While this may or may not be true here is my opinion on the highly controversial release of ultimate marvel vs. capcom 3
Ultimate marvel vs. capcom 3
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Release: November 15th, 2011
Price: $39.99
Umvc3 in many ways does improve on mvc3, with a roster boasting 12 new characters new team combinations and match ups are possible. One thing that was a bit of a downer for the first game was that even though the roster had 38 characters the upper tier consisted of the same characters, Dormammu, Dante and wesker. Umvc3 changes that by adding not simply new characters but characters like firebrand, Ghostrider and the fan favorite Strider hiryu who all seem to have high level potential and can challenge for top tier against the previous installments champions. The game also adds different play styles into the mix, for the marvel side iron first uses a Bruce lee- Fei long esque fighting style that uses a chi system do dole out massive damage in combos. The highly questioned characters like nova, Dr. Strange and rocket raccoon also have there own versions of a trap game, luring you into attack and then countering with strong and high damage attacks or combos. This adds a new layer to the umvc3 creating a game in itself to learn the new characters and their tactics and integrate them into existing teams or creating new teams and strategies to succeed in battle against your opponents. This adds a very cerebral and strategic element to the game that I felt mvc3 lost after everyone saw the top tier characters used at EVO and other fighting tournaments.
Along with the addition of new characters making the roster count 50 returning characters have received different tweaks and buffs. This may sound bad at first but capcom really did a good job here. Certain characters were unanimously seen as overpowered in the first installment (i.e. wesker and Dante) and while certain aspects of those characters have been toned down, like wesker health they still are playable and very competitive characters. On the other hand for some characters that were deemed too weak or nerfed like Captain America, Capcom has made additions to the characters that make them more effective and competitive. Cap himself is the best example of this, with the addition of his double jump, more invincible startup on moves like hyper charging star and his new OTG shield slash players can maximize caps battle tactics, cross ups and team synergy in a way that was not possible in the games first installment.
Capcom has done this with all the returning cast in some drastic and subtle ways, characters like storm and magneto have been improved and have movement traits that add a few tricks to their arsenal. Ryu and Doom are both faster, Doom to the point that he can now be considered an on point character and use rush down tactics to pair with his awesome assists and dangerous aerial assault. Ryu now has a host of new hadoken and shoryuken variants as well as a devastating denjin mode. Overall capcom has added variety to the roster and also made sure with buffs and tweaks that characters rarely used before will see much more play and variation while still keeping the top competitors a very dangerous and viable threat.
Game modes are where the majority of the question marks appear for umvc3, while the inclusion of a spectator mode is a welcome addition to the game Capcom does not score any points here as it was seen unanimously as a fail to have previous Capcom games like super street fighter 4 and even the remake of mvc2 have spectator mode but not mvc3. If you have save data from mvc3 you will receive a galactus mode wich is fun for all of maybe 30 seconds. The usual gambit of game types for fighters are here as well, arcade, versus, online ranked and unranked matches as you would and should expect. The promised hero’s and heralds mode that will add a card game like twist with power ups and ability’s for characters in the game has not been released yet so not much can yet be said of that mode. One thing missing is the event mode from the previous game, while most didn’t pay a lot of attention to the game type it still is missing and makes us wonder why with so few game types from the get go would Capcom remove one?
Along with character changes and game modes the combat engine itself has been altered and it will lead to some serious ramifications in game if players don’t notice them. The Delayed hyper combo glitch (DHC) has been removed from the game so those who banked on that technique will have to reexamine their strategies and battle tactics. The other drastic change is to the devastating x-factor, fans of the series had a very serious love or hate attitude toward x-factor in the previous game and it was widely viewed as overpowered, giving a power boost so strong, one character could potentially massacre another team. X-factor has been toned down in power and in time of use, but the trade off is now x-factor can be unleashed in the air adding a myriad of air combos and potential innovation by players.
Overall ultimate marvel vs. capcom 3 is an improvement over the first attempt even if it is unanimous that the first game left a lot to be desired, the additions make the game worth an attempt if you enjoy the series and at $40 it is not a bad price, the new characters and balancing breath new life into a game that got dropped earlier this year at the prospect of better tittles and hopefully Capcom has learned its lesson and will keep a healthy stream of dlc coming in the future.
