There are some video games that a reviewer can play for a couple of days and get a good idea of it. There are others that take weeks or even months. Marvel versus Capcom 3 Fate of Two Worlds fits into the very last category. MvC3 came out back in February and we are heading into the end of March. Why did this review take so long? How much have I played the game since it came out?
The best part of Marvel versus Capcom 3 is also the hardest part to get used to. The incredible pace of the gameplay and ease of controls create a unique situation that will make any Street Fighter player mad with frustration. The game consists of the player picking a team of 3 characters either from Marvel or Capcom or both. Then the players fight in a one round battle until all characters are defeated on one side or the other. Or the time runs out. This all occurs in less than a minute. Most moves can be executed very simply and while each character has their own pros and cons. They all play basically the same as far as execution is concerned. But the strategy in picking a team, planning special moves, or even engaging the last ditch special of X-Factor; all contribute to making this game complex in a way no other fighting game is. X-Factor by the way, gives the characters a one time accelerated health regeneration boost and a small damage or speed boost. This can, many times, turn a whole match around.
Marvel versus Capcom 3 has an Arcade Mode; where you play through a series of fights and then face a boss. Getting some comic book style scenes at the end of that battle. Letting player somewhat into the overall story of the game. It doesn’t make all that much sense, even when all of the scenes have been revealed. My guess is that it wasn’t meant to be taken seriously anyway. There are also Mission and Training Modes in the game. Mission wants the player to perform a series of actions or challenges to reach the next one. Generally speaking, these are combos or series of combos that need to be preformed. The mode is fine, as it was in Super Street Fighter IV. But what is really needed, is a way to see the actions played out before the player so that the player has a better idea of what they are trying to do. The Training Mode allows the player to set up any in game situation or play against any level of A.I. The Mode is certainly more extensive than in Super Street Fighter IV. But it is hardly as extensive as those found in games like Tekken or Virtua Fighter. MvC3 also, has a bare bones online mode where Ranked Matches or Player Matches can be setup. While an eight player game can be setup, the people involved can’t watch the action, while they are waiting to play. Which makes the entire option kind of silly. Finally, there is the newly added Shadow Battle where the player fights an A.I. profile. The goal of which is to get the A.I. profile’s title. This is certainly a fun mode, and I can’t wait for Capcom to expand it, as time goes on.
Getting to my above questions. The review took so long, because not only did Capcom have 2 major patches between the launch of the game and now. They also had two downloadable characters added to the game in that time. Both of these changes, make the evaluation of the game a different matter. I liked the game when it launched, but I love it now. Sentinel, a large robot character, was seriously overpowered and considered a staple in tournament play. But a recent patch knocks down Sentinel’s health making him a more reasonable character. While still good, he certainly isn’t the crazy powerhouse he was when the game launched. I’ve probably played around 20-40 hours of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 since it came out. I have over 500 games recorded by the game. There was certainly a large chunk of time spent in Mission and Training Modes.
While Marvel versus Capcom 3 isn’t a perfect game. It is one of the most unique and innovative fighting game ever made. While it certainly bares the same name and some of the same mechanics from the Marvel versus Capcom 2. Marvel versus Capcom 3 takes those conventions and changes them into something completely new and different. This game has been in my XBOX 360 this year more than any other game. So for that reason alone, I can say that this is an excellent game and one every fighting game fan should own.
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