People who know me well enough might know what kind of games I'm into. For those of you who don't, pay attention. I'm more for a game that has a single player experience and I like me some story in games. Most of the time, I don't go in for games that really only offer multiplayer, or gameplay that relies heavily on multiplayer (The CoD games are somewhat of an exception). The point I'm labouriously trying to get to is, I'm not really one for racing games, mini game collections or fighting games. Mortal Kombat was an exception, because I've always liked the universe it was set in. Another exception, of sorts, were the Marvel Vs. Capcom games. MVC 3 was released recently, so lets so what I thought, shall we?
STORY
As with many fighting games, the story is told to us mainly through ending sequences, and the opening cinematics. Unfortunately there isn't much dialogue, so I'll try and sum it up as best I can.
Somehow the two worlds of Marvel and Capcom collide, and everyone starts beating up on everyone who looks different. It then becomes apparent that villains of these worlds seem to be working together, with their main plan having something to do with Albert Weskers Uroboros virus, and the power cosmic of Galactus. Yes, the Devourer of Worlds shows up, but only briefly, and theres no real explaination as to what the hell is going on.
The story, as I said before, is conveyed mainly through ending slideshows and the opening cinematics, all of which look awesome. They hint strongly at other characters being transported between worlds, but the whole thing lacks context, or details.
PRESENTATION
Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 looks amazing, once you see through all the particle effect cluster fucks that are the special moves. The game sports a lightly cel shaded aesthetic that really suits the comic book style of the characters, games and the comic book look of the ending slideshows.
The soundtrack is upbeat and high energy, perfect for the high speed combat that the game pulls off so smoothly. There are literally no visual hiccups to speak of, which is amazing, considering how much is going on at any singular moment. The character design is slick, and just detailed enough to not look too busy or messy.
Voice overs for the characters as they spout the name of thier special attacks or partners over and over again are spot on, and never stray too far from what the characters should sound like. Yes, hearing thier voice every time I do a certain move can be irritating, but there is an option to turn it off. Or switch it to Japanese. If you're into that.
GAMEPLAY
Going into MVC3, I assumed that it would be fairly standard compared to most fighters. I was wrong. In the past, many fighting games would require to know the list of intricate combos to be genuinely good, without button mashing. Marvel vs Capcom 3 has changed the usual button layout (two buttons for punching, two for kicks) for a much simpler approach. There's now a button for light, mid and heavy attacks, as well as a special pop up attack to send your opponent flying. While the control scheme is simplified, it still takes a while to master, or even become adequate without relying on button mashing.
For those of you who still feel this might be too much effort, a simple mode has been added. It apparently maps full combos to each button, so have fun kicking as with that. I say apparently because I never got the chance to try it myself. My bad.
My biggest complaint with many fighting games is that sometimes the CPU opponents come of as cheap. While this is certainly true of MVC3, I find it somewhat justified, because the cheapest fight in the game is, you know, GALACTUS. I fdefeating a cosmic entity was easy, then no one would be scared when, you know, it threatens to EAT YOU.
The roster, while not as large as previous games, is quite varied (If only due to the omission of palette swap characters), and no one in particular feels overpowered. Amaterasu (from Okami) has an extremely easy attack that does seriously demented damage, and she has an absurdly small hit box (every attack goes over her). While this seems unfair at first, you then have to remember that she can't take a whole lot of damage. The roster is surprisingly balanced; there are characters who can be completely unbeatable, but its ok, because ALL the characters can be like that.
My biggest problem with MVC3, aside from the lack of contextual story, is that its very light for different modes. While there are training mission modes, as well as online and arcade modes but really, thats about all there is.
Looking at new models or images in the gallery is all well and good, but I buy games to play. MVC3 doesn't have the variation of other games in the market.
REPLAYABILITY
Like I said above, there are very few different modes, so your main source of replayability stems from multiple playthroughs of the Arcade mode, and getting friends over to kick the crap out of them. While fighting games have always been sort of like this, Mortal Kombat showed us that you are allowed some variety in your modes. MVC3 just doesn't show that.
OVERVIEW
Marvel Vs Capcom 3 is a fast paced, over the top, beautifully stylized game with little variety, despite everything it does well. While the game works well enough, theres just not enough to do to keep someone like me interested. I've played the Arcade mode alot, and I still find it fun, but I find myself stopping every so often to play something else. A few more modes would have solved this problem, I believe.
But, if you're looking to just kick some ass, you could do worse than this. The roster isn't huge, but it's varied. Lots of awesome Marvel AND capcom characters have made the cut, and I was impressed to see the Dread Dormammu as a playable character. The simplified control scheme is basic enough to pick up and play, but deep enough for you to master characters with a fair amount of time invested in it. Gamers who enjoy a straight up fight will most likely enjoy this one.
NOW WHERE THE HELL ARE PHEONIX WRIGHT AND FRANK WEST?!
Thats all for this week, for the Tuesday Tophat 5 I'm thinking maybe "Top 5 Characters", or "Top 5 Characters I think need to be added". And for next weeks review, if the fates deem it so, Brink. If not... I havent got a clue.
See you next time!
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