Rumored for many years among hard-core players, the long-sought third
installment in the legendary Marvel vs. Capcom series has finally arrived
and it's definitely a worthy successor to the previous titles in terms of
gameplay, visuals and depth. It stays true to tradition in many ways, but
adds a few new elements to keep things from becoming stale. At the
beginning of each battle, players select a team of three different
characters, from an extensive roster. There are more than 40 in all, so
there are endless combinations that you can try. Assembling your team is a
key task since you have to balance out different factors such as strength,
ease of use and effectiveness, while also picking characters that match
you playing style and technique. As you'd expect, each player has the
ability to perform their standard array of moves, with many of the
traditional fighter characters retaining their standard attacks and
signature special moves. Players can use a variety of strategic moves such
as air-blocking and multiple jumps, counter moves, and dashing. These can
be quite effective against enemy attacks but you need to learn the
techniques. One key element is knowing exactly when to use these moves
which can be tricky. This only comes with practice, but connecting
successfully produces some incredible multi-hit combos that can inflict
huge amounts of damage on your opponents. In MvC3, timing is a key element
that can make a huge difference and learning to use techniques such as
frame-counting, recovery moves, air-guards and other techniques shows the
game has plenty of depth underneath its flash.
As in the earlier games, MvC3's
over-the-top battles unfold at a blistering pace, so you'll need
incredibly fast reflexes in order to win, but there are many strategic
elements that make this much more than a standard button masher. As you
perform attacks, your character's Hyper Combo gauge increases, and once it
fills, you can then perform super attacks, which can inflict an incredible
amount of damage on your opponent. The power gauge can be filled up with
multiple levels, and building these up to the maximum of five is an
effective strategy. Using these at just the right moment, you can
definitely take opponents' life down significantly if they aren't
blocking. In defensive mode, you can guard against attacks in several ways
and perform counter moves when you successfully block an attack. Your
character can also call on his two team-mates for assists at some point
during the game, but in MvC 3, you have to be careful not to get hit when
they're on the screen, since both characters can take damage
simultaneously, which can devastate your team's chances. Making the
gameplay even deeper is its reliance on teams and co-operation between the
characters. Balancing out their strengths and weaknesses, choosing which
order they'll fight in while also considering the makeup of the opposing
team makes for an incredibly deep strategic title.
MvC3's
collection of characters consists of a wide selection of well-known and
obscure fighters with more than 40 playable in all. On the Capcom side,
there are traditional ever-green SF characters like Ryu, Chun-Li, and
Haggar. There are also popular characters from Darkstalkers including the
sexy succubus Morrigan, Felicia and Hsein-ko. More obscure and unexpected
characters like Arthur from Ghosts 'n Goblins, Zero from Mega Man, Chris
from Resident Evil, Dante and evil Viewtiful Joe are included here as
well. The Marvel Universe brings familiar names like Spider-Man, Hulk,
Captain America, Wolverine, Thor and Iron Man, plus lesser-known favorites
like Storm, Deadpool, Phoenix, and Super Skrull to round out the list.
There's also a selection of more powerful sub-boss characters to use, such
as Doctor Doom and Most characters are playable from the start, but there
are a few unlockable ones available as well, plus bonus characters that
can be downloaded from the online store. For such a wide variety of
characters and styles, the game remains remarkably balanced, but some
characters are much easier to use than others, making it a challenge to
learn each one. Additional bonuses, such as extra endings and costumes
give players motivation to play through each one. Learning their moves can
be time-consuming, but the depth makes using them that much more
rewarding. To give players even more choices, you can select which of
their special moves they'll use during battle, which adds to your attack
options. The selection of characters is quite appealing, and their varied
moves and attacks gives the gameplay plenty of depth and unpredictability.
