With all the Black Friday stuff going on, I thought it would be a good change of pace to get back to the reviews as I been slacking on them as of late. Keep in mind that my review is for the
360/PS3 version of
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2
, I haven't played the Wii version (and Amazon wont give me the correct image). Should this game be on your wish list this holiday season? Well, not at the top, but at a more appealing price (if you can't wait it's
$38.43 right now during the Black Friday weekend), I would say it's a decent time to pick it up.
As a stocking stuffer anyway
Pros:
Fusion Frenzy: Once again, you got a collection of Marvel's biggest and best super hero's (Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Thor, X-Men, Fantastic Four, etc), but this time you get to mix their powers to make powerful attacks. I never thought shooting Wolverine with lightning bolts or repulsor rays would be so much fun.
Live the war: Back in 2006-2007, the Civil War storyline forever changed the Marvel Universe. Regardless if fans agreed or disagreed with the reasons, ideas, or results from it, MUA2 gives you a chance to play through a pretty accurate representation of what went down in that storyline for about half the game. Choose your side and defend your ideals.
Power Specific: Depending on whose side you choose (Captain America's or Iron Man's), you get a different set of abilities you can use. This gives players incentive to replay the game from the other point of view.
Cons:
It's better with friends: While you can absolutely play this game on your own, the real value of the gamplay comes from playing with friends on Xbox live. There's more satisfaction from pulling off a fusion attack with a buddy than an AI partner, not to mention the average Xbox Live player is slightly smarter than AI teammates (keyword "slightly").
Really? That's your best idea?: A little past the halfway point of the campaign, the developers threw in a new story idea that was pretty mediocre. While I understand that they have to change things up a bit, the plot twist is kinda unsatisfying. Also, key parts to the Civil War story are cut. I understand you can't fit everything into the story, but not making the Stamford incident a playable level felt kind of like a cop out, not to mention a few other key events and deaths.
Sometimes less is more: All characters should not be playable for both sides throughout the game, period. I understand they're trying to give you the option to play the war YOUR way and that 3 characters ARE exclusive per side, but if you really want players to get replayability from playing this game, you have to give them more incentive. I.E., Ms Marvel should only be playable on Iron Man's side, Wolverine should only be on Captain America's side, Spider-man should defect eventually to Captain America's side, etc. Different abilities for different sides aren't enough incentive for replayability, different characters are.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is not a $60 title by any means, but it's a decently fun game to play with friends. You might be better off just renting this title, but if you're going to pick it up try to get it when it's about half off retail
Recommended buy price: $30
Game Score Ratings - HORRIBLE - Pass - Meh - Good - EPIC
Meh
for only $10 with a 2 yr service contract with Verizon. Looking for a cheap smart phone? THIS IS IT.
is only $40 right now and you'll get a $20 Amazon PSN store credit to boot. Hit it up.
(the NORMAL edition, not the Renegade) for Xbox 360, PS3 or Wii for only $85!! THAT'S $35 OFF!! I have no idea how long this will last, but if you want it NOW'S the time!
, you'll get a $20 PSN credit to be used on Amazon's Playstation store. The a bunch of good titles on this list, including God of War: Collection
($37), LittleBigPlanet: Game of the Year Edition
($50) and Killzone 2
($50).
is $8
is $11
is $10
is $16
is $31
is $20.48
1 if you haven't played it already, but at $10 which is almost the same price as a rental now adays, I can say you can go ahead and do it. This will at least give you the back story you need to play this years fantastic sequel, Assassins Creed 2
.
for the PS3 has dropped back down to $35 while it's still cheaper on the Xbox 360 at $33.
has been on sale this weekend as well for $25 on either PS3 or Xbox 360. With prices jumping up and down more than a 5 yr old on a pogo stick, it's still worth it to keep your eye on Amazon's Cyber Monday
jumped in on the action for $10.
$40, a fantastic price for a fantastic game.
dropped slightly to $38.40.
& the beautiful Street Fighter IV FightStick
for $50 on the 360 (but only $44 on the PS3)! I personally have and love both. Fallout 3 GOTY is already a great value at retail, getting it for any cheaper right now is a steal, and the SF4 fightstick is a great alternative if you don't have $150 to blow on the tournament stick. Plus the art is just gorgeous that can satisfy your inner Street Fighter Nerdiness.
is $50 (Xbox 360 and PS3).
is at $30 (Xbox 360 and PS3).
(Xbox 360) is $15 right now, which is a great price for a good J-RPG (I personally picked this up at this price, I'll review it when I beat it).