Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
Review
A “Marvel” of a fighter
by Liam Edwards
reviewed on X360
Not many modes but hours of fun (cntd)
Missions is a mode that requires you to execute set combos that are helpful to learn for that particular character. There are 10 missions for each character, with the first 6 being relatively easy and then the last 4 really taking some time to practise and finish. The missions are great ways for you to learn your characters inside out and really get to grips with what moves are going to be useful against other opponents. Players who have experience with previous fighting games may breeze through these sections, but will take joy in there not being 20 odd combos to complete like Super Street Fighter IV that became ridiculous after the 15th.
Marvel vs Capcom 3 is a game where, if you are serious, you will have absolute hours of fun and will never want to stop. But for players who don’t play many fighting games, the lack of modes may be a disappointment. When I got my copy of Marvel vs Capcom 3, I played it 21 hours straight with friends, and I am still not bored.
Comic book style
Marvel vs Capcom 3 is a beautiful game. The animations are fluid and characters look fantastic. Characters are cel shaded with some fantastic black shadowing that makes the game look like a moving comic book. The game never stops for a breather either; it still looks superb even if you have three people on the screen throwing out huge combos, because the frame-rate stays consistent. The backgrounds look stunning and have a lot of animations and things going on. Depending on what colours you choose for your character, some combinations of colour can blend in with the backgrounds making it hard to follow the characters and what is happening to them. Characters wearing all-black such as Wesker and his black trench coat can become difficult to see on night time stages.
Even if you aren’t playing, Marvel vs Capcom 3 is amazing to watch. With moves being constantly executed and assists being called, it’s just like watching a fast-paced action scene in a movie. Unlike Super Street Fighter IV and Tekken, which are very slow and tactical, Marvel vs Capcom 3 is pure aggression and brute force. In Marvel vs Capcom 3 there is not so much need for tactics but wits and risky decisions to decide whether something will work or not.
Not without problems
Marvel vs Capcom 3 is amazing, well-polished, exciting, intense, fast-paced and many more adjectives. But it isn’t faultless. The roster, while boosted with many exciting new characters, is a lot smaller than in the previous title, and many inclusions seem to be questionable as to why they were chosen over other characters.
Also many of the characters in Marvel vs Capcom 3 can spoil matches and take away from the whole feel of what Marvel vs Capcom 3 should be about. Characters that can constantly spam projectiles at very fast rates take away from the otherwise well balanced gameplay. Characters such as M.O.D.O.K, can fire projectiles that spread across the whole screen at a ridiculously fast rate and only characters with quick teleport moves stand a chance in these situations. Sentinel, a massive complaint that players had with MvC2, is back and just as powerful. He has the highest health bar in the game and some moves that may drive other players insane.
Although there are ways to punish these characters, it takes some serious practise and learning to get around their strengths - and while learning you may lose the heart to play.
Online with Marvel vs Capcom 3 is more or less useless. Many players complained to Capcom about the poor online for Super Street Fighter IV, it being very slow and laggy. Capcom have now used the same for Marvel vs Capcom 3. With more character on the screen and much faster action, this makes playing online almost impossible with a standard connection.
Leave me alone now
One of the most anticipated fighters of the decade is not a disappointment. Rather, it is perhaps one of the greatest of all time. It is also in my opinion one of the best two players versus titles on the market right now no matter what genre.
Marvel vs Capcom 3 is amazing to play and fantastic to watch. It is a game both fighting game fans and regular console players will enjoy and are even able to play together now. It has its problems, but no game is perfect. But with the inclusion of DLC characters in the future, that will boost the roster and hopefully fixes the netcode, Marvel vs Capcom 3 will come very close to fighting game perfection.
I am going to go back to playing now.
9.6
fun score
Pros
Simple mode controls for beginners, fast and furious action.
Cons
Unplayable online mode, unbalanced characters, questionable character choices.