Several modes of play are available
including a standard arcade mode, training and mission modes. The arcade
mode unfolds in a traditional mode, as you battle through six matches with
other competitors, then face off against the ultimate battle with the
end-boss, appropriately Galactus, the world-eating foe who threatens the
universe. Its definitely one of the more intimidating battles we've seen
in a fighter, and his massive attacks are sure to generate frustration
early on. The good news is that once you get the hang of dodging his
attack beams, its usually a matter of waiting him out The first few times
you'll face him are almost guaranteed to result in frustration and this is
typical of recent Capcom fighters. However, the arcade mode offers loads
of challenge before this as well, so you burnish your skills before you
have to face off against him. The training mode is exactly what it says
and allows you to practice performing moves and timing. There's also an
interesting Mission mode, where you have to perform certain moves on each
stage in order to unlock extra content and earn bonuses. As you complete
each mini-game, more will be unlocked. In addition, there's a mission for
each character in the game, which means it will take some time to complete
this mode. Multiplayer options are also available, which means you can
battle someone at the same time on your console, or connect online to
compete in ranking matches. A warning though, you'll definitely need to
have very good skills if you want to show yourself online, since not doing
so usually results in quick ends to your matches online. Setting up the
matches and tournaments was a relatively simple task and most players will
probably be able to find a matching player, set up their game and get off
and running relatively quickly. While playing against an opponent online
isn't quite the same as someone in the same room, its definitely a
challenge to move up the rankings in this mode.
As you'd expect, the controls are tight
and responsive, and most players familiar with the Capcom style should be
right at home. The commands and structure of moves should be second nature
to most fans by now, and those with joysticks will be happy to learn that
the game has been mapped effectively in terms of button placement. You can
definitely pull of the familiar moves with ease, while performing the
Hyper Combos isn't terribly difficult. This is definitely a game that
rewards practice and skill, but players will also have fun unleashing each
character's powerful attacks, which can be surprisingly satisfying if you
know what you're doing. MvC 3 is definitely aimed at the hardcore player
and there's little doubt that most players will have a great time, with
the game. It definitely lives up to its legacy. While it's aimed at the
primarily hardcore gamer, Capcom has also made a small concession to
casual players with its simple control scheme, where a single button
press, or a button pressed repeatedly unleashes Hyper Combo Attacks. This
makes the gameplay instantly accessible, but the game loses some of its
challenge and depth in the process, since some of the more advanced combos
and move strings aren't available. While you can unleash a lot of power
using these moves, there's a great loss of nuance and strategy. Playing
with the standard controls using either the standard controller offers a
decent experience, but when playing with an arcade stick, the gameplay
truly comes alive and this is where MvC3 really shines. Its definitely one
of the smoothest-playing and best-feeling fighters on the market, though
its hyper-speed and somewhat frenetic gameplay means it's a little more
tilted towards quick reaction than SFIV and SSFIV, placing it a shade
below those titles in terms of overall feel.
MvC3 is a superb-looking game which
mixes 3D rendered characters with a decidedly classic 2D approach to
fighting. This mirrors the approach seen in SFIV last year, but the more
comic-styling means that MvC3 doesn't look quite as realistic or gritty.
There are some end-moves which take the action out of the usual side-view
camera angle, but these don't interfere with the primarily 2D gameplay. In
this respect, MvC 3 doesn't go quite as far into the 3D realm as Super
Street Fighter IV does. This approach is effective because its brightly
colored combatants fill the screen with brilliantly realized animation and
fluid movements. One of the things you'll immediately notice is the speed
at which battles occur, which makes the game loads of fun to look at,
though occasionally the ferocity of battle can be a little bit
overwhelming The renders are fairly good by today's standards, with some
finishing animations and moves that brilliantly brings the battles to life
vivid fashion. The comic book inspired backdrops are quite cool and Capcom
fans will find a number of familiar and fun areas from classic games
recreated while Marvel's Universe is aptly represented with some key
memorable locations here which should excite followers of both companies.
The game's voice-overs are fairly decent and its soundtrack, while nothing
spectacular, does a good job in accompanying the action. It's a fantastic
looking title that enhances the arcade-roots of the franchise, while
brining the overall visual quality up to HD standards.
The recent SFIV revival set the stage
for this series' comeback as well, and while both titles share some
similarities, MvC 3's faster gameplay, more elaborate combo moves,
co-operative gameplay and over-the-top animations give it a much different
feel. It's a much flashier and more accessible game, with its one-button
simple controls offering an easy way in for new players. However, the
depth it offers comes when you delve deeper and find out the multiple
strategies for each character and the huge variety in team composition
offered. The appealing cast of playable characters allows plenty of
entertainment value as you face off against popular figures from the comic
and gaming realms. You definitely won't be bored as you fight your way to
the final battle. Its multiple modes of play, piles of unlockable and
downloadable content and challenging gameplay make MvC 3 a deep fighter
that rewards continued play while not intimidating new players. Marvel vs.
Capcom 3's high quality and deep gameplay delivers an engaging and
entertaining gameplay experience that rewards both new players and
veterans alike.
- Michael Palisano
