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Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2
September 28, 2009 | 2:57 AM PST
Kombo's Review Policy: Our reviews are written for you. Our goal is to write honest, to-the-point reviews that don't waste your time. This is why we've split our reviews into four sections: What the Game's About, What's Hot, What's Not and Final Word, so that you can easily find the information you want from our reviews.
What the Game's About
If you're into the whole superhero orgy thing, you'll probably dig Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 (M: UA2) a lot. It's not a flashy adventure romp like last months' Batman: Arkham Asylum; in fact, it's quite the opposite. Marvel's latest outing into the video game world once again combines a star-studded superhero cast with action-RPG mechanics to create an enjoyable but messy night in with your gaming console. It's more-or-less like the first Ultimate Alliance, as you kick evil-conspirator ass with the likes of Spider-Man, Mr. Fantastic, Iron Man and Wolverine through various levels in order to gain experience points and ability orbs to build up your team's stats.
There are over 20 heroes to pick'n'mix into your team, and because there's a good amount of unique abilities and skills to learn, you'd be hard pressed to find a deeper upgrade system for a comic book game this year. Apart from the usual, this sequel has also implemented the new Fusion system, where two heroes can pair up to unleash their own unique dances of death to scrubs and supervillains alike.
What's Hot
Anything with co-op usually gets a thumbs up, and M: UA2 is no exception. Though there are a few games out there that encourage online co-op play, we're glad to know that offline hasn't been duly ditched in Ultimate Alliance 2. The non-requirement for a split-screen means that playing with a friend won't concede half of your TV to the other half of the action. Again, the adventure feels more vibrant when played with a friend who shares the same enthusiasm as you for men and women in tights. Especially the men. There are four heroes in a team, and depending on how many human gamers are playing beside you, you may or may not be able to change who you play as. While the single-player may get stale, co-op allows you to execute Fusion moves easier and requires less micromanagement of your team members when you're having a blast slicing and dicing with a character such as Deadpool and Hulk.
While it's not awe-inspiringly shocking, the amount of heroes, skills, and upgrades post up some impressive numbers for an action RPG. While the first sets of skills are a little elementary, as you progress and put more time in the game, you'll notice that even the movie cash-in-less Captain America becomes manly. The beauty with M: UA2 is that while there are over 20 heroes to choose from as they slowly unravel, most of them are surprisingly well balanced. Each hero has strengths and weaknesses that, with the right team management, can compliment each other and cause unparalleled carnage.
What separates this second iteration from the first are the newly introduced Fusion abilities. These skills are vital in taking down scum, from military goons to comic book baddies. You essentially use teamwork to "combine" your powers with another superhero, useful for wiping out an entire room. The possibilities seem endless; imagine as Iron Man fires up his beam to use Wolverine's adamantium claws as a reflector, spreading the radius of the blast. Or in another instance, letting Spider-Man use his webs to pull thug fodder in while the Human Torch makes a barbecue out of them. Once executed, these unique Fusion abilities always conjure up something impressive.
Perhaps one of the largest elements that may play into Marvel's replayability is its much-improved narrative. As with all RPGs, there needs to be some sort of storyline attached that's hopefully better than Gears of War's. Based on the tale told in the comic Civil War, the centerpiece of the storyline revolves around a divide between our hearty heroes. Early in the adventure, you get to side with the team you think is more badass, and branch your story from there on forward. Not only does this dual-narrative almost guarantee another playthrough, they actually create a strong enough incentive for casual superhero fans to dig deeper into the geeky world of Marvel lore. While it doesn't tell the greatest tale of all, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 does have its moments and floats its head above mediocre waters thanks to a rather engaging plot with light twists and turns.
What's Not
Ultimate Alliance 2 isn't all that ugly, but it isn't Natalie Portman before the whole hair-shaving ordeal thing either. The character models, while adequate, aren't all that great. The environments are varied, but they are hardly what you'd call outstanding material. Compared to the likes of many other next-gen games such as Gears, Bioshock, Resident Evil 5 and Mass Effect, M: UA2 looks rather ugly. Fortunately, the competition is usually never that tough. Though while not all games are as sexy as Bioshock, there's really no excuse for the inclusion of some downright blocky enemies and lack of anti-aliasing that, in turn, has resulted in jagged-looking character models. For a game that's being offered in the same quarter as Batman: Arkham Asylum and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, you better be damn well confident that young'ins today still believe in the old adage that gameplay trumps graphics. Being brutally honest, Marvel's latest can't compare to DC Comics' good looking Batman.
We like depth, don't get us wrong, but more varied combat would do Ultimate Alliance 2 some good. Yes, it's an action RPG, so the whole point is to level up and make your characters buff, but seriously, we would've appreciated some variety in its combat mechanics. It plays a lot like a hack'n'slash, in turn, making the combat a sad button mashing affair. The Fusion system is a welcomed addition to (pardon the pun) combat this problem of repetition, but oh what we would've done for Stan Lee and Co. to implement a more prominent blocking, counter and evasion system. Superheroes are indeed stronger than the rest of the civilized pack, but it would've definitely been appreciated if they fought with a bit of depth. After all, it is still an action RPG.
Final Word
To be frankly honest, the first Ultimate Alliance game never held my attention for too long. Despite its shortcomings, the sequel has done something right to at least get my eyes glued to the screen, excited for which characters I'd unlock, what new skills can be learned, and where the heroes' destinies would ultimately lie. Co-op is nothing new, but the carnage-natured Fusion moves does pose an interesting question for those that played the first: how in the hell did we play it in the absence of the Fusion system? No great leaps have been made, and its visuals may be sub-par, but Marvel's second outing has pulled all the stops to make us appreciate an enjoyable comic romp with a friend in its well-versed world.
