Being relatively new to the fighting game genre this game caught my attention quickly, both with its artistic style and attempt to attract the mainstream gamers. Few fighting games nowadays play towards the average gamer, instead opting for the experienced fighting veterans. Marvel vs. Capcom 3 attempts to appease both crowds.
To set the stage for this review let me get this out of the way, this is my first marvel vs. Capcom game, and my only other fighting game experience is through the early Soul Calibur series and Super Smash Brothers. Also, I'm not an tournament player by any stretch. That being said, let's get on with it.
Presentation
When I first heard there would be a 3rd installment to the series I was cautious. I expected Capcom to follow the same formula that fighting games sequels were often plagued with. Expand the playable characters, moves, modes, and call it a day. However, the cel-shaded graphical style truly brings the characters to life. The graphical revamp alone gives the game more reason to exist than many other titles in the genre(I'm looking at you Soul Calibur 4). The stylistic look really does give the sprites of yesterday new life. Many characters thrive in this look, specifically Zero(Megaman X), Amaterasu(Okami), Viewtiful Joe(Viewtiful Joe), and Dante(Devil May Cry). Its impossible to find many if any flaws in the visuals of this game. Even characters like Arthur(Ghouls N' Ghosts), who has never been in a game beyond the Super Nintendo era, look better than ever. It's over-the-top, stylized look can be a lot to handle at first but after only moments its impossible to imagine the