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GF Rating
6
Above Average
The first one was more fun, and here's why...
posted by KyonKreist (PITTSBURGH, PA) Sep 20, 2009
Member since Apr 2008
56 out of 70 gamers (80%) found this review helpful
The new Ultimate Alliance sequel is good. The visuals are much improved. However, it is significantly less fun than the first. The reasons for this, in my view, are as follows:
- Generally, it is a much more linear game; the camera angles lead you to where you're supposed to go. The environments are laid out in a more A-to-B style. There are places where you simply cannot go back to where you just were. Throw in the fact that individual character customization has been totally stripped (4 moves each, no accessories; far less strategy) and it's just a beat-em-up game. I felt confined.
- Contrary to what I was led to believe before this game was released, there are no divergent plot lines other than the basic pro- or anti- stance on registration. You make dialogue decisions, but not ACTUAL decisions. Your roster is set as soon as you pick your side, so there's no need whatsoever to recruit or even get along with other characters.
- The roster is not quite as varied or exciting; we get the Fantastic Four, five X-Men, four Thunderbolts, a handful of top-tier Avengers and of course, Spider-Man. Throw in the Hulk and Daredevil because they're popular and there you have it. As an unabashed comic nerd, the combinations to be made here did not excite me nearly as much as in the first game.
- The basic enemies you face through the course of the game are all minor variations on A) a soldier or B) a robot. However, do you remember all the different types of enemies that you fought during the first game? Androids, Vikings, Atlantians, Shi'ar, Skrulls, FROST GIANTS and so on... This change is symptomatic of this game's focus on the STORY - not an original plot, but one taken from a dramatic superhero character study like Civil War - and so the devs didn't leave themselves much wiggle room here for, y'know, the cool junk that you play video games for. Even most the boss battles felt very similar.
Like I said, this is a good game, but it's a step down from MUA1.
- Generally, it is a much more linear game; the camera angles lead you to where you're supposed to go. The environments are laid out in a more A-to-B style. There are places where you simply cannot go back to where you just were. Throw in the fact that individual character customization has been totally stripped (4 moves each, no accessories; far less strategy) and it's just a beat-em-up game. I felt confined.
- Contrary to what I was led to believe before this game was released, there are no divergent plot lines other than the basic pro- or anti- stance on registration. You make dialogue decisions, but not ACTUAL decisions. Your roster is set as soon as you pick your side, so there's no need whatsoever to recruit or even get along with other characters.
- The roster is not quite as varied or exciting; we get the Fantastic Four, five X-Men, four Thunderbolts, a handful of top-tier Avengers and of course, Spider-Man. Throw in the Hulk and Daredevil because they're popular and there you have it. As an unabashed comic nerd, the combinations to be made here did not excite me nearly as much as in the first game.
- The basic enemies you face through the course of the game are all minor variations on A) a soldier or B) a robot. However, do you remember all the different types of enemies that you fought during the first game? Androids, Vikings, Atlantians, Shi'ar, Skrulls, FROST GIANTS and so on... This change is symptomatic of this game's focus on the STORY - not an original plot, but one taken from a dramatic superhero character study like Civil War - and so the devs didn't leave themselves much wiggle room here for, y'know, the cool junk that you play video games for. Even most the boss battles felt very similar.
Like I said, this is a good game, but it's a step down from MUA1.
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GF Rating
7
Good
Not So Ultimate After All
posted by Fantomex (SAN JOSE, CA) Oct 15, 2009
Member since Oct 2009
26 out of 34 gamers (76%) found this review helpful
Have been a comic book nerd since before I could actually read the word bubbles and grasp the story lines, I was very excited to see that Activision was releasing a sequel to "Marvel Ultimate Alliance". I enjoyed the first one for what it was: a hack-and-slash dungeon crawler with Super Hero character models.
"Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2" doesn't change much as far as game-play is concerned from it's predecessor. You have your basic light attack, heavy attack, grab and throw, and jump. Throw in four special abilities per character and you're on your way. The combat isn't flashy and fancy, but it works.
I think the two things that set this game above the original MUA is the graphics and the story. The original looked like something that should be on the X-Box or Playstation 2. Not next-gen material. The sequel, on the other hands, looks fantastic. The character models are smooth and polished, and the levels are detailed and varied. "Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2" LOOKS amazing. And thats about as far as the "amazing" goes.
