The first Marvel Ultimate Alliance game was a big hit when it was released in 2006 on the then one-year old Xbox 360, and as a launch title for the newly released PS3. Fans of the Marvel Comics universe loved this game because it was a simple and straightforward brawler that allowed you to play a huge selection of popular characters and unlock more as you went along. After a three year wait, the sequel Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is finally ready to do battle, but this time the original developer Raven Software has handed off the duties to Vicarious Visions, and the end result is basically more or less the same as the original, but with a few more spices added to the mix.
gameplay
The pitch for Ultimate Alliance 2 is plucked right out of the pages of two popular Marvel Comic series, Secret War and Civil War. The game unfolds with SHIELD director Colonel Nick Fury leading a group of heroes that includes Iron Man, Captain America, Spiderman and Wolverine in an unofficial invasion Castle Doom in Latveria on a mission to destroy the supply link for weapons of mass destruction that are falling into enemy hands. On the surface the mission is successful, but the government is outraged unleashing a trigger effect that puts all superheroes under their watchful eye. But things only get worse when a team of heroes attempts to bring down a villain named Nitro, but in the process an explosion he caused kills 600 innocent civilians. This event results in the government enacting a law called the Superhuman Registration Act (SRA) that requires all superheroes to register their identities. This splits the heroes into those who are for it, such as Iron Man, and those who rebel against it and go underground such as Captain America.
The story is tight because it sticks close to the original source material with some added twists. In terms of gameplay, anyone who played the first Ultimate Alliance will know exactly what to do, because the template has not been changed. You get an overhead view displaying four heroes at a time working together as a team. If you play the game solo, you can quickly select from the four superheroes on the fly, using their unique attributes to get you through situations. When you need brute strength, select a powerhouse like The Thing. If you need someone who can fly above and around, Iron Man is the guy for you. And if you want a killing machine that just plows through the baddies, then it’s Wolverine.
The basic brawler gameplay is intact allowing you to use combos of your selected character’s special skills to take down enemies, and of course you can level up your abilities RPG style to make them more powerful via micro-management. The one real addition to gameplay is the Fusion Attacks, which allow two heroes to combine their powers to take out everything in their path. This is a welcome addition and extremely useful when your heroes are surrounded by a mass of enemies. Fusion Attacks must be regenerated once they are used, so during gameplay it’s best to use a tactical approach so they are not wasted.
With the exception of the Fusion Attack gimmick and some cool new characters that were not in the first game such as Venom, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is more or less the same game as it was the first time around. For Marvel fans this may be a plus or a minus depending on who you ask, but gamers in general may desire much more now that the latest batch of games based on comic book characters such as Batman and Wolverine have been very well received. As Brawlers go, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 has some good moments, and is obviously much more effective if you’re playing with others as a team, but overall the game is more or less a 1.5 than a full 2.
graphics
The look of the game is one of the main reasons it feels like a 1.5 than an actual 2, because the graphics, while acceptable two years ago, now look just basic. The cutscenes that show the progress of the story are top notch, but when you get into gameplay it’s the same old bag as the first time around. The character models look flat and their actions just don’t come off as fast as they should. The one main highlight is the Fusion Attacks, which depending on what two heroes you combine will literally make the screen light up. After playing Batman: Arkham Asylum, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is a graphical letdown that may be impressive on the Wii, but not at all on the Xbox 360 or PS3.
sound
Again, just as it was with graphics, everything with the audio is basically what was there in the last game. The voice acting is right out of a Saturday morning cartoon, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The sound effects are the biggest highlight of the game, particular when you perform a Fusion Attack and the sound of everything on the screen being demolished echoes. But overall, you heard it before and new real new elements have been added to the mix.
replay value
Here’s where the game shines, because whether you have some buddies sitting in the room with you, or you’re playing with others as a team online, you will have a kick ass time with this game. Playing solo requires a lot of babysitting for other characters who may be taking hits and are about to die, but when all you all to do is worry about yourself, you can really exploit the game. There are also so many characters to unlock, hidden items to find, and different outfits to acquire, that you will keep coming back just to see The Fantastic Four suit up in new gear. Not to mention that there are two stories going on at once, Secret War and Civil War to keep you fulfilled.
bottom line
Marvel fans will eat this up, but anyone expecting a whole new overall may be somewhat disappointed because if you finish the first game and immediate start up this one, it won’t be much of a leap. The Fusion Attacks are a nice addition, but it’s the RPG styled power-ups, plus the quest to find everything and unlock all the characters in the game that will keep you coming back. If you have three other friends who you can team up with on the spot or online, then you’ll really get the full juice of the game. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is not the fresh sequel that was expected, and feels more like a big add on, but if you get into it, there’s plenty of Marvel fun to be had. Excelsior!
Review by: Johnny McNair
Posted: 11/16/2009
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Gameplay:
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7.5 |
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Graphics:
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7.0 |
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Sound:
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7.0 |
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Replay Value:
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7.5 |
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Bottom Line:
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7.5 |
