Game Review: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 PS3

Ultimate Alliance 2 for the PlayStation 3 is a button mashing action role playing game that is quite fun with some good graphics and well created gaming platforms.

Ratings:
Graphics & Audio: 23/25,
Gameplay: 20/25,
Creativity 15/25,
Fun 20/25

Total: 78/100

Having not played the previous Marvel Ultimate Alliance game may not have given me an advantage with this game but a look at other reviews all say Ultimate Alliance is pretty good. Even though the game follows the same basic formula of the previous one this is a tried and true formula with enough variation and new stuff to make it a worthwhile successor.

Ultimate Alliance 2 starts with a decent story and follows the Civil War and Secret War story lines of the Marvel comics, whatever that is. All I know is your in Latveria to kick some butt starting with Wolverine, Spider Man, Iron Man and Captain America led by SHIELD leader Nick Fury.

You have a quick change to any of the four characters using your D pad and two main attacks, a jump and interact button using the shape buttons. Movement of your character is with the left stick while camera control is with the right which makes for some simple controls all around.

A few combination attacks are available from the start using the moves and attacks as well as using the trigger buttons and these are where this game improves over the last. You can combine attacks of two characters simply by pressing a trigger and one of the shapes that will choose which character you use.

The Fusion attacks require you have Fusion which is acquired through attacking and each character you use means a different kind of attack. The attacks will be general to wipe out a group of foes, specific targets to hit a boss or guided to shoot in a given direction.

After gaming through some sections you will be forced to change up your team and at times you will not be able to pick previous characters. Some characters will be unavailable and others will not be unlocked so you are forced to play as some characters even if you don't want to but this is a good thing. Some of the sections require specific abilities and they make you choose characters with these powers or simply make them a part of your team and let you choose the rest.

Gaining experience and orbs levels up characters and unlocks powers as well as finding the Fusion Powers scattered throughout the game. These powers will make further gameplay easier but the gameplay continues to get tougher as well so you kind of need these level ups and new powers.

Other than getting characters better equipped to handle the tougher groups of foes and the bosses that are scattered throughout the levels the game is a simple button masher but can be fun. The games graphics and level design is great and the levels do not seem to be repetitive nor do they get boring and sound is pretty good.

You have great control of the camera and the winding streets and corridors of the gaming areas makes the gaming linear but also well controlled so you don't have too much going on. The game looks great and with effects going off pretty much constantly while battling you have a lot of flashy effects and other things happening.

This may be a warning for those that don't like games with some confusion as there can be a lot going on at any given time when battling but it also means you don't have to be very specific in your attacks. Ultimate Alliance 2 is pretty forgiving for those less talented at targeting with the Sixaxis controller and attacks will be meted out well for the inexperienced as well as the experienced Marvel players.

Part of the storyline and main gaming plot is a split with the heroes where you have to decide to either register with the government or become a fugitive. This goes along with the smaller decisions throughout the game that decides how your group fights using diplomatic, offensive or defensive tactics but makes for a bigger change up in gameplay.

At this point you will lose access to certain characters depending on your choice but many of the characters are pretty interchangeable while playing. Some have attacks that you may prefer, Wolverine is one of my favorites, but in the end it just changes up the story for you and adds to the value of the game.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is a pretty good game and well worth owning with its unique break for plot and story somewhere near the middle. You have a definite replay value with the possibility of changing the main split in the Civil War plot but the other side of the decisions does not really give much variety using the various tactics.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is well worth a purchase or at the very least a rental if you enjoy action games and has a lot of replay value. Ultimate Alliance 2 allows for a good role playing type game for leveling up characters and unlocking those great powers and attacks which is fun in itself.