|
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
With both major comic companies (Marvel and
DC) releasing two superhero titles, Activision have decided to get the
upper hand by releasing Marvel: Ultimate Alliance that is already being
considered by some, the definitive Marvel Comics action, adventure and
role-playing game to have ever been released.
With that said, gamers have the option of
being able to choose a plethora of different Marvel superheroes (25 to
be exact) plus the bonus of being graced with outstanding graphics,
sturdy gameplay and the closest any of us mere mortals will ever get to
experience and star in an interactive comic.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance contains one of the most visually impressive
cinematic openings on the XBox 360 console that begins with Dr. Doom
launching a full scale attack on the S.H.I.E.L.D helicarrier. With the
helicarrier at the mercy to Doom's forces, Nick Fury sends a distress
call to the heroes of the Marvel universe where the player begins their
induction into the world of heroics with Captain America, Spider-man,
Thor and Wolverine. Even though some may not enjoy these characters,
with 21 other characters to select from, there's surely a hero for you.
This first level of the game is extremely tutor-esq in its design that
teachers you the basics behind the title and how to swap between
characters as you battle the forces of Doom. The developers have also
done a great job at ensuring that each character handles differently
from each other, so whether you're flying around as Thor with his giant
hammer or jumping around as Spider-man, you really get a distinct
difference for each superhero. For those diehard comic readers, they
will also be pleased to know that the game also contains a variety of
villains that include the malevolent Galactus and even the insidious
MODOK to name a few of the cameos in the game.
The gameplay of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is extremely reminiscent of
X-Men Legends and even the Baldur's Gate series that combines a variety
of elements from RPG and traditional hack n slash titles. The basic
premise behind the title is to fight your way through a large gamut of
levels, solve puzzles and engage in missions, all under the banner of
super heroics. The developers have hung up their swords and armour and
swapped them for tights and superpowers which works perfectly.
As you progress through the game, your characters also have the ability
to purchase various items and attributes for your characters via the
tokens that you discover throughout the gaming environment. As with all
good RPG titles, for each enemy defeated, you are awarded experience
points that can also be used in upgrading your characters. The control
system of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is extremely adept and gamers of all
abilities will have no issues in mastering the control system. Needless
to say, it doesn't hurt when using the official cordless Microsoft
controller.
For those that love co-op play, the game supports up to 3-players that
allows you to either engage in the storyline or challenge your friends
in discovering who can defeat the most villains in one sitting. Both
off-line and on-line gameplay modes are also available that will
definitely add to the titles longevity. The option of battling your way
through a hoard of villains is great and was quite a hit in our offices,
each of us trying to beat the other's score.
Graphically, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is a
visual treat on the XBox 360 and really shows the prowess of the system
with it highly detailed environment, professional rendered characters
that has this real comic feel to the game. The characters look really
great and mirror their comic book counterparts and match that with a
variety of realistic effects from particle effects to shadows and you
have one impressive looking game.
As with the graphics, the musical score of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
features that traditional Hollywood style orchestral soundtrack which
suits the genre perfectly and match that with a variety of
professionally digitized sound effects and first class voice acting and
this game is short of being perfect.
In conclusion, my only gripe about Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is that the
game is a tad too short and will take the average gamer around 15 hours
or so to complete. However with that said, there are 25 characters to
choose from, so you are guaranteed a few different combinations while
you play through the game a second time. Astonishing graphics, great
gameplay and perfect sound... it's good to be a hero again! (All this
coming from a DC Comics fan!) |
