Marvel vs. Capcom is a prominent fighting game series that pits the top fan favorite characters from game developer Capcom against the Super Hero filled roster from comics giant Marvel. The series made its debut back on Arcade and PS1 and has managed to get a new entry in each preceding generation. The announcement of a new Marvel vs. Capcom game being in development for the PS4 and Xbox One has also brought back the last entry for the current generation consoles. The question is, is this port worth the price?
If you are looking for a solid fighter to tie you over on the PS4 until the release of Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite, the next entry in the series, then you might have a good time with it. If you have already played the game or purchased it on any other platform, then you should reconsider getting it again because it is a pretty lackluster port for the most part.
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 includes the majority of the DLC offered for the game so this makes it the definitive edition of the game that includes all the DLC content. There is one specific Magneto DLC that doesn’t appear to make the cut here but it is nothing major provided the fact that this re-release offers a new Gallery mode in addition to all the previous DLCs.
If you have played the game on the PS3 or Xbox 360, then you should notice the improved resolution, which now runs at native 1080p compared to the 720p resolution on the previous generation consoles. The frame rate appears to remain mostly solid 60 fps while the loading times are shortened, making it a smoother experience overall. This is not something that is worth the price if you have already bought the game on the PS3 or Xbox 360, but it does offer a nice incentive for those who want to jump into the series before the new game releases.
Since I have been a big fan of the Marvel vs. Capcom series, it was nice to have see the franchise getting resurrected, which seems to have lost focus after the last entry. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 offers the same tag team combat mechanics that made the series unique from other fighters. Fights are conducted with 3 vs. 3 fighters picked by the player. They all have their own life bar and can be utilized at any point during gameplay. We can also call them during battle to assist the player or swap our character with any of the spare one. This adds a sense of strategy that makes for some crazy combo videos.
The gameplay revolves around using a mix and match of weak and powerful punches and kicks to even aerial juggles. The fighters each have their own unique special attacks in addition to the team based attacks, that will require a full special meter but easily obliterate the opposing fighter. It is all about utilizing the best combo and making sure the opponent never manages to break through them.
The game features a diverse character roster comprised of 50 fighters. What makes it interesting for the PS4 re-release is that Capcom has now finally bundled the DLC characters, Jill and Shuma, with this version of the game. Previously, these two characters were only possible to be unlocked through DLC, even for the PS Vita version of the game. Thankfully this doesn’t appear to be the case for the PS4 version here.
Aside from having a very diverse cast, the game retains all of its gameplay modes including the Heroes and Heralds mode. Unfortunately it still lacks a proper Tutorial mode which is a shame to say the least. Tutorials are an important aspect of fighting games and with games like Guilty Gear and Blazblue incorporating them in a way that not only introduces fans to the series’ mechanics, but also allows the casual fans to dig deeper into them, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 appears to be severely underutilized in this aspect.
There is not much to say for this port, but if you are looking for a fun fighter, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is well worth its price tag of $25 with a huge and diverse cast of characters, each of with their own unique gameplay allowing for ultimate combo possibilities. It is also the definitive version of the game that runs at native 1080p along with 60 fps, since there is no PC port available at the moment.
Utimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is available now for the PS4 while it will be released later for the Xbox One and PC. It was developed and published by Capcom. This review covers the PS4 version of the game.
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Review (PS4)
Summary
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is the definitive experience on the PS4 with the jump to 1080p resolution coupled with all the post-launch DLC. It should be a good starting point for those who are new to the series while offering a returning point for the fans.