The second point that sets this game apart from the original is the story. MUA2 is based on the 2006 Marvel cross-over story "Civil War" in which the super-human community of the Marvel universe are split down the center and forced to either register with the government or go underground. The story, in my opinion, was sub-par when it was a comic book, let alone in a video game version. They didn't even seem to want to hold true to the original source material at all. The story of MUA2 is an upgrade from MUA1 in the only aspect that it actually DID happen in the Marvel universe, where the story from MUA1 was just made-up and irrelevant.
If you like Marvel super-heroes and you like dungeon crawlers play the 5+ hours of game-play this game has to offer. Playing it with friends makes it better... but really, once you beat "Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2" that'll be pretty much it for the game.
"Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2" doesn't change much as far as game-play is concerned from it's predecessor. You have your basic light attack, heavy attack, grab and throw, and jump. Throw in four special abilities per character and you're on your way. The combat isn't flashy and fancy, but it works.
I think the two things that set this game above the original MUA is the graphics and the story. The original looked like something that should be on the X-Box or Playstation 2. Not next-gen material. The sequel, on the other hands, looks fantastic. The character models are smooth and polished, and the levels are detailed and varied. "Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2" LOOKS amazing. And thats about as far as the "amazing" goes.
The second point that sets this game apart from the original is the story. MUA2 is based on the 2006 Marvel cross-over story "Civil War" in which the super-human community of the Marvel universe are split down the center and forced to either register with the government or go underground. The story, in my opinion, was sub-par when it was a comic book, let alone in a video game version. They didn't even seem to want to hold true to the original source material at all. The story of MUA2 is an upgrade from MUA1 in the only aspect that it actually DID happen in the Marvel universe, where the story from MUA1 was just made-up and irrelevant.
If you like Marvel super-heroes and you like dungeon crawlers play the 5+ hours of game-play this game has to offer. Playing it with friends makes it better... but really, once you beat "Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2" that'll be pretty much it for the game.
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GF Rating
9
Excellent
Great co-op experience
posted by ipwn007 (MOUNTAIN HOME A F B, ID) Nov 10, 2010
Member since Aug 2010
5 out of 6 gamers (83%) found this review helpful
Grab a few friends and get ready to have a great time with Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2! This game boasts one of the best same console co-op experiences you can have on the Xbox. You'll have loads of fun throughout the campaign working together to take down hordes of enemies and bosses.
There is a huge assortment of Marvel characters in the game, both good and evil. Some of my personal favorites include Deadpool, Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, The Hulk, and many, many more. You'll have most at the start of the game while others are unlockable. Speaking of unlockables you can also unlock an assortment of costumes for the super heros which add spice to the game.
The gameplay is top down hack n' slash similar to RPG's such as Diablo and Baldur's Gate. You use a variety of melee and ranged attacks in addition to special attacks to take down foes. Combat is simple yet satisfying as you level up and unlock new abilities and increase their power. The only downside to the combat is that it can feel a bit 'button-mashy' at times, though most hack n' slash games tend to feel this way.
The story, which draws from Civil War and Secret War, is well done. Any fan of the Civil War series will enjoy playing the story and making decisions in the game.
In the end you're sure to be pleased, especially if you're playing with friends. Playing solo might still be enjoyable but I highly recommend playing alongside others.
There is a huge assortment of Marvel characters in the game, both good and evil. Some of my personal favorites include Deadpool, Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, The Hulk, and many, many more. You'll have most at the start of the game while others are unlockable. Speaking of unlockables you can also unlock an assortment of costumes for the super heros which add spice to the game.
The gameplay is top down hack n' slash similar to RPG's such as Diablo and Baldur's Gate. You use a variety of melee and ranged attacks in addition to special attacks to take down foes. Combat is simple yet satisfying as you level up and unlock new abilities and increase their power. The only downside to the combat is that it can feel a bit 'button-mashy' at times, though most hack n' slash games tend to feel this way.
The story, which draws from Civil War and Secret War, is well done. Any fan of the Civil War series will enjoy playing the story and making decisions in the game.
In the end you're sure to be pleased, especially if you're playing with friends. Playing solo might still be enjoyable but I highly recommend playing alongside others.
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