The first thing you notice about Marvel vs Capcom 3 is its graphic novel style. Everything from the menu text to the post-battle screens is rendered in Marvel Comics style, which is pretty cool. The levels and characters look very pretty and detailed, and stay true to the authentic designs in the source material. The game is fluid and never experiences any slowdowns, which is vital in a fighting game. Overall, MvC 3 does quite well in all technical aspects.
Controls follow the Tatsuneko vs Capcom scheme, with individual buttons for light, medium, heavy and special attacks. Assists and character switches can be activated by tapping or holding specific buttons. There’s even a Simple Mode that will let those unaccustomed to fighting games learn the ropes by activating combos with a single button. However, most of the powerful combos are locked here, so Simple Mode won’t give you the complete experience.
The combo system is very fluid. There’s more freedom, allowing you to chain as many hits as you can imagine. You can aslso call in assists or switch-outs in the middle of aerial combos, making things even more chaotic. Damage has been increased, giving MvC 3 an on-the-edge feel. When you know that one devastating combo could wipe out your entire health bar, you have to stay focused, and this is where MvC 3 succeeds. Augmenting that is the X-Factor. Each player starts off with the ability to use one X-Factor, which will give them boosts in all areas. The boosts increase the more peril you are in, so choosing the right moment to activate it is important.
MvC 3 treads the fine line between too accessible and too hardcore. It’s way more accessible than before, but it stops short of being too easy. There’s still enough depth to entice the most experienced gamers. Where MvC 3 really shines is in its character roster. While the number of characters has been reduced from MvC 2, there is plenty of variety on offer. While some fan favourites like Mega Man are excluded, all the characters that are there have something unique to offer. While characters like Dante might seem too powerful, for such characters, individual hit damage is reduced. You’ll be spending months trying to perfect their teams, simply because of the number of combinations that the roster brings. Character interactions are also pretty cool. They respond to each other with snarky quips and there’s some nice opponent-based chatter.
Mode wise, MvC 3 has quite a bit to offer. There is the simple Versus mode, which is offline multiplayer, and the Arcade mode, which is a series of battles until you get to the final boss. The MvC3 Training Mode is one of the best we’ve seen. Almost any situation that you can think of can be simulated, which is what training modes should do. The Mission Mode will lead you through character-specific missions. You’ll have to perform certain moves and combos to move to the next level, with scrolling commands teaching you about your character.
Usually, story modes are as important in fighting games as they are in porn, but the game’s story was talked up a lot before release, and so the failure to deliver is a real downer. The online modes consist of ranked and unranked matches and a Lobby mode. A major snafu on Capcom’s part is the absence of spectating in the Lobby mode. In a winner stays situation, you’d expect others to be able to watch games in progress. Instead, all you see is diminishing health bars.
If there is one word that can be used to describe Marvel vs Capcom 3, it’s insane. Insanely fun, insanely addictive, insane combos, insane damage, insane replayability. You could talk about the increased damage or accessibility, or the complete lack of a story mode, but when the game is as fun as this, it all goes out of the window.
