Xbox 360

Marvel Ultimate Alliance

When it comes to sound, graphics, and voice acting, this thing is Hollywood—it’s so next-gen it hurts. Cinematics are a step ahead of the in-game engine, but the engine looks so good it’s hard to be picky. Character animations are incredible. Combine that with destructible environments, ready to wield objects, and spot-on collision detection and you have an instant classic. Have no doubt—this is the next level of action RPG.

Right off the bat, I have to say that this game is definitely for fans of Gauntlet style games (the newer ones) and Marvel fans, alike. However, with the light strategy that is inserted and the overall high production value of Marvel Ultimate Alliance, I highly recommend it to anyone who thinks they might like it. Marvel Ultimate Alliance is a game you'll come back to, just for the fun of it.

If you’ve got four controllers and some friends to play with, then I’d highly recommend checking out Marvel Ultimate Alliance. It may have a few glitches, but the extremely replayable and customizable nature of the game make it a very entertaining experience.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance comes from the same group responsible for X-Men Legends and its sequel, and it's obvious that Raven now has the formula down to a science. First, pick four super friends from the side of justice, and join them on their mostly linear adventures. Perfect powers, gather collectible gear, and vanquish arch enemies. Dispatch enough evil filth, and each hero unlocks alternate costumes with upgradeable powers. These aren't just glorified skins, either: Wolverine looks completely different in his classic form than he does in jeans and a singlet. Though the core experience may be familiar, it is far from stale.

In the end, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is a nice refresher from the X-Men Legends series, and a game no comic fan should miss. If you enjoy the arcade-style titles of this nature (such as Gauntlet or the previous Legends titles), you'd also do well to pick the game up. With the versions being almost identical other than superior graphics for the 360 and a few exclusive characters scattered throughout the consoles, there's not a lot to make you pick one over the other. If you have an Xbox 360, however, you'd do well to pay the extra bucks to get the 360 version, as the superior graphics and Live gameplay are well worth it. Don't worry, true believers, because Raven has proven once again that not all comic-based games are sub-par.

In the end, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance was a game in a genre I hadnot liked since the day it was born on consoles, but due to the amountof heroes and detail in those heroes, it has won a place in my heart.With the increased AI and distribution of health and power pickups, itmeans you won’t have to worry and micromanage so much, you are freer toenjoy the game and experience that is the Ultimate Alliance.

Being a bit of a Marvel fan – not so much the recent stuff – I had a ton of fun with Marvel Ultimate Alliance, more so than X-Men Legends: Rise of Apocalypse. Besides just being fun and funny (I found the Pitfall mini-game hilarious for some reason) for Marvel fans, there’s enough here to warrant keeping the game in rotation long after its release. Of course, there's room for improvement, like adding more characters to the playable roster, but the game is left wide-open for a sequel so expect to see an Ultimate Alliance 2.

As I said before, comic book fans will take to this one like a fat guy to an all you can eat buffet (in some cases we are talking about the same person), but players who are looking for an action RPG that offers great visuals, polished gameplay and solid co-op for the roughly 20 hours to complete the game should pick up Marvel Ultimate Alliance. I don't really need another excuse to wear tights and a cape but if it prevents yet another restraining order from the neighbors, I'll take it.

Wer auch immer behauptet, dass Titel rund um Comic-Helden in die zweite Reihe gehören liegt hier eindeutig falsch. Marvel Ultimate Alliance spielt sich dank gelungener technischer Präsentation und einfacher Handhabung ganz klar in den Vordergrund. Die Story bietet zwar nicht sonderlich viel Tiefgang, aber in diesem Fall kann man das dann doch als durchaus "authentisch" bezeichnen. Kurzum: Fans der Marvel-Serien, aber auch Gamer, welche einfach nur eine unkomplizierte Abwechslung von anderen Spielen suchen können hier gleichermaßen zugreifen.

Raven Software has been on a roll lately with its comic book adaptations. First it was the X-Men Legends series revitalizing the heroes, and now they're taking it one step further with Marvel Ultimate Alliance, which includes heroes from all over the Marvel Universe, and of course a healthy dose of villains as well. The game is similar in many ways to the X-Men Legends games it's modeled after with some nice inclusions to differentiate itself.

