May Cry Lite" would have been a more appropriate name for this somewhat-successful attempt by Capcom’s Studio 6 to add mild RPG trappings to a genre known for button-masher frenzies.
  25. Edge Magazine
    60
    Chaos Legion isn't as sharp as it should be. Beautiful, polished and at times engaging Capaom's latest invention, nevertheless, tests neither the reactions nor the brain enough to hold your interest. [May 2003, p.93]
  26. Let's not kid ourselves - where Chaos Legion fails in becoming a top tier title like "Devil May Cry" is that it's extremely repetitive. Seig doesn't have a lot of moves, so expect to do the same combat actions over and over again.
  27. Action fans might find the game a temporary diversion, but it has no staying power.
  28. 55
    Repetitive, ugly, short, nonsensical, and boring -- a beat-'em-up that gets almost everything wrong, and that's wildly overpriced at $50.
  29. Only about five hours long, which is probably for the best, since the storyline is so nonsensical and the action is so repetitive that you'll quickly be begging for the game to end.
  30. Cheat Code Central
    50
    You may want to make the comparison to "Devil May Cry" but Chaos Legion is not in the same league. Think of it as a poor man's version.
  31. Starts out promising and gradually becomes more tedious the further you delve into it. It’s repetitive, and it’s repetitive not because of the sheer number of enemies thrown at you or the simplistic nature of objectives, but because of the paltry set of moves you can initiate with the main character.
  32. The idea of kicking ass as a gothic swordsman and his seven closest unholy friends sounds mighty appealing. However, a crummy targeting system and ultra-repetitive gameplay relegate Chaos Legion to the status of a good idea gone bad.
  33. Like a full-priced "Serious Sam" title. It's fine if you want to jump right into an action-packed mashing session. Just don't expect it to keep your interest past 30 minutes.
  34. Thrown in the face of a history of outstanding action gaming, Chaos Legion may just be one of the worst action titles of the year. Imperfect controls and lackluster gameplay.

Awards & Rankings

56
#56 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2003
31
#31 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2003
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 78 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 53 out of 78
  2. Negative: 11 out of 78
  1. VLG
    Aug 22, 2023
    10
    I love everything about this game, from the way the story is told (in an oniric/mythological way that I have never seen before) to the generalI love everything about this game, from the way the story is told (in an oniric/mythological way that I have never seen before) to the general gothic aesthetics, from the OST (that I still listen to this day) to the combat mechanics (the summoning system was amazing but sadly forgotten, no game uses anything like it nowadays). It is so sad that it fell into obscurity, most people compare it with DMC1 and I dont even think they are that similar. Full Review »
  2. Dec 1, 2018
    7
    Chaos Legion is one of those games that uses whatever engine they developed to run Devil May Cry. Based on the novel of the same name, you doChaos Legion is one of those games that uses whatever engine they developed to run Devil May Cry. Based on the novel of the same name, you do your usual hack and slash combat and summon your legions to kill the downright bizarre enemies of this game. After seeing some new CAPCOM US employees trying desperately to play the game (with a surprise visit from Ono), I had to question myself with "Was the game always this hard?" Eventually I popped back in the game and found out... Yeah, the game is pretty hard. After playing through it again, I can say it's an okay game. Nothing special about the combat or the characters. It is fun to just smack things around with fully powered up Thanatos, though. Full Review »
  3. Nov 22, 2016
    7
    it plays like Devil May Cry and Dynasty Warriors made a baby kind of. it has a good, dark atmosphere and tone though i'm not familiar with theit plays like Devil May Cry and Dynasty Warriors made a baby kind of. it has a good, dark atmosphere and tone though i'm not familiar with the source material. i miss this archetypal ps2 era japanese developed character-action games. Full Review »