QuickBlog: Marvel Ultimate Alliance

7.5 [Great]

Gameplay: 7

Graphics: 6

Music: 7

Sound: 7

Value: 8

Publisher: Activision

Developer: Raven Software

Multiplayer: Co-op (any mix of online/local players)

Console(s): Xbox, 360, PS2, PS3, PSP, GBA, DS, Wii, PC, and heck, probably even the Saturn if you look hard enough

Reviewed on: 360

ESRB rating: T (Mild Language, Violence)

BMR rating: E10+ (Mild Language, Violence)

The Good Points:

Huge cast of unique characters - Lots of good stuff for Marvel fans to enjoy - Great voice acting - Consistently fun gameplay - Satisfying combat - Really cool special moves

The Not So Good Points:

Glitches can mess things up - Some annoying sequences

I've never been a big Marvel fan. Yeah, I've seen some super hero movies and played some super hero games, but that's really it. Yet, for some reason, Marvel Ultimate Alliance (known as MUA for now on) looked pretty darn fun to me, even with my lack of comic book knowledge. After playing it, I found I was more than a little right. MUA is an action RPG played from an overhead perspective, with excellent co-op multiplayer and nice graphics. It lets you choose from a huge roster of Marvel super heroes, from Spider-Man, to Elektra, to Mr. Fantastic, you'll probably never run out of characters to choose from. Although I didn't understand half the stuff they were talking about (Fin Fang Foom? Super Soldier Serum? What in the name of Dr. Strange is going on...?), I was able to appreciate the exciting combat, fun controls, and fresh gameplay. Upgrading your characters is a very welcome addition, and you never know what might happen next as the game launches you into scene after scene of new situations. However, not everything works out perfectly. I ran into multiple glitches, some that caused me to load old save files, losing progress in order to continue. These issues combined with the fact that a sequence here and there falls flat and good-but-not-great visuals won't blow you holds the game back slightly, but it's overall a total blast, and doesn't get boring easily. Try and make sure your 360 doesn't overheat as you try to defeat the evil Dr. Doom for good!