Marvel Ultimate Alliance includes a great multiplayer, four player online and offline portion that we also got to try out when we were at Activision. First off the same console co-op mode really makes this game shine. There is nothing like playing through the levels with your buddy, each of you controlling your favorite classic Marvel character. Also pulling off “team” moves is much easier when you can tell your teammate your plan. This mode is also available online which will probably add up to a few late nights trying to beat that last boss with three of your friends. Also included is a competitive mode that is basically co-op mode but with points and scores. All in all it is great to see a game of this genre including such a think multiplayer side to an already extremely deep single player mode.
Graphically Marvel Ultimate Alliance is a beauty to look at. Everything from the character models to the inner depths of the dungeons looks polished and really does the comic book feel right. Because the developers wanted to give each level a unique feel to it based on which environment you were fighting through it is easy to spot that a massive amount of time went into making the levels look different. The snow level really does make you feel like your in the middle of a blizzard while the fire level puts you in the middle of Satan’s volcano, literally. One big problem with X-Men Legends was the character animations; Raven Software has fixed that with fluid animations that would make the creators of these heroes proud of themselves. All the little side effects such as explosions and fire really take advantage of the powerhouse Xbox 360 and are a sight for sore eyes with this genre of game. After sitting down with the PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii versions of Ultimate Alliance personally it is my opinion that the 360 version looked the best, the PS3 version was running in 1080p which changed the style of that version but hands down the Xbox 360 was the winner.
With the release date of Activision’s Marvel Ultimate Alliance only a few weeks off I am more excited than ever to get my hands on the final version of this game. The graphics, level design, character options, and storyline have me salivating at the mouth for more Marvel goodness. Even the RPG elements of the story seem like they mesh perfectly with the other aspect, which is the insanely fun action parts. Oh, and the online and offline co-op or versus modes are something that will clog up internet connections and start feuds between best buddies for months to come. Stay on the look out right here at Planet Xbox 360 for a full review of Marvel Ultimate Alliance once the release date nears.
