I swear, these Gauntlet-type games are like ex-girlfriends. You had fun the first time around, but after you were done, you felt like you weren't ever going to need that experience again. But every once in a while a weird craving will come over you, and you end up going back to the well once or twice more. You know you'll remember exactly why you stopped in the first place, but you go for it anyway. At least it's more fun when you bring a few friends along.
Wait. Maybe this was a bad analogy.
In any case, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 was my first booty call to the multiplayer beat'em up RPG since, well, the first MUA. Not a whole lot has changed—you team up with Marvel big-leaguers like Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Wolverine and the like and go beat up bad guys by mashing like two buttons over and over again. There are at least a few new wrinkles to keep things interesting, though.
The most notable is probably the storyline, which follows (Marvel's big crossover event) Civil War's template. After the Superhero Registration Act is put into effect, hero is set against hero, and so fisticuffs with lasers ensue. Around 1/3 into the game, you get to choose which side you're on (Pro or Anti Registration). This affects some missions you go on and bosses you'll face, along with which heroes you get to choose (no Mr. Fantastic or Iron Man on Anti-Reg, no Luke Cage or Cap on Pro-Reg). It's a decent enough reason to play the game through again, though most will probably have their fill after seeing the credits the first time.
The character list is a bit more eclectic this go-round, with fan-favorites like Colossus, Silver Surfer and Ghost Rider replaced with more obscure capes like Songbird, Penance and Iron Fist. It ends up being a trade-off between the charm of the old familiar heroes to the diversity of the new folks. I'll admit I had a lot of fun with Iron Fist and surprisingly Green Goblin, whose glider makes for some pretty dynamic attacks. There are a few overpowered characters like the pre-order special Juggernaut, whose continuous charge move is a veritable Win Button. The Invisible Woman is also surprisingly—and perhaps over—formidable, with powerful capture and crushing attacks.
There's also a new form of attack called "fusions" that ended up being a lot of fun. Basically you beat up some guys to fill your fusion bar, and then two heroes team up to unleash a super attack. So Storm might whip up a tornado and then Human Torch adds his touch and boom, fiery vortex of henchman suffering. Or Hulk could pick up a slab of the ground as big as himself, Deadpool would teleport over and add some C4, and boom, well, literally. There are some repeats (The Thing + Deadpool = Hulk + Deadpool = Juggernaut + Green Goblin), but there are enough variations to add a thin layer of strategy to the proceedings.
This game isn't a revelation like Batman: Arkham Aslyum, but it is some dumb fun best played with buds on a lazy afternoon. And sometimes, that just really hits the spot.
Cross-posted on The Squiggly Lines!
"Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2" is on sale September 15, 2009 and is rated T. Action, RPG. Developed by Vicarious Visions, N Space, Savage Entertainment. Published by Activision.
