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Categories: Review
Tags: marvel, rpg, superheroes, xbox 360
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2
Developer: Vicarious Visions
Publisher: Activision
Platform: Xbox 360 (also on PS3)
Released: Sept 15, 2009
Test Freaks’ Freak Score: 7.9/10The original Marvel: Ultimate Alliance was punctuated with wow moments. Whether it was facing off against Galactus on the Skrull homeworld, fighting alongside Thor in Asgard or playing a life or death game of Pitfall, the game took a standard brawler and entrenched it deep in the Marvel mythos. Sadly Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 is a decidedly earthbound affair.
Taking the reins from Raven Software, Vicarious Visions structures the plot against Marvel’s epic Civil War event. A series of disastrous choices by the superheroes has led to the Superhuman Registration Act – a law which puts metahumans under government control and threatens the security afforded by their secret identities.
It’s a move which pits hero against hero and forces the player to side with Ironman’s pro-registration forces or Captain America’s underground anti-registration movement. Now three years out, the Marvel Universe is still dealing with fallout from Civil War so in terms of dramatic pull, it’s excellent source material. But Alliance 2 pulls its punches, leading to a final boss who appears from left field and an ending which rings hollow.
Setting the plot aside, Alliance 2 delivers a great co-op experience (two to four-player online or off). Not counting the DLC, the game offers a 24 character roster to form your four-member team – of course, depending on who you side with, not everyone will be available. Playable characters include recent Marvel movie stars Spider-man, Ironman, Hulk, Wolverine and Deadpool, as well as ones off the radar like Luke Cage, Penance and Songbird.
When you’re talking superheroes, you’re talking superpowers and this is where Alliance 2’s RPG system comes into play. Each character has four key powers (either buffs or attacks) which are mapped to the controller’s face buttons. As you gain experience, you can level these powers up along with some passive abilities which improve your combat performance. The majority of the characters do what you’d expect them to do: Hulk smashes, Spidey webslings, Mr. Fantastic stretches. Standouts include a formidable Susan Storm and Songbird, who has interesting variety to her powers.
Alliance 2 ups the superheroics with Fusion powers. Two characters can use their powers in concert to clear rooms, devastate multiple enemies or deliver massive damage to a single foe. Thor and Human Torch create a fiery tornado. Hulk throws Wolverine for the fan favorite Fastball Special. The Thing hurls a massive boulder which Iceman freezes for extra damage. Each pairing creates a unique Fusion resulting in over 270 specialized attacks.
The Ultimate Alliance games can trace their ancestry back to 2004’s X-Men Legends and Vicarious Visions shrugs off a lot of the franchise’s baggage in this entry, simplifying not only how powers work, but also improving inventory management and letting players swap out characters on the fly. I see most of these changes as improvements, shortening the time players need to spend navigating menus, but I’m not happy that there’s now only one alternate costume per character and that the difference is purely cosmetic.
Instead of dropping loot, bosses now drop medals which add buffs to your team. There are still simulator discs to be collected which unlock challenge missions, but these excursions no longer recall famous comic book battles. Players can level their characters in-game, while the credible AI takes control of their character. Lastly, the trivia minigame returns albeit revamped for a multiplayer experience – which is curiously co-op instead of competitive.
The in-game graphics are an improvement, but level design falls short. As mentioned above, Alliance 2 isn’t as far reaching as the first game, but the linearity was surprising especially with promising locales like Wakanda. Graphics have taken a step back in the rendered cinematics. I fanboyed out my way through Alliance 1, which had one of the greatest opening cinematics of all time. However, more is accomplished in-game, especially during the numerous conversation options available back at bases. (Tip, characters with a shared history should always talk to each other.) And I loved the flashy intros for the boss characters.
There really aren’t enough four-player brawlers; especially ones which allow for in-person co-op play as well as online. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 is a big fish in this small pond – and there’s enough polish here to please even those who aren’t members of the Merry Marvel Marching Society – but compared to Ultimate Alliance’s first outing, this entry is less than marvelous.
Amanda:
I think it’s interesting too–I played as someone not too familiar with the Marvel mythos. Yet the stories and settings of the first game were still more compelling than the second. I remember feeling addicted to the first game and this one, I could take it or leave it.
Paul:
I was disapointed on a couple of levels. As a fanboy I was sad to see the ommision of some of my favorite characters that were included in the first MUA, and for the game itself, It was frustrating not to have access to characters that were being withheld solely to sell games on multiple consoles. That being said. If I hadn’t been spoiled by the first one I would probably have enjoyed it more.
Aramis:
My main feeling is that while this game was fun and cool it wasn’t EPIC which the previous game had in spades.
Also I know it’s meant to be played through twice, but I’d rather have one longer game then retread old ground several times.