Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Review

The original Marvel vs. Capcom 3 launched just a mere 9 months ago back in February and yet we already have our hands on the latest iteration of the franchise. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (UMVC3) is an upgraded version of the original that adds in 12 new characters, several new stages and modes, as well as various character balance tweaks and online stability. Lots of people were on the edge on whether to buy another version of the game in such a short period of time; however it’s safe to say that Capcom has created a compelling package enough to justify a purchase.

The main attraction of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is the 12 new characters and the gameplay changes and adjustments. Right off the bat you will notice that each of the newly introduced characters is different in their own way. For example Phoenix Wright plays unlike any character I have even seen in a fighting game, he does not use actual hits for his attacks but rather finds evidence or throws paper at the opponent. In addition he has various modes he can go into by searching for different clues while in battle; each mode gives him a different set of attacks to use against the enemy. There was a lot of thought put into each of these characters and the diversity that they bring to the cast is much welcomed.

The old cast members have also received their share of changes ranging from balance adjustments all the way to brand new moves. Nearly every character in the game now has more tools and traits to work with which opens up new ways of how these characters are used. It’s safe to say that the now 48 roaster of characters make the game a lot more fun while the balance adjustments seem to give each of the old characters a set of fresh new tools.

The in game HUD in UMVC3 has gotten a complete redesign that was aiming to be more comic-like and clear at the same time. While the HUD is mostly considered an improvement there are few points that can be problematic. The first one being that the order of characters now lists the 1st assist on the bottom and the 2nd on top of the current character’s health bar. This can be confusing as you can misread the order and end up doing something you weren’t planning on doing. Another issue is that the two characters not on point (not being currently controlled) have their health bars dimmed which can be a little hard to read at times. These issues although might bug some people can be mostly adjusted to as you get used to the game.