Is Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 really worth the hype? The answer is an astounding, YES! This may have been one of the most highly anticipated fighting games of all time, so it is very refreshing to a long time fan of the series to see that they pulled out all the stops with this one. From the excellent choice of characters, the new gameplay and controls, and amazing graphics, Capcom simply did not leave much room for complaints.
The first noticeable thing that fans will see is that there is significantly less characters in this one than in MvC2. MvC2 sported an impressive 60 character roster. This one has 36, plus two DLC characters (Jill Valentine and Shuma Gorath) due out March 15th. It may have less characters, but each character has their own play style and personality. MvC2 had a lot of rehash characters, like two Wolverines, or Iron Man and War Machine, who played identically. MvC3 has taken those needless characters and done away with them in exchange for uniqueness. This pays off in the end because every character is their own, and no two characters feel the same.
Next is the gameplay. MvC2 has the reputation of being hard for newcomers to pick up and learn. To fix this problem, Capcom slightly changed the control scheme and the way combos are done. The attack buttons have been streamlined and only include WEAK, MEDIUM, and STRONG attacks. The fourth button is called a "SPECIAL ATTACK" button, and is dedicated exclusively for launcher attacks. Launcher attacks send your opponent straight up into the air, which sets them up for an air combo. This button does the same thing for every character. In doing this, Capcom has made it so that players don't have to learn which attack is a launcher for every individual character. This also makes it a little easier for air combos to be pulled off, especially for newcomers to the series. The removal of two punch and two kick attack buttons may seem like a bad decision to longtime fans, but I think once they get the hang of the new scheme, they'll realize that all the same strategies and play styles are still intact, there's just one less attack button. Its not a big deal, especially when you consider that all the characters still have all their same attacks, specials, combos, and hyper combos at their disposal. Also, the game handles like a dream. Special Moves and Hyper Combos are done with ease, there is virtually no struggling to get moves out when you KNOW you're pressing the right buttons. Character movements are perfectly smooth and your characters will do exactly what you want them to do, the first time, every time.
Graphically, the game is incredible. There isn't much to say about the graphics because I think anyone reading this review has seen numerous videos of the game in action and they already know its a gem in that department. Just know that its very flashy, Hyper Combos are brilliant looking. The one thing I was impressed with that online videos were not able to punctuate are the textures. Even things you wouldn't think of, like Spider-Man's webbing, looks like you can reach out and touch it and really looks like a silk web covering enemies, not just cartoony drawings.
Onto the sound. This is definately another high point. Frank Tieri, the famous comic book writer, did all the writing for character voices, as well as the story. Who better than to capture the personality of a bunch of comic characters than someone who has written nearly every Marvel character under the sun at some point? The voices all sound convincing, and there's nothing better than hearing the banter between two characters before a match starts. All the sound effects are spot on, from Deadpool's snarky comments, Wolverine's claws going "SNIKT", all the way down to Spidey's "THWIP" noise when he uses webbing. All the sounds you would expect are here and done in a very convincing way. And yes, before anyone asks, there are a couple of remixes of the classic "TAKE YA FOR A RIDE" song on the character select screens in various game modes.
Last, lets talk about the character roster. This game has one of the coolest character rosters of all in my opinion. The Marvel side has all the heavy hitters that you would expect, and a few obscure characters that people might not have expected. Some people might wonder why they included someone like Taskmaster or MODOK, while giving characters like Daredevil or Ghost Rider the shaft. Well, to put it simply, Capcom did not want too many similar characters in the game. Why put Daredevil in when you already have a few characters that are strictly fast brawler types? Instead, they put in characters that would bring a little uniqueness to the roster. Not to mention, I've always loved that Capcom always puts in a few obscure characters. Some characters deserve a little spot light from time to time. Also, once you see Taskmaster pull off a "Spidey Swing", or use his bow and arrow Hyper Combo that he "picked up from Hawkeye", I think you'll be convinced that it was a good idea too.
So, all in all, I have to give this game a perfect score of 10 out of 10. My first thought after playing it was that I wouldn't like it as much as the last one, but once I got used to the new control scheme, all my worries went away. Capcom has really outdone themselves with this one, and I highly recommend it to anyone. Whether you're a fan of the series, or picking this one up for the first time, I promise you will not be disappointed! Let Capcom and Marvel take you for a ride...you know you want to! : )
~CDB