It's been 11 long years since Marvel v Capcom 2 came out on the Dreamcast. Since then numerous fighters have come and stamped their mark on the genre. Most notable of which is Capcom's very own Street Fighter IV. The Japanese publisher has proven they are the king of making beat 'em ups, so can Marvel v Capcom 3 follow suit?
Absolutely. The good thing about Marvel v Capcom 3 is that it caters for everyone. You could be the master of combos or very good at hitting the kick and punch buttons, the game doesn't alienate the newcomers to fighters. Once you've mastered the basics you'll find a few flips of the analogue stick and some random button presses will successfully conjure up some combos. You can even simplify the fighting right before a match by opting for the simple style. Plus you can choose a difficulty setting from very (ridiculously) easy to super hard.
The roster may be less than what came in the previous outing, but there's still a whole array of unique fighters to choose from. Whether you're as Marvel obsessive or love the characters of Capcom, there's plenty to choose from. Naturally, the absentees will leave many people grumbling, but there's always a chance that these characters will come as DLC. The one I really wanted was Jill Valentine (Resident Evil), and while she is available as a downloadable character, Capcom has put a £3.99 price on her head! No Capcom, the game was pricey enough as it is, she has to be free!
Once in battle the game is pure eye candy. If you're not familiar with the series, it's worth noting that the fights are not the traditional two K.O. rounds. Each fight is three against three, and the battle isn't won until all three of your opponents' health has been depleted. Therefore it's a case of tag teaming with your trio. Not only does this give you more of a chance of victory, but it also spices things up. Especially if you choose an interesting group. It's always satisfying to pull off an Aerial Combo where all three characters come on and take it in turns to beat the opponent up (literally).
Dante (Devil May Cry), Ryu (Street Fighter) and Amaterasu (Okami), with the occasional Chris Redfield (Resident Evil) are my fighters of choice. Ryu is reliable as ever, with his powerful muscles and his special Hakoden. Dante is fast and uses both his sword and guns in real time and as Specials. Amaterasu mixes things up nicely with his dashing dog powers. Chris Redfield comes equipped with a rocket launcher to dish the dirt. As for Marvel, Spidey and Hulk and co. are all as good and as powerful as you'd expect.
Once you're done with Arcade Mode, there's online to master. Here you can put your skills against anyone in the world. As expected the online is flawless, with no slowdown or any delay. That's exactly how you want fast paced fighting online.
Each character and background look, feels and plays lush. Capcom are showing their strengths yet again by bringing the two worlds together in fine details. Marvel v Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds stands side by side with Street Fighter IV as one of the best beat 'em ups this century. Was 11 years worth the wait? You bet it was.
Comments
