What is Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3?
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 is a hack-and-slash RPG featuring iconic heroes from Marvel, such as Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Thor, and even Wolverine! It is the third installment in the hit series: Marvel Ultimate alliance. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 1(2006) was a lot of people’s first introduction to the beloved mighty heroes of earth, but Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2(2009) didn’t do as well as the first installment, which is probably why we almost never got a 3’rd game. But alas, over a decade later, in 2019, we got a threequel. When it was first announced that the 3rd game would be a Nintendo switch exclusive, people were worried. But when it finally came out, people like myself were completely, and utterly surprised.
Although running on a console less powerful than a PS3, Ultimate Alliance shocked many.
First of all, let’s talk about the roster. There are 36 playable characters in the game, which is less than the first game, which had over 140, but is definitely more than the second game, which only had 25. However, as I said earlier, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3(MUA3) isn’t really a direct sequel to MUA2 and 1. It just takes place in a different universe but has similar characters and gameplay. Speaking of gameplay, the overall combat style is really good! It’s simple yet effective. If you want to use a light attack, press Y, if you want to perform a heavy attack, tap x. Every character has these two attacks, but it’s what they do that separates them. Cap might do a shield throw, while hulk might just punch. Spiderman might shoot web blasts, while wolverine will slice away. Alternatively, you could do a synergy attack where two characters perform a combined attack, which does a LOT of damage. In fact, you can even do a synergy attack by yourself, although it’s more rare.
My favorite part about MUA3 is the story. The opening cutscene has to be my favorite. It starts with the guardians of the galaxy on their ship having a hilarious conversation. This leads to them finding an infinity stone and a member of The Black Order. The Black Order are the main bosses of this game, but Thanos is the final boss. The whole game actually relies on a simple story; Marvel’s heroes are using their combined forces to find all 6 infinity stones before Thanos does. This leads them to fighting a ton of villains in order to obtain them.
The graphics are pretty good, too! The art-style gives a Fortnite – type feel, which was probably to accommodate a lower-powered console. But they are a lot different than the first two games, which use a more realistic art-style, which I think I like better.
All in all, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 is a great game for any RPG fan, or any Marvel fan out there, even if you haven’t played the first 2.
