Game of the Year 2011: #25 - Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds

01 Dec 2011 at 13:00:00 by Tim McDonald

• Win a copy of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
• Read our original Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds review
• Keep track of our Game of the Year 2011 Countdown

All you really need to know about Marvel vs Capcom 3 is that it's a game in which Wolverine can kick the crap out of Chris Redfield, before calling in Dante to help out, and then swapping over to Viewtiful Joe for the finish. Good enough?

No? Alright. What about the fact that it's possibly the flashiest fighting game yet? The game is gorgeous: characters look larger-than-life but still authentic, attacks are colourful and filled with acrobatic flair, and the whole thing moves along swiftly at a nigh-constant 60 frames-per-second.

This can cause problems, admittedly; the screen is so busy it can be hard to tell what's going on at first. Nonetheless, it's one hell of a feast for the eyes.

For a fighting game, it's also remarkably newbie-friendly. Within half an hour's play, I daresay any newcomer can at least appear to be technically proficient with the title. Pulling off screen-filling attacks or complicated-looking air juggles is far simpler than it might seem at first glance, and if it still proves too much (or if you're playing with friends who happen to be terrible at fighting games, and we all have those) then the “Simple” control option lets players pull off complicated combos and ridiculous attacks by mashing buttons, making the screen look like someone set off fireworks inside your TV.

It's still a Capcom title though, so underneath the glittering exterior beats the black, rock-like heart of a hardcore fighting game. There's plenty for the in-depth fighting fan here and, with the 3v3 setup added on to the usual plethora of moves and combos, there are a ridiculous amount of possibilities.

The system is a lot more flexible than that of Street Fighter IV, too – as noted above, it's not that hard to pull off impressive-looking combos, and once you've got a bit of experience it's fairly simple to change them up and add bits on. That's me speaking as an amateur, too; some of the stuff the experts have accomplished is terrifying. And brain-meltingly spectacular, obviously.

In general, MvC3 isn't as po-faced as Street Fighter IV.  It's more flexible, more simple, and – while not quite as hardcore – it's a bit more fun for a simple mess-around, not least because it scratches that nerd itch by letting you find out for yourselves who'd win in a fight between Dante and Magneto. Unsurprisingly, MvC3 doesn't take itself particularly seriously (this is a game in which Deadpool can crack his opponent over the head with his own health bar) but, frankly, that's no bad thing; the levity just adds to the proceeds. Any game in which a character known for breaking the fourth wall is allowed to batter his opponents with the user interface is fine by me.

It doesn't quite have the ridiculous smorgasbord of characters that its predecessor, Marvel vs Capcom 2, but... well, that's probably for the best, as it means that it's balanced a little better. Not perfectly – there are a few characters that could stand to be nerfed or buffed a little – but for the most part you can pick your favourites from the Marvel and/or Capcom stables and expect to have an enjoyable fight.

I suppose the one warning I should give is that anyone coming in from Street Fighter IV expecting to be able to play as Ryu without learning anything new is flat-out wrong. The change in systems and tweaks to make the characters fit the 3v3 balance mean that you're once again forced to learn the system, but you'll certainly enjoy doing so.

MvC3 is so relentlessly frantic that it's hard not to get swept along; early on there's the joy of checking out all the moves for familiar characters, and that quickly evolves into picking your favourites and making them do things that look incredibly impressive.

In short, then: if you've ever wanted a hyperkinetic, madly cheerful fighting game with Wolverine, Spider-Man, Deadpool, Iron Man, Hulk, and a Sentinel taking on Wesker, Ryu, Viewtiful Joe, Dante, Morrigan, and Zero (to name but a few of the playable characters) which is accessible enough for beginners but still has enough depth to satisfy the hardcore... well, look no further. That, I think, is really all you need to know.

Actually, no. I take it all back. Ignore the entire preceding article. All you really need to know is that it has Amaterasu from Okami in as a playable character, and if that's not enough to make you want to play Marvel vs Capcom 3 then you may, in fact, be a bad person.

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