What the Game's About
If you're into the whole superhero orgy thing, you'll probably dig Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 (M: UA2) a lot. It's not a flashy adventure romp like last months' Batman: Arkham Asylum; in fact, it's quite the opposite. Marvel's latest outing into the video game world once again combines a star-studded superhero cast with action-RPG mechanics to create an enjoyable but messy night in with your gaming console. It's more-or-less like the first Ultimate Alliance, as you kick evil-conspirator ass with the likes of Spider-Man, Mr. Fantastic, Iron Man and Wolverine through various levels in order to gain experience points and ability orbs to build up your team's stats.
There are over 20 heroes to pick'n'mix into your team, and because there's a good amount of unique abilities and skills to learn, you'd be hard pressed to find a deeper upgrade system for a comic book game this year. Apart from the usual, this sequel has also implemented the new Fusion system, where two heroes can pair up to unleash their own unique dances of death to scrubs and supervillains alike.
What's Hot
Anything with co-op usually gets a thumbs up, and M: UA2 is no exception. Though there are a few games out there that encourage online co-op play, we're glad to know that offline hasn't been duly ditched in Ultimate Alliance 2. The non-requirement for a split-screen means that playing with a friend won't concede half of your TV to the other half of the action. Again, the adventure feels more vibrant when played with a friend who shares the same enthusiasm as you for men and women in tights. Especially the men. There are four heroes in a team, and depending on how many human gamers are playing beside you, you may or may not be able to change who you play as. While the single-player may get stale, co-op allows you to execute Fusion moves easier and requires less micromanagement of your team members when you're having a blast slicing and dicing with a character such as Deadpool and Hulk.
While it's not awe-inspiringly shocking, the amount of heroes, skills, and upgrades post up some impressive numbers for an action RPG. While the first sets of skills are a little elementary, as you progress and put more time in the game, you'll notice that even the movie cash-in-less Captain America becomes manly. The beauty with M: UA2 is that while there are over 20 heroes to choose from as they slowly unravel, most of them are surprisingly well balanced. Each hero has strengths and weaknesses that, with the right team management, can compliment each other and cause unparalleled carnage.
What separates this second iteration from the first are the newly introduced Fusion abilities. These skills are vital in taking down scum, from military goons to comic book baddies. You essentially use teamwork to "combine" your powers with another superhero, useful for wiping out an entire room. The possibilities seem endless; imagine as Iron Man fires up his beam to use Wolverine's adamantium claws as a reflector, spreading the radius of the blast. Or in another instance, letting Spider-Man use his webs to pull thug fodder in while the Human Torch makes a barbecue out of them. Once executed, these unique Fusion abilities always conjure up something impressive.
Perhaps one of the largest elements that may play into Marvel's replayability is its much-improved narrative. As with all RPGs, there needs to be some sort of storyline attached that's hopefully better than Gears of War's. Based on the tale told in the comic Civil War, the centerpiece of the storyline revolves around a divide between our hearty heroes. Early in the adventure, you get to side with the team you think is more badass, and branch your story from there on forward. Not only does this dual-narrative almost guarantee another playthrough, they actually create a strong enough incentive for casual superhero fans to dig deeper into the geeky world of Marvel lore. While it doesn't tell the greatest tale of all, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 does have its moments and floats its head above mediocre waters thanks to a rather engaging plot with light twists and turns.
What's Not
Ultimate Alliance 2 isn't all that ugly, but it isn't Natalie Portman before the whole hair-shaving ordeal thing either. The character models, while adequate, aren't all that great. The environments are varied, but they are hardly what you'd call outstanding material. Compared to the likes of many other next-gen games such as Gears, Bioshock, Resident Evil 5 and Mass Effect, M: UA2 looks rather ugly. Fortunately, the competition is usually never that tough. Though while not all games are as sexy as Bioshock, there's really no excuse for the inclusion of some downright blocky enemies and lack of anti-aliasing that, in turn, has resulted in jagged-looking character models. For a game that's being offered in the same quarter as Batman: Arkham Asylum and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, you better be damn well confident that young'ins today still believe in the old adage that gameplay trumps graphics. Being brutally honest, Marvel's latest can't compare to DC Comics' good looking Batman.
We like depth, don't get us wrong, but more varied combat would do Ultimate Alliance 2 some good. Yes, it's an action RPG, so the whole point is to level up and make your characters buff, but seriously, we would've appreciated some variety in its combat mechanics. It plays a lot like a hack'n'slash, in turn, making the combat a sad button mashing affair. The Fusion system is a welcomed addition to (pardon the pun) combat this problem of repetition, but oh what we would've done for Stan Lee and Co. to implement a more prominent blocking, counter and evasion system. Superheroes are indeed stronger than the rest of the civilized pack, but it would've definitely been appreciated if they fought with a bit of depth. After all, it is still an action RPG.
Final Word
To be frankly honest, the first Ultimate Alliance game never held my attention for too long. Despite its shortcomings, the sequel has done something right to at least get my eyes glued to the screen, excited for which characters I'd unlock, what new skills can be learned, and where the heroes' destinies would ultimately lie. Co-op is nothing new, but the carnage-natured Fusion moves does pose an interesting question for those that played the first: how in the hell did we play it in the absence of the Fusion system? No great leaps have been made, and its visuals may be sub-par, but Marvel's second outing has pulled all the stops to make us appreciate an enjoyable comic romp with a friend in its well-versed world.
February 8, 2010
