Marvel: Ultimate Alliance

"This alliance is more "OK" then "Ultimate"."

A top-down view in current and next-gen RPG's is hard to come by, and MUA, (Marvel:Ultimate Alliance), delivers that kind of bland action. Compared to some other Marvel games, this one really isn't bad. Compared to most games, MUA comes up mediocre. (Although I'd rather have this than another Spider-Man game).

Story: 5/10

From the best comic book producer in the States, the story for MUA is really generic. Sure, there are some interesting parts, but the story lacks the depth that all Marvel comics share. Marvel did stick some clever levels into the story though, (Arcade's carnival of death), so at least the story and levels mesh right. Still, I wasn't very compelled to actually complete the game.

Sound: 6/10

Honestly, I can't complain TOO much about the sound in MUA, though most of the sound effects for combat sound like they came from the same soundboard as a boatload of other games. Also, the characters are a bit "chatty" during combat, to the point where it gets annoying, because apparently, superheroes only have 2 or 3 phrases which they can say during skirmishes. Nevertheless, the cut-scenes are done expertly, so the sound from those saves this score from being worse.

Graphics: 8/10

While the graphics in-game are nothing to write home about, the cut-scenes look superb, almost Xbox 360 quality. The characters look pretty good in their different costumes, but the enemies get a bit repetitive, considering they really dont look all that much different from each other.

Gameplay: 6/10

Well, the game doesnt sound too good from my previous statements, but fear not, the gameplay is the main reason anyone would play this game. MUA must have been made by Marvel, because it plays almost EXACTLY like the X-Men Legends games, from the controls to the actual look of the game. If youve played the X-Men Legends games, you'll probably get a hang of the controls in a snap. For anyone who hasn't, the controls aren't all that difficult to decipher, about 1/2 hour-1 hour learning curve.

The core gameplay in MUA is simply a hack-and-slash in spandex and capes. The thing that makes the combat less mundane then it should be is the many different characters and their many different powers. Kudos to Marvel for giving every character their own arsenal of powers to destroy the seemingly endless waves of baddies that plague these superheroes's universe. Combat does get especially repetitive at parts, (most of Asgard, Atlantis), so you'll have to suffer in these kinds of levels through about 2/5 of the game.

There are many different characters in MUA, all with their own powers and abilities. The RPG element of the game is evident in the character progression, as all of your precious do-gooders level up accordingly after levels, granting them new costumes and precious skill points. Which brings me to my next point: the skill point glitch. A serious glitch plagues this game, becuase when your team of heroes levels up, at least one character won't receive a much needed skill point. This makes the leveling up process very aggravating.

Though there are many flaws to the gameplay, taking out enemies with classic superheroes such as Iron Man or Thor really makes MUA worth playing, even for a short period of time.

Replay Value: 3/10

Don't really see any reason why you would want to replay MUA after you're done, unless you missed out on unlocking a character or two. The skill point glitch also contributes to the game's un-replayability.

Total Score: 5/10

Sorry Marvel, but you have made much better games than this one. Unfortunatley this game could of been amazing, it had the potential and Marvel name, but it fell short. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is "ultimately" a long-weekend rental at best, at least, a decent-looking coaster.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 11/06/06