Replay

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 has a branching story with multiple endings which greatly enhances the game's replay value. If you decide to play both branches, you can easily extend the playing time with another four to five hours. The game also ships with a large number of collectibles that can be unlocked as you play. Unlockables come in the form of dossiers, audiotapes, artwork and alternate costumes for the game's 24 playable characters.

Your playing time is further extended by the ability to upgrade your character throughout the game. These upgrades become available during your interactions with other characters and are based on your demeanor. Your responses are classified as aggressive, diplomatic and defensive and the upgrades that you can access are related to how often you opt for each class of response. Your responses can also give you various boosts and even medals that can alter your character's stats.

The Hack-and-Slash gameplay did get repetitive after a while. Oddly enough, it did not diminish my fun with the game, mostly because of the ability to do a variety of Fusion Attacks. Both normal and Fusion attacks are seamlessly blended together with whatever other action you perform, turning Ultimate Alliance 2's gameplay into a well-oiled machine.

Glitches and closing

While Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is generally a very capable game, it did notice some glitches that hindered the gameplay in certain areas. The worst of these was a particular boss fight that is interrupted by a cut-scene. A new character joins your squad after which you are supposed to finish off the boss. It occasionally happens that the boss is nowhere to be found when control is returned to you. The only way to fix it is to reload from the last checkpoint and try again. There are other examples similar to this one that show a game that was not thoroughly tested through before it was released.

Apart from the Fusion Attacks, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 does not really innovate as compared to its predecessor. Frankly, it doesn't need to. The game still provides a satisfying experience for old and new fans alike, especially if you opt to play it with a couple of friends or play it online.