Marvel: Ultimate Alliance [PS3]

When X-Men Legends was released in 2004, we were shown what a team-based superhero game should be. Armed with all of the powers that they were known for, the X-Men managed to pull off one of the most satisfying superhero games in years. Now, the next step has been taken with Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, sporting not just the cast of mutant heroes we're all familiar with, but a whole laundry list of champions from the Marvel U, making for one hell of a good time.

As the game begins, we find the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier under a huge offensive from Dr. Doom, and Nick Fury has no other choice than to put out a distress signal to any superhero in the area. Enter our starting lineup of Captain America, Thor, Wolverine and Spider-Man, complete with their distinct personalities and powers, all at your command. As you progress through the game, your travels will take you through heaven and hell, and from the ends of the earth to the far reaches of the galaxy, all in the name of saving the day in an epic story that remains compelling throughout.

Gameplay is exactly what you'd expect from a dungeon crawler: lots of hack-and-slash action with plenty of enemies and boss fights to plow through. Using a team of four heroes, it's up to the player to save the universe from another one of Dr. Doom's nefarious schemes. Melee combat uses three buttons (heavy attacks, light attacks and a grapple function) to pummel the enemy into submission. However, the real treat in combat comes with the special powers that each hero has. Using the right trigger button, you can launch a flurry of special attacks that are unique to each hero. Spidey hurls web balls at his enemies, while Daredevil uses his batons. Ghost Rider has his chains at his disposal, and Cap can throw his shield at any foe in his path (and in Cap's case, you can manually control the shield's path, should you desire).

Another great feature is that each character has their own style of fighting that fits their traits from the comics. Spidey relies on speed, using a flurry of kicks and punches when he's out of web fluid. Wolverine is the brawler of the bunch, unleashing devastating attacks, with one special attack where he pounces on his victim and stabs them several times before backing off. With every enemy that you defeat and every team combo that's pulled off, a character's momentum will increase, eventually allowing you to perform momentum attacks, which act as finishing moves, dealing out heavy damage and clearing the battlefield of most enemies. Naturally, if you use these during fights with well-known villains of the Marvel Universe, you won't be seeing a one-hit kill, but you'll certainly dish out some heavy damage.