The Video Game Awards 2018 only just kicked off and Marvel has already surprised us. No, it wasn't the trailer for
Avengers 4. It wasn't even the reveal of Square Enix's mysterious
Avengers Project. This was something completely unexpected - the return of
Marvel Ultimate Alliance, the fan-favorite action-adventure series that last released nearly 10 years ago.
Kicking off the night, we got our first look at
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order. Coming exclusively to Nintendo Switch,
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 will see you assemble the ultimate team of Marvel heroes and villains in a brand new storyline that actually sounds like a twist on what we've already experienced on the big screen via the MCU's
Avengers: Infinity War - though with a slight twist.
Basically, you'll be assembling this ultimate team to
"race across the Marvel Universe to find the Infinity Stones before Thanos and The Black Order use them to unleash cosmic chaos." Sound familiar? In any case, the trailer looks pretty awesome as it showcases some action featuring our favorite Marvel characters, including the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the X-Men, and more. You'll also be traveling to iconic locations such as the Avengers Tower and the X-Mansion.
The MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE series returns for the first time in 10 years—with a new action RPG—exclusively on the Nintendo Switch™ system! Assemble your ultimate team of Marvel Super Heroes from a huge cast including the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the X-Men, and more! Team up with friends to prevent galactic devastation at the hands of the mad cosmic tyrant Thanos and his ruthless warmasters, The Black Order.
Perhaps the most unexpected part of the announcement - and maybe the most disappointing and unfortunate - is that Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 will only be available on the Nintendo Switch and doesn't appear to be coming to Xbox One or PS4. There was no mention of the phrase "timed exclusive," so a good portion of the gaming community may be out of luck unless they intend to purchase Nintendo's hybrid console.
That said, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 will take full advantage of the Switch, offering up to four player drop-in/drop-out co-op. You can play online or link up offline via local wireless or take advantage of the Switch's Joy-Con controllers to allow a friend to play simultaneously. With another pair of Joy-Con controllers, up to four players will be able to play on one system.
“As longtime fans of the franchise, we could not be prouder and more excited to bring back Ultimate Alliance with its biggest game yet,” said Mike Jones, Vice President & Executive Producer, Marvel Games. “Marvel Ultimate Alliance is all about teaming up with your friends and creating your own ‘dream team’ of Super Heroes to go on adventures across the Marvel Universe, and Nintendo Switch is perfect for delivering on that promise of cooperative gameplay and shared experiences.”
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 is set to release next year, which also happens to be when Avengers 4 hits theaters.