Beyond being a well-made and accessible action RPG, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance really captures the essence of the Marvel Universe, a pretty incredible feat considering the breadth of the source material, though there are just enough omissions to easily justify a sequel. This is simply a must-have for Marvel fans, though the action itself remains satisfying enough for those in search of a good dungeon-crawl to enjoy.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is a fun way to play as your favorite Marvel superhero. There are some noticeable shortcomings and flaws in the gameplay. But the team mentality, the array of playable characters and villains, and the system of skill enhancement separates Marvel Ultimate Alliance from other titles currently available. Plus, having friends play along with you is very enjoyable. In all, this is a must-have title for comic book fans. Even RPG fans will the game to be a solid experience worth checking out.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is one of those games that doesn't have a ton of faults, yet isn't among the true classics of gaming. Despite a few welcome wrinkles to combat and character customization, this is pretty much the same game we have seen before. The level design and puzzles are a snooze, lacking any innovation. But who cares? This game is about gathering a few friends and laying the smack down on some villains. MUA is not a brilliant game, but it's fun. And that's all that really matters. If you love the pitter-patter of fingers on buttons, grab this game. It will satisfy the comic-book geek buried deep in your soul.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance is certainly worth picking up. With an adequate campaign and more playable comic book characters than you can shake a stick at, plus bonus side missions for all of them, you’re definitely getting more than what you paid for. Along with well-executed team play and a campy-yet-passable story, you’ll really feel like you and your friends have control of all your favorite heroes.

"Marvel Ultimate Alliance" tem as mesmas qualidades da série "X-Men Legends" e quem já passou pelos antecessores deve amar o novo game de cara. Mesmo quem não suporta a parte RPG desses títulos pode se divertir, pois o jogo cuida automaticamente do desenvolvimento dos personagens, se assim quiser o usuário. Com uma extensa lista de heróis e vilões, e um conteúdo extenso, é um jogo que valoriza o investimento. Melhor ainda se você for fãs dos quadrinhos.

While the role-playing element of this title falls flat, Marvel Ultimate Alliance is still very good times. The production values are nothing stellar, but the smooth gameplay, varied character progression and customization and the cooperative play options more than make up for it. Give it a rent.

Is Marvel: Ultimate Alliance worth the MSRP price for the single player? Depending on the difficulty level played, the single player game could be knocked out in a rental period on Easy. The latter two levels require more of a time investment and picking up achievements requires many hours. For Marvel fanatics, I recommend picking this up around the $30 to $40 mark. Everyone else should give it a rent and see if the single player campaign plus the limited co-op mode is worth shelling out the bucks for.

While this game isn’t a must buy, it is a must play for RPG fans, especially those who own the X-Men Legend series of games. However it is those people which actually may not like the game because it is so close to the XML formula. Generally, the change of universe and characters should be enough to keep this going but if a sequel is going to be made (and considering the history of XML, we can’t see it not coming) then some changes are definitely in order.

Summing up and the few niggles aside with me probably being classed as overly picky, Marvel Ultimate Alliance will appeal to any true Marvel fan, and even to players “God forgive you” that have never glanced at a Marvel comic will still love this title. If you like your RPG games and love to kick the what-sits out of hordes of enemies, then Marvel Ultimate Alliance is definitely a “one to buy” title.

Whether you like this game or not will likely depend on how much you can either get into the theme or the management of your characters. Despite the variation in everything, it is going to be touch and go for some people as to whether they can take the repetitive nature of the game. Ultimately, the game is limited by its very nature – hack 'n' slash games are simple and repetitive – but Marvel: Ultimate Alliance does everything possible to distract from this – I don't think it could be done much better without changing the very nature of the game. Also, playing with a friend or three over Live (or even on the same machine) will almost certainly make the 20 hours of the game's campaign fly by.

