Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 | Xbox 360 | Third-Person Action | September 25th, 2009

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is the newest sequel in the Ultimate Alliance saga; infamous superheroes of the Marvel comics are back once again to save the world. With a few new updates and tweaks over its predecessor, there is plenty of fast paced action and adventure to go around. Does the game have enough super powers to keep its peace?

To comic book fans, the Marvel Civil War might seem all too familiar. However, to gamers who have never read any sort of Marvel comic, the plot to Ultimate Alliance 2 might seem a bit confusing and overwhelming at times. To simplify, after a brief mission with Nick Fury, the Government is held up in an uproar about Super Powers and the Superheroes themselves and thus enacts the Superhero Registration Act. This forces all superheroes to reveal their secret identities to the Government and fully revealing themselves to the public. This also causes some tension between the heroes themselves and causes a Civil War. In the middle of all that, someone is taking advantage of the situation and causing havoc all over the world. This has our superheroes putting aside their differences to help save the Earth once again.

As I said it can be a lot too swallow especially if you’ve never read the comic series from the beginning. There is also a bit of a plot twist towards the end of the game that just falls short of being realized. Besides all that however, fans of the Marvel universe on its own should still get some enjoyment out of it. There is nothing like having a button mashing action fest that Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 boasts. It harkens back to the days of the original action-RPGs. A big plus to the game is being able to complete the game with 3 other friends either locally or online. This is something that is surely recommended even though your ally AI is more then enough to carry you through. With all the action on screen, thankfully the game doesn’t suffer from any lag issues.

 

At certain points throughout the game you are forced to pick a side during the conversation such as Aggressive or Diplomatic as well as one more. This is what gives the game its replay ability considering any villains and characters you meet are affected by your conversational outcomes.  There is a huge roster of characters from the popular ones like Wolverine and Spider-Man too cult favorites like Gambit and Deadpool. While each character have their own special abilities to get the job done, it’s always nice to keep things fresh and add in other characters. However, if your characters fall in battle their spots on the team are locked out and you aren’t able to switch them unless they are revived. To build the ultimate team it takes skill and leveling up. As you continue to move through the game you’ll earn points which can be used to upgrade super powers and general abilities. To keep in mind, you also have medals you can collect throughout each level to use as a power boost for even more added effect.

If you’re lacking on experience you can always replay missions in the HUB after loading up your game or you can jump into some Marvel trivia to earn some quick. The game can last you a good 10 hours and you can throw on a few more if you wish to go through the opposite faction story and unlock every character in the game. There are unfortunately a few bugs in the game that keep it from giving you the complete experience. Keep in mind that every character is different and thus controls differently, but the basic premise is the same when attacking. Another issues is the games camera; you are given full control of the camera but it’s still not something you’ll find enjoyment out of. The camera is locked in one view and at times becomes cumbersome when the action heats up. The camera will sometimes fall into an angle that blocks your vision almost completely from what your doing. This is experienced all too often during the game so make sure you keep that in mind.

 

Another note is the fact that every character has their own set of basic moves and a few trademark special moves. There is a meter bar that constantly refreshing itself throughout battle giving you the ability to use your special moves as often as possible. The biggest selling point of the game is its Fusion system. This allows for two characters to combine and cause damage with an extremely powerful attack. It comes in three parts; clearing the room, targeting a specific enemy and a guided attack. It’s all a matter of timing and some will feel like a waste of time while other times the Fusion attacks will work perfectly. This is where you should keep in mind that you should keep track of when you use those Fusion moves. There are also moments I have noticed that keep the game from running smoothly completely. Bugs end up freezing your progress thus forcing you to restart levels completely. It’s a pain especially when you are in major boss battles and it messes with the rhythm and focus of your concentration. There are occasional character freezes as well during certain points that have you scratching your head time and time again. When it works, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is fun and has a great replay value when it comes to co-op parts of it.

The presentation and overall feel of Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 makes it seem like you’re reading a 3D comic book. Although a closer look at the art and characters surrounding say otherwise. Character models for your favorite superhero villains are nicely detailed and their respective animations are well done. Unfortunately the enemy side of things didn’t exactly get the same treatment. You’ll notice the same type of enemies floating around with the boss battles just becoming tedious. The cut scenes throughout the game shed light on the story and are nicely paced. It’s unfortunate that the camera had to be sacrificed and be the one thing that will give you a hard time from start to finish.

Don’t’ forget that Stan Lee himself makes a guest appearance in the game just as he does in every Marvel super hero project. He’s their in both body and spirit, reprising as himself. The score to the game is nicely done and leaves for drama and tension building. The voice acting for all your favorite super heroes is well done as well and thankfully isn’t too cheesy. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 has all the super hero action moves down pact and you’ll hear every blast and explosion throughout the game.

 

 

Co-op is a big deal to gamers and you can’t go wrong with Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2. Having 3 player co op locally and online is a thing of beauty. So if you’re bored or having trouble going through the single-player campaign, don’t be afraid to ask a friend for help. The online co op is smooth and doesn’t suffer from any lag issues, and is obviously dependent on both you and your friend’s connections. There isn’t any multiplayer online but don’t count that out for the third installment, if it’s even being talked about.

 

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is a strong super hero action game that will keep you busy for a while. The option to go through the game on both sides offers for replay ability. It’s just unfortunate that a few bugs and camera issues will make your experience a hit or miss. If you love the Marvel universe that much, however, those issues will be completely overlooked in your eyes. Overall, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is a text book comic book experience that is easy to pick and play.