Review
Release Date: 11.17.2006
Platform:
PlayStation 3Developer:
Raven SoftwarePublisher:
Activision, Inc.Reviewed by
Richard Brownell on 1.15.2007
| Review Rating: 7/10 | User Rating: 7/10 |
The PS3's launch was generally considered to only contain one hit title, Resistance: Fall of Man. And while that may be true, it doesn't mean every PS3 fan likes shooters. There are those of us who prefer RPGs...with comic book heroes...and tons of comic book villains to destroy. For them, there is Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, a game that despite its flaws is a lot of fun to play. Because the two versions are remarkably similar, what follows is same as the Xbox 360 review, until the last few paragraphs.
The Marvel universe is made up of thousands of characters. So it must have been difficult for Raven Software to limit the playable characters of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance to about 30. And it must have been even harder to make it so that you don’t feel like you are missing out on much while playing. After all, the precursors to Marvel: UA are X-Men Legends 1 and 2 and we only get a small handful of X-Men to play as here. But for the X-Men we don’t get, we get another character or two from other Marvel franchises, from Spider-Man to the Fantastic Four.
So how does one fit so many Marvel characters into one storyline? There isn’t really any elegant way to mishmash things, so we’re thrust into the story with S.H.I.E.L.D.’s helicarrier being attacked. Nick Fury puts out a call for help to any and all superheroes. We begin our story playing as the first four to respond, Captain America, Spider-Man, Thor, and Wolverine. It’s surely a strange combination of superheroes, but that’s what this game is all about.
Dr. Doom is the one responsible for the attack on S.H.I.E.L.D. He has put together a group of supervillains he calls the Masters of Evil. Throughout the game, you must face each member of his nefarious crew. The plot that unfolds is not the most compelling. When you jam together a ton of good guys and a ton of baddies, all from different franchises but linked in the Marvel universe, I'm not sure any storyteller could craft a plot that would be both interesting and faithful to each and every franchise. The plot works just enough to keep things moving.
Between missions, the entire story is played out at a series of bases. These range from Stark Tower, home to Iron Man (Tony Stark), to Asgard, the home of gods from Norse mythology like Thor and Odin. The constants between each base are the review computer, where one can check out concept art and other unlockables, and the training computer, where one can play through simulator discs that are special missions outside of the main storyline. But each base has their own unique aspects, such as characters hanging around and of course, different scenery. It's fun to walk through these the first time, but to then go back through between each mission makes you really wish you could use your characters' flying ability, which is disabled for no good reason here.
The real bread and butter of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, like the X-Men Legends games, is going through the levels. They are bigger than ever in Ultimate Alliance and also thankfully more varied than ever. Each base that is traveled to has a few missions that correspond to it. The levels are all made up of a series of corridors filled with the baddies of that area with a boss at the end and sometimes a mini-boss in the middle. To keep things fresh, there are occasional puzzles that don't require too much thought such as moving a power supply into place or diffusing a bomb by pressing a series of buttons that flash on the screen at you.
But the core of the levels is definitely the combat. At any time, you can play as any four characters you have unlocked. You pick them at save points in the base areas as well as in certain parts of each level. Each character has a weak attack and a chargeable strong attack. They can jump and double jump, which for some characters means flying, web slinging, or ice gliding. And of course each character has a set of four powers that can be selected, which are all mainly of three types - melee, missile, and boost. The powers are definitely the best that have been in a game like this, offering a nice selection for each character. Flying in particular is better than past games, making it seem like you have a good amount of control over the flying characters' abilities. But if you want to use more than the four slots, you have to cycle through on the fly while fighting, which is quite cumbersome. It's best to just pick four powers you like and stick with them.
In the comic book source material, there is something special about each of the characters that are playable in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. But in the transition to the game, some of that is lost. Sure, we can websling with Spider-Man and we can bite people with Blade. But in balancing the game, a little something special is lost. The strong attack button, when held, starts a chargeable attack. With each character, this causes their hand to glow. But Wolverine's claws don't glow in the comics. Similarly, every character has a boost attack that when used, puts a glowing halo around their feet. These are fine as a game mechanic, but certainly not true to the source material. And what really strays from the originals is that almost all characters are equally skilled at physical combat. I'm sorry, but if Storm and Thor get in a fist fight, they won't come out a tie. Though it would unbalance the game a bit, I would be fine with the Invisible Woman not being able to take down an ice giant with her bare hands.