My time with Marvel: Ultimate Alliance was a pretty polarizing experience. Smashing through it with a friend or two, the levels all seemed about the right length, with the various bosses all well placed, and only dragged in spots where challenges forced us to drag around blocks to proceed. Slugging through it alone, and the game seemed to drag, with more time was spent micromanaging my team to punch through the mediocre ally AI. There's a lot of levels, characters, and optional goodies to collect up and covet, including enough story on the mythos of the Marvel universe to convert new fans. Diehard Marvel fans will like it either way, but for others it's a solid brawler that will last through many gaming sessions, especially if you bring a friend along.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance is basically a new and improved version of X-Men Legends. Now, that's not a bad thing if you liked X-Men Legends, I know I loved both of the X-Men installations. Boasting the largest cast of Marvel Characters ever assembled into a single game, Marvel Ultimate Alliance is a comic book fans dream game. Complete with a typical comic book cliche' story, Marvel Ultimate Alliance does a great job bringing the pages of Marvel to life. Although, the entire expedience might be a little simplistic and short, there is enough content to warrant more than one play through. Rent, or buy, you need to check out Marvel Ultimate Alliance, it's one of the best comic book related games ever released.

While this game isn’t a must buy, it is a must play for RPG fans, especially those who own the X-Men Legend series of games. However it is those people which actually may not like the game because it is so close to the XML formula. Generally, the change of universe and characters should be enough to keep this going but if a sequel is going to be made (and considering the history of XML, we can’t see it not coming) then some changes are definitely in order.

There are only a small number of superhero games being released this year, and an even smaller number are actually worth your time. With Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, there's a lot of fun to be had with the slew of comic legends at your disposal. If you're a fan of X-Men Legends, then it's safe to say that MUA is right up your alley. If you dig either dungeon crawlers or some of the biggest icons in comics, you'll probably enjoy what Ultimate Alliance has to offer. Considering the civil war currently going on in the Marvel books, it's a joy to see our heroes working together in all of their glory.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance takes what’s good from X-Men Legends, adds in more Marvel characters and does nothing else. The story itself is rather short, so the bulk of your play may be spent online with other players to find it more enjoyable. Marvel's story mode is almost beatable in a single sitting if you can bare the tedious game play Marvel offers. Small story based missions that are character exclusive add a little more depth to Ultimate Alliance, yet they bring the same tedious gameplay to the table. This RPG is one of the more basic out there for players to sink their teeth into, yet it doesn’t do enough to warrant a $60 purchase for the Xbox 360. A rental will do you nicely, or consider picking it up on the current gen consoles once the price drops. It all looks the same between the PS2, Xbox, and 360 anyway.

Sans surprise, Marvel : Ultimate Alliance copie/colle ce qui avait été fait avec X-Men Legends : même style graphique, même système de jeu, même construction. Les nouveautés apportées sont minimalistes et bien qu'on retrouve une fois de plus les problèmes des précédentes productions Raven Software, le plaisir d'incarner une tripotée de super-héros dans un jeu encore plus furieux que ses modèles l'emporte sur les quelques déceptions émaillant la découverte du soft.

The decision to buy Ultimate Alliance is truly dependant on what you're looking for. If you're fan of the Marvel comics then this is nothing less than a must buy. There are loads of characters, lots of good bonus features and it is perfectly worthy of the Marvel name. If, however, your interest is rather more casual then things aren't quite so clear cut. For a time you'll find Ultimate Alliance both fun and strangely addictive, but this feeling won't last for long and the basic gameplay will grow tired quickly. Co-op and online play does add a little more longevity and if you're likely to play this with friends, it certainly is another good reason to consider it.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is one of those games that was always going to be greater than the sum of its parts. It doesn't look anything special, the combat's massively repetitive, but somehow it all hangs together. With an excellent atmosphere, diverse set of characters, intriguing storyline and endless unlockables it's the sort of game that's essential for comic book obsessives, and great fun for everyone else.

Ultimate Alliance is more than enough fun to last through the main story -- especially if you bring a couple friends -- but whether you'll be returning to it again and again over the course of months is dependent largely on your superhero obsession and tolerance for repetition.