Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (PS3) Review
Posted by Caleb Newby on 12.20.2006
Spiderman and company have invaded the Playstation 3! How does Marvel: Ultimate Alliance fare on Sony's next generation system?
I’ve been eagerly awaiting Marvel: Ultimate Alliance ever since I saw my first screenshot and dreamt of the X-men Legends experience on a PS3. Now that wait is over and I’ve been able to fulfill my spandex clad superhero fantasies at last. Along the way it was also made clear that Ultimate Alliance was more than X-men Legends with touched up graphics.
How much more? Read on to find out.
Graphics:
Speaking of graphics…
Character models look great and are a real step up from previous games of this genre. The fact that each character has three alternative costumes in addition to their standard outfit really adds a nice degree of graphical customization. Most characters alternative costumes are fantastic (such as Spiderman and Thor) though a few leave something to be desired, such as the Fantastic Four.
Special abilities really play out well on the game all nice and pretty like. Some characters in particular *coughHumanTorchcough* really can light up the screen with all kinds of lights and colors in a way that will make you feel all powerful.
Areas and levels are widely varied between stages running the gamut of locals for your butt kicking escapades. It would have been nice to have more variety within a few of the locals but on the whole most are detailed and varied enough to keep you from finding it repetitive.
Gameplay:
This game is meant to be played with you and your buddies for some great multiplayer action. Or so I thought. Actually M:UA is a surprisingly good single player experience as well.
You are in control of one of four superheroes at any given time during the game with the freedom to change between the active four heroes at any moment. I’ve found this to be particularly useful during single player sessions as the computer A.I. tends to focus on your character and leave your other team members alone. This can work quite well in your favor in a tight spot. Say you’re Spiderman and are quickly losing life. Switch over to Wolverine and watch the A.I. turn its attention to your new superhero as Spiderman is able to take a breather and rest up to full. While not a foolproof strategy it does work more than you’d expect.
One dynamic that is particularly nice is the ability to fly with characters that have the ability traditionally. It’s a weird sense of joy if you’re Thor flying high above your friend Captain America who is forced to walk below your mighty shadow. Small touches in the characters abilities make them feel unique. Often in a game like this characters would have different looking attacks but in the end they’d all do the same thing. In M:UA, if that’s the case it’s certainly hidden as different characters felt more useful than others. And that’s a good thing as all heroes are not created equal.
The biggest flaw in M:UA is also the biggest flaw in all action-rpg games right now, which is how repetitive the game can start to feel. While the characters, gameplay, and overall content is strong, in the end you are still repeatedly smashing the box, kill the grunt, get the coins, rinse and repeat. This should come as no surprise to gamers already familiar with the formula and know what they are getting into, but it bears being mentioned. Hopefully the action-rpg genre is given a shot in the arm to revitalize it soon.
Sound:
One criteria that always seems to work when judging sound is this little rule: is it terribly annoying after an hour? This gem works for music, sound effects, and voice acting.
The musical score is sweeping and at times epic, enhancing the gameplay experience. A particular boss battle comes to mind, though it’ll remain unmentioned as to not ruin the surprise. Voice acting is also generally solid. Fortunately even the less inspired performances are not enough to diminish the dialogue. Ultimately the quality of the voice work will depend upon your familiarity with the characters and level of fandom with the Marvel universe.
Lasting Appeal:
The amount of unlockables is ridiculous and should keep you going for many, many hours. Beyond the standard difficulty levels and ability to level up your characters, M:UA has brought back the simulator disks from X-Men Legends.
To unlock everything (and everyone) in the game you’ll have to go through each of these side missions that detail previous events in Marvel’s timeline. Some missions allow you to form a team of any 4 heroes and fight a super-villain, but the most interesting variety force you to play as one particular character reliving a major moment from their past. It’s a great feature as it gives you experience using a character you might not otherwise have used before and familiarizes you with them. Complete the stage well enough and receive bonuses as well, including an alternate uniform.
The sheer number of secrets to find couples with the multiplayer will keep you busy for multiplayer or solo gaming.
Fun Factor:
M:UA’s real joy comes from playing with your friends as one of a host of superheroes as realized on the next generation of gaming hardware. You’re able to grab a controller, a few buddies, and shut your brains off and just have a good time for a few hours. Unfortunately when you don’t want to shut your brain off you’ll find yourself wishing for something more.
The 411:
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance improves upon some of the formula that made X-Men Legends successful and leaves other aspects alone. The graphical upgrade and character enhancements are what really sets this title apart from the previous games. Unfortunately the all too familiar formula for action-rpgs pulls this title down a notch.
Graphics
8.0
Lots of nice eyecandy, particularly within the cut scenes.
Gameplay
7.5
Variety of characters ups the enjoyment, though the
Sound
7.5
Strong musical score is a highlight.
Lasting Appeal
8.5
There is so much to unlock that you'll be kept busy for a long, long time. Multiplayer of course adds a lot as well.
Fun Factor
7.5
With friends it's a riot, just don't expect to be challenged.
