You’re Gonna To Be Taken For A Third Ride: Marvel Vs Capcom 3

Marvel vs Capcom 3: the Fate of Two Worlds is so far, one of the best 2D fighting games in Capcom’s library. For a company that boasts of having developed Street Fighter, Darkstalkers, Star Gladiator and Project Justice (Rival Schools), it is a pretty mean feat for the Japanese game studio to outdo itself in the fighting game genre –and they have.

As one would expect, this game it filled to the brim with major characters from both the Marvel and Capcom franchises. Many iconic favorites are already present; Ryu, Wolverine, Morrigan and Iron Man are just some of the well recognized and established characters you would expect to appear in the game. There are of course, plenty of new additions that are certain to excite fans. Dante (Devil May Cry 3), Chris Redfield (Resident Evil 4), Amaterasu (Okami) and Viewtiful Joe are just some of the new additions to the Japanese game developer’s lineup. There are also plenty of new additions on the Marvel side such as Thor, Deadpool, Jean Grey and She Hulk. All in all, there are a total of 34 playable characters and a confirmed additional 2 extra DLC characters.

The Marvel-Capcom mash-up goes beyond the selectable characters. There are plenty of iconic stages that players will appreciate such as the New York skyline from Spiderman (which shows the Daily Bugle), the Danger Room from the X-Mansion, a Tricell Laboratory complete with a cage full of lickers, the first stage of Ghosts and Goblins, the Temple of the Hand and so much more.

MVC3 moves away from the traditional 6 button layout used in the previous Marvel-related fighting games (which originated from the SF series). Instead, a simplified 4 button control is used, those who have played the even more simplified two-button Tatsunoko vs Capcom Wii fighting game would find this quite familiar. There are low, medium and high attack buttons and one other attack button which is used for secondary attacks such as kick maneuvers. The controls still make use of the traditional quarter circle motions and charging to trigger special moves so Capcom fans would have no trouble figuring out the controls on their own.

The battles are fast paced and are practically button-tapping frenzies. The transition from pulling off short combo launchers to air combos and finishing off with a super move has never been faster. With characters switching in an out of battle, an easier move boost command (just press the medium and high attack together), and tactical use of the guard push, the full screen action is taking the MVC3’s intense level higher than its predecessors.

While plenty of players are clamoring about the game’s impressive versus system, we tip out hats to the impressive story mode. As you would expect, each character has his or her own ending sequence which is unlocked by using the specific character to defeat the final boss, Galactus. Much like the battles against Apocalypse in X-Men vs Street Fighter or the first MVC’s Onslaught boss fight, Galactus will be taking up most of the screen while your team will have to wear him down with your best combos. This seemingly one-sided battle is made even tougher by the fact that your team will have to take on two semi-bosses (at the same time) prior to facing the cosmic-powered world devourer.

Lose and the entire planet is doomed; win and you are treated to one of the many unique ending sequences. These endings are often quite comical, featuring cameos of major characters from both franchises –often with overlapping storylines. Famous characters from both sides that did not make it to the playable character lists will often appear here. Phoenix Wright, Daredevil as Matt Murdock, Ghost Rider, Silver Surfer and many more will add further joy to fans of both Marvel and Capcom.

If you are a fan of either series and want to enjoy the thrill of getting to play your favorite characters in an all out brawl, this is for you. The fighting game system is solid, the controls are responsive and the battles are a joy to watch. Signature moves, massive specials and unique per-character gameplay will make you feel the individuality of each major player in what is currently the most epic crossover game ever made.