Marvel: Ultimate Alliance

Superhero fans rejoice! Activision and Raven Software have created the ultimate Marvel Comics geek-fest with Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. Borrowing heavily from its predecessor, the X-Men Legends series, M:UA is a well-crafted top-down action RPG that expands the boundaries well beyond the familiar world of mutant heroes and villains to include characters from every corner of the Marvel Universe. A total of 25 characters are playable throughout the course of the game, though only four can be used at a time. The selections range from the famous (Spider-Man, Wolverine and the Fantastic Four) to the obscure (Deadpool, Ms. Marvel and Moon Knight), and each brings with them their own powers and abilities. Raven has done a tremendous job making each character feel unique, giving everyone different animations for just about every action imaginable. Characters run, jump and fight exactly how you expect them to: Spider-Man is agile and quick, while the Thing is slow, plodding and powerful. The impressive character selection options are complemented by the vast array of Marvel villains you'll face as you fight your way to the lead boss, Dr. Doom, as well as dozens of cameos by other Marvel characters who usually offer information or sub-mission tasks. Together with the wide range of well-rendered fictional locations you'll fight through, M:UA does an excellent job of immersing the player in the world(s) of the Marvel Universe.

Graphically, M:UA is a significant upgrade from the X-Men Legends series, especially on the XBox 360 and PS3. The cartoony, cel-shaded characters of the X-Men Legends series have been replaced by more realistic models that look great from a distance but suffer from a lack of facial detail and a "plastic" look due to excessive bump-mapping. This is rarely noticeable, due to the high camera angle used throughout most of the game. While the character models are somewhat underwhelming, the environments they inhabit are simply gorgeous, featuring lush, hi-res textures and dramatic lighting effects that just scream “Next-Gen”. The various beams, blasts and explosions in the game are also well-represented with lots of outrageous particle effects flying about, though too many of these effects at once may cause occasional frame rate issues.

The main focus of the game is using your four characters to battle wave after wave of villainous henchmen while breaking barrels and crates in search of health and energy orbs, power-enhancing gear and unlockable extras. While the combat is usually fast-paced and engaging, the enormous amount of crate bashing can grow tiresome. The highlight moments of the game happen during certain boss battles that implement God of War-inspired interactive cinematics. While these sequences do not quite match up to God of War's level of quality, they offer a fun and visually pleasing change of pace from the game’s core mechanics. Some RPG elements are present as well, allowing you to customize your characters’ powers and statistics. This is well implemented, allowing you to add and subtract points from each character’s dozen-plus powers as the situation demands.

Were it not for its Marvel license, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance would be an above average hack and slash adventure. Its excellent use of the source material, however, makes it a must own for even casual fans of the Marvel Universe, and a solid purchase for any fan of the action RPG genre.