[#12] Marvel: Ultimate Alliance

Genre: Action Adventureg
Publisher: Vicarious Visions
Developer: Activision
Number of Players: 1-4
ESRB: E10 for Everyone 10+

The Story

In Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, Dr. Doom is back at it again — this time with a newly revamped Masters of Evil. In order to combat this high priority threat, Marvel’s top do-gooders must join forces once again. Revisit nostalgic locations such as Atlantis and defeat the most notorious Super Villains ever to stain a Marvel comic book. Which quite frankly is going to require a lot of alien technology and radioactively conceived Super Heroes – a need that Ultimate Alliance looks to address.

The Facts

Right off the bat players will be able to choose from a roster of 20 different Super Heroes to form their ultimate four man dream team. From Box Office darlings Spider-Man and Wolverine to the grossing dud Elektra, gamers will be able to hack, slash, punch and blast their way through the world of Ultimate Alliance in many different character combinations. While it is not certain whether or not this is a realistic depiction of playable characters, it has been confirmed that the game will see a combined list of over 140 popular comic book personas.

As players progress through the world they will be able to customize many aesthetic facets of their experience: such as their team icon, team name and team vehicle. It’s not all about team though. In fact, it’ll be up to you. When leveling up, players can distribute stat points evenly to build a balanced squad, or alternatively stack an individual character to create the ultimate potent Super Hero.

In the world of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance expect to see a plethora of “environmental objects” that can be used as weapons. However if for some reason bashing someone over the head with a light post doesn’t satisfy your thirst for combat, prepare yourself for new chargeable Super Hero Powers, quick combos and grappling. Be wise as to how you approach each situation though, as the missions accepted, objectives completed and ways in which players interact with other characters throughout the game “will have a direct impact on how the story plays out.”

No rightful Marvel game is at home without a multiplayer though, which is an aspect that developers describe to be “robust” in components. In Cooperative play or in a new Competitive Mode players will be able to show their team just what kind of Super Human inner-workings they are made of. Unlike in cooperative, where players work together to advance through the story, Competitive Mode will feature a tracking of in-game stats to see how users stack up against one another, subsequently deciding the experience points gained and how equipment is handed out among the characters. And with the Wii remote, for the first time in the multi-platform buddy battler, any special move can be used at any time, where as in other builds a menu selection must be used.

Most Patriotic Hero Award

The game has Captain America. You can't get anymore patriotic than that, except maybe Soldier John Wayne America - Soldier by day, firefighting cowboy by night.