From X-Men: Legends to the original Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Activision has a history of creating compelling cooperative superhero games. Continuing the trend is its latest superhero brawler, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, which seems to offer a similar experience for beat-em-up fans.
And the critics think that experience is a pretty darn good one. Currently averaging over 80% at gamerankings.com, it's shaping up to be another winner for Activision.
Leading review website GameSpot notes that while it "isn't a groundbreaking game," it is "an enjoyable and replayable one." GamePro agrees, adding that Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is "an entertaining adventure which is significantly improved by the presence of co-op buddies." It's this cooperative play that seems to be adding to a lot of the praise for the game, as 1UP echoed, "it's still satisfying to have some buddies hop into a game and take out robots together."
The cool new Fusion powers, however, turn out be a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, reviewers universally love the new combo system, both as a graphical treat and as a gameplay mechanic. Hailed as "slick" and "visually striking," the only negative complaints revolve around the lack of variety. Boasting over 250 Fusion combos, most reviewers zero in on the fact that many of those are quite similar to one another.
Critics agree: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is a blast.
GameSpot called such repetition "disappointing, especially if you tend to stick to the same one or two characters," with IGN adding that "everything starts to run together and lose its luster." Though it remains to be seen if gamers themselves want more complicated leveling mechanics, the stripped down RPG elements also seem to fly in the face of what many game critics were looking for, with 1UP complaining of a "persistent feeling of oversimplification and semi-stinginess."
Still, most outlets were quick to point out that the game is an improvement over the original, with GameSpot on record saying it will "deliver the button-mashing, power-flinging, over-the-top action fans of the original would expect." Sounds super to us.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 Image Gallery
Posted: 16 Sep 2009
