logan j. fowler is gonna take you for a ride …
Ten-plus years after the release of Marvel vs. Capcom 2, the company known as Capcom has created a follow up to the crossover classic titled Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate Of Two Worlds. Using a brand-new engine on which to run the game, the number of characters since Marvel vs. Capcom 2 has severely diminished, leaving out some missed opportunities (Ken, Mega Man, Gambit for example), but still retains the big names on both sides that’ll keep fans coming back for more.
The story is just a thread to hold it all in place — seems that an overpowering force is coming to destroy the planet, and both sides must crossover to work together (or, in the real sense of the fighter, against their respective sides while possibly joining up with characters from the other side, or just remaining with their side all together … wow that was confusing wasn’t it?). This “story” is played out in the arcade mode of the game, which has you participating in several fights before leading up to the final battle.
The arcade mode has you and two other characters battling an opposing team, and doing this again for several rounds before taking down the final boss. Whoever is the character to defeat the final boss gets an ending that reads like a comic book, and the more you play this mode, the more you will unlock. Unlockables include sounds, galleries, new characters, etc. This is the default single player setting for the game and while it is fun, it doesn’t match battling with someone else (which I’ll get into in a little bit)
There is also another offline single player mode that is titled mission mode, which has the character of your choice participating in an arena where you have to do a specific move to complete the mission. I tried this mode out recently and I can’t say I was impressed with it. It was very unnecessary, and also trying to pull off certain moves was tough. The only redeeming factor is that it will want you to do a specific move making you want to look at the instruction manual, but in the heat of battle, you are going to bash buttons most likely anyway. Most people try to memorize the moves, which is a better idea anyway.
There is also the standard training mode, which basically just allows you some time to get familiar with the game, and really, the mission mode is just a souped up version of this, except without the explicit “do this move” prompt.
Mulitplayer is either two player local, or you can choose the arena where you need to showcase some knowledge of said game otherwise you will walk away crying — online. Local is undoubtedly fun, as you and your friend will cringe as the health bars get low and the fight to the close finish will have you crying out with victory or defeat. Online is where you will encounter people who play this game like it’s their job, and trust me when say, it’s very frustrating when you can’t even get a hit in. If you have a friend who has the game and can play it online with them, it may change those results. However, when you go in with an opponent you have no connection to personally, then prepare for the worst.
I got to get a preview of this game in October 2010 at New York Comic-Con, and I will say the same thing I said then: This game is flashy and colorful as all get out, and contains characters that have distinct personality traits that really make each stand out. Deadpool, for instance, breaks the fourth wall (a true to form trait of his comic book counterpart), and will never shut up (he is the “merc with a mouth,” after all), all the while his guns are blazing. In addition to Deadpool’s special moves, all the fighters have a flashy special combo that will begin like a wind-up pitch in front of a blue screen that in a few seconds will have said fighter unleashing a major dose of mayhem. Time it perfectly and you’ll be treated to your character dishing out a beat down, but timing IS key. One wrong move and you could be either blocked or on the wrong side of your opponent.
The controls are slightly different from the predecessor, as switching characters (out of a team of three) took some getting used to (I’m not an instructional manual kind of person-I learn by doing, so maybe this is just me). However, pulling off combos is easier, whether it be special or air, as I’ve realized.
Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a clash of crossovers that will keep fans of the series battling it out locally with buds or online against possible strangers for a long time, or just using the arcade mode as just a default setting for those who can’t do either at a given moment. I’m not a big fan of the genre, but don’t consider my love for Marvel Comics a bias in buying the game. Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is one of the best fighters around, period.
My rating: “Thumbs up, soldier!”
