Marvel Vs Capcom 3 Fate Of Two Worlds Review

Marvel VS Capcom 3 Review

Marvel VS Capcom 3 has been rumoured for over 10 years, and now it’s finally on store shelves available for purchase. The question is, is it worth your cold hard cash? Or is it just another fighting game? Here’s our review.

Story: N/A Forget what they tell you. There is barely any story here, and if I were to score it, it would be abysmal.

Graphics: Marvel VS Capcom 3 has one of the coolest art styles of the year. Every image looks like it was ripped right out of a comic book. In fact, as the battles rage on, you see comic book pages tearing between special moves. This really makes you feel like your experiencing a comic book rather than just playing the game. Another graphical feat, is in the character models. Every fighter is detailed beyond belief, and has their own set of flashy moves to complement the overall atmosphere. The level design is another thing to marvel at (no pun intended). Like Street Fighter IV, the arenas are very hectic, with background characters jumping around and doing cool moves of their own. The only place where the graphics fail to meet expectations is at the end of arcade mode. Each character has their own ending, told in pages of hand drawn comic art. These really seem to lack time and effort, with the player getting only three to four pages of story. With that issue aside, you would be hard pressed to find a better looking game (in terms of art style) on store shelves today.

Sound: The sound in this game is a gift from Capcom. Aside from the basics done incredibly well, the voice acting is spot on. Capcom has gathered the best people for each of the individual character voices, and put them to work. If you’re wondering why Spider-Man’s voice sounds so familiar, it’s because it’s the same guy who voice him for the television show. They’ve brought all of the Capcom actors back, who keep doing amazing jobs with their characters. It doesn’t stop there however. Each character has about fifty lines of dialog in game on average, and you can listen to them all in the menus. On top of that they all have Japanese voices as well. This sound in this game couldn’t be any better.

Gameplay: This is where it comes down to, the gameplay. Being a big fan of the franchise, I was ready to enjoy a ten year polished version of one of the greatest fighting games of all time. For the most part the basics remain unchanged. Each player chooses three of the thirty-six characters to battle with. You can call them in for assistance at anytime, and combine their specials to create a devastating barrage of attacks. Capcom has also placed a large emphasis on air combat. You can juggle your opponent in mid air between all of your characters. If accomplished, it’s an incredible feeling. There are some awful decisions made by Capcom as well. They have included a move called X-Factor, where a losing player can activate this move and get a massive power boost. There have been times where I would be destroying another player, then he uses X-Factor to KO all three of my heroes and win game. This sort of unbelievable boost is ridiculous. Picture the X-Factor like a twenty times more powerful version of Modern Warfare 2’s death streaks. Yes, it’s that bad. Another problem is the uneven characters. Capcom claimed to have fixed the balance issue but sadly were wrong. Characters like Dante, Haggar, and Sentinel (yes, Sentinel AGAIN!) have incredibly overpowered moves that lead to unblockable specials. This is a major problem that Capcom needs to iron out A.S.A.P.

Online: The online experience is another mixed bag. When it comes to fighting games, the most important online aspect is the community. Sadly, the community is very much like the Marvel VS Capcom 2 community. That means all overpowered moves are mastered, only cheap characters are used, and constant spamming is a huge issue. Although that’s not Capcom’s fault, it remains an aggravation. Another problem is the lack of a spectator mode. While waiting for a match to finish, all you see are two tapes smashing against each other and dwindling health bars. This makes the waiting unbearable, and you will often see players leaving instead of being patient and staying in the lobby. When it comes to friendly matches however, the online is very competent. Almost no lag, easy lobby constructability, and up to eight friends all in one overall game, makes the experience worthwhile. The final gripe I have with the online is the unalterable time limit. It’s understandable in ranked matches, but in a game with friends it’s annoying when a match is cut short, stopping a player’s comeback. Even with these complaints you could easily find worse, and for a fighting game it’s not too bad.

Lasting Appeal: Although I doubt this game will be as long lasting as its predecessor, it is a fun party game that deserves some attention, and also caters to the hardcore. Plus, with the promise of DLC, it retains its title as the greatest cross-over in gaming history.

Story: N/A
Graphics: 9.0
Sound: 10
Gameplay: 7.9
Online: 7.5
Lasting Appeal: 8.0
Score: 8.1*
*Not an average.
By
Spencer Gibara