Owing its creation to the success of the PS2 game, Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, this sequel to the highly popular franchise was thrown out into a brand new world, one that had certain expectations surrounding its release. So did it live up to these expectations?
Well yes, and no. While MVC3 is indeed a fun game, it lacks quite a lot that its older model had. The game itself is a lot of hectic, face-melting fun, but it doesn’t really hold up to the standards of fighting games nowadays, and it really shows through every mode in the game.
That is to
say, the few modes there are. MVC3: Fate of Two Worlds, is a fairly middle of
the road game in terms of content. Where as MVC2 had a whopping sixty four
characters, MVC3 halves that amount, giving the player thirty two, with more to
be release via DLC (*sighs*). The roster is interesting, being able to choose
from classic Marvel characters like Wolverine, Storm and Magneto, to classics
from the Capcom roster, like Ryu, Chun-Li and Akuma. The rest of the roster is
a combination of some more new, popular characters, like X-23, and Viewtiful
Joe, to some more obscure characters, like Haggar and Deadpool. These
characters are all balanced in a manner that makes the game fun, as the player can
try multiple combinations in the training mode, honing their skills and
learning all the moves the need to know in order to take on the arcade mode.
The Arcade mode is one of the most interesting points that I could talk about in this game, not because of a positive reason, moreso because this game seems to have some sort of epic back story, as seen through the promotional cinematic clips seen in the run up to its release, but the player will never find out exactly what it is. Much like SSFIV, the game tends to forget that arcade modes generally have some substance to them, instead of just throwing several character fights and then the final boss at the end, giving a slight insight into what the characters did following that event, using three comic strip pages with captions and some dialogue underneath them. This was a huge missed opportunity, seeing as they had the voice actors necessary to make fully voiced arcade modes for each and every character. This shows a type of laziness that really lets the game down in a lot of ways, seeing the potential that it had.
The combat itself is the same as MVC2, where the player picks three characters to fight another three characters on screen. The winner is the team with the most health by the end of the battle, or failing that, the team that actually lives. Combat is fast, and flows well, the moves are simple for most of the characters, giving them basic special moves, and more powerful moves granted to them by their Hyper Combo Gauge Bar. When a Hyper Move is used, the character can unleash one of their three most powerful, and colourful, moves. The ability to tag your main character out in order to bring in another character is also a nice change of pace for a fighting game, but characters can also be called in to assist the main fighter in combat. Each character has a range of three moves assigned to a specific class system, which can be picked at the beginning of a match, which can then be used when called in for an assist. The same can be done for Hyper Combos, but by pressing the Left Trigger, you can activate the Crossover Combination move, which summons all three characters to the screen at one to unleash their Hyper Combos. The basic combat itself is simple, where the attacks range from light, medium and heavy attacks, as well as the special attack which is assigned to the ‘A’ button. These attacks allow for simple combos, using regular attacks, and are a refreshing change of pace from previous fighting games, where combo moves were activated through complicated button inputs. The combat is this game is simple and easily accessible to new players, and won’t alienate them from fighting people on their own level. Some more moves and combos are more complicated, but are explained in the instruction manual, which is easy to follow.
However, I
can say that where MVC3 does fall down is the number of modes accessible to the
player. All that MVC3 has to offer is Arcade,
Training, Mission Mode, and Xbox Live, which consists of Ranked and Player
matches, as well as Lobby matches. This is relatively sparse in comparison to
other fighting games, and feels somewhat hollow when you see the effort that
went into making the combat so hectic and entertaining. Online matchmaking is
also a nightmare, as you’ll have to sit down and wait for a long while before
the game either picks up another player, or drops the connection, sending you
back to the main screen. This just doesn’t seem to suit the game, and it would
be nice to have more content to access, along with some more support given to
the game. Online matches of more than two players can also be a tad boring, as
any other player bar the two currently fighting, will have to watch two cards
humping each other, while the names of the characters each player is using, and
the life gauges for each character, as the only things displayed on-screen.
Without the basics as even a spectator mode, this game falls flat from what
should have been a refreshing fighting game that many players could have
enjoyed.
The
graphics, however, are extremely pretty. Each character looks amazingly well
detailed, and their special attacks are very well animated and coloured. It is
a bright game, that really seems to appeal aesthetically to the player. Colour
schemes for each character can be changed to one of four colours, a nice touch,
as with captain America,
we can see multiple costumes that were dawned by him in the comic book series.
It is details like this that make the looks of the game excellent, as even the
attention to the backgrounds is well detailed, as they are fully animated, and
there is always something going on that might draw your eye. Hyper Combos and
their use of colour are also a nice touch, showing off a kind of power that
regular attacks cannot achieve.
The sound is excellent, with proper voice actors and nice fighting sound effects. The music is also a nice touch, with each fighting stage having music that will appeal to nostalgia for any player familiar with either the Marvel or Capcom universe of games.
Overall, MVC3 is a solid fighter, that would have worked much better was it given full support from the beginning of its time. Unfortunately, it lacks the content that makes most games a long-lasting experience, but as it is derived from an older, home-console and arcade game, it is much better to play with people in a room. As party-fighter games go, it has no possible challenge to its title. As a full scale fighting game, it lacks certain elements that are expected in a game of its calibre. Basic modes are missing, and it really takes away from the overall feel of the game being finished.
MVC3 feels like a rush job, that desperately needs some support, without it, the game will surely fall victim to being brushed aside, and will quickly be forgotten, which is a shame, because for all its basic faults, the combat is smooth and fast, the special and hyper moves are easy to pull off, and damn flashy to say the least, the character models are excellent, and the overall feel of the game is great.
Final Verdict:
4/5
A solid,
fun fighter, let down by more than a few questionable decisions for content.
Still a hell of a fast and fun game to play, and highly recommended for fans of
the franchise.Despite it's obvious design flaws, which Capcom have promised to deal with, the game shines as one of the more accessible fighters in the modern market, giving fighting games the element they seem to have lost in recent years....flat out insanity.
Pros:
- Beautiful character designs
- Flashy and over-the-top moves
- Easy and accessible interface
- Well-rounded and balanced characters
- Fast-paced combat
- Wolverine, Haggar and X-23…what else do you need?
Cons:
- Game modes are sparse
- Online can be a nightmare to deal with
- Arcade mode has no story to it whatsoever
WTF? Moment: Humping game cards in large lobby matches…well that’s just annoying and kind of weird.