Sadly, the enemies in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance tend to suffer the same fate. Bosses basically come in two varieties. One type is the brawler type. They have their superpowers that they use, but much of the combat is just a big brawl between the four heroes and the villain. The other type, which I would say is the lesser type, cannot be harmed in any way without doing what the game designers want. For each enemy of this type, what happens is different, but for you it is always pressing a series of buttons as they come on the screen. Want to kill the Kraken? Press A, B, B, Y, X, repeat three times, and you're done. But why must things be that way? Again, something special is lost. Just because these enemies happen to be ginormous doesn't mean I should have to use some piece of the environment to destroy them. With my characters' combined might, I have power over ice, fire, lightning, swords, guns, super strength, claws, and the power of a god. You'd think we'd be able to lay down just about anything in our path without having to enter in a random button combination, which after the first boss is just going through the motions.
As a fan of the characters in the game, I have just shown my disappointment. But as a fan of action RPGs, those aspects of Ultimate Alliance are one of the improvements over past games. Each power has a certain number of slots that bring it up to its maximum power. As you gain levels, you get points to put in the slots. By default these are automatically assigned, though I recommend turning that off. Just as it is best to pick your four available powers, you should put points into those powers rather than ones you don't use. Each character can also equip one item, which are sometimes for specific characters, other times for anybody. These do anything from giving a boost to health or powers to giving extra experience. And on top of that, each character has four costumes to choose from. These must be unlocked, and each costume has three of its own skills, which are similar to equipped items. With money earned from playing through levels, you can increase the potency of the costumes.
One of the key features of Ultimate Alliance is the ability to create your own "team." Like I said before, you always have four characters in your party. But above and beyond that, you can create your own team, which you can give a name to, like "The Avengers +1" or "Wolverine Smells." As long as you are playing with the four characters of your team, you gain reputation and with that you can purchase team bonuses, which are similar to bonuses from equipment except that they apply to your entire team. If four is too few, one of the first things you'd want to purchase is the ability to add more members to your team, because swapping characters in and out of your team will cost you reputation.
When your team is not out foiling Dr. Doom's plans, you can play through the training simulator discs. These are either matches against Marvel baddies where you can use whatever team you want or matches where you play as a single character and re-enact a scene of comic book history. They are pretty fun and serve their purpose of adding a bit more longevity to the title.
The PS3 version of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance only has a few differences from the Xbox 360 version, besides of course the lack of achievements. It may not have Xbox Live, but it does allow for online co-op. It's gotten a boost to 1080p, but the graphics aren't the best so it isn't a major bonus. The big feature that Raven added to the PS3 version is SIXAXIS support. It can be used for dodging, charging powers, grabbing and throwing, and in some boss battles. Unfortunately, it feels tacked on, because it is. Ultimate Alliance didn't need SIXAXIS controls. And it seems like enemies are programmed to grab you much more often in hopes that you'll be shaking that controller all night long.
Another unfortunate aspect of the PS3 version is that the frame rate gets choppy from time to time. It's hardly game breaking, but it shows a lack of polish. There's nothing in particular that would sway me towards or away from the PS3 version or the Xbox 360 version. Whatever platform you prefer is the one you should go with. Personally, I'll stick with the 360 version because I like achievements and I don't care for the SIXAXIS controls.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is not everything Marvel fans have hoped for. Raven and Activision seem content enough to create good games and dare not venture into the realms of greatness. They make just enough improvements to keep the games interesting, but they are still held back by subpar graphics, a lack of style, and simply a lack of what makes each superhero and villain so unique and interesting in the first place. Despite that, Ultimate Alliance is still damn fun and if you enjoyed either of the X-Men Legends games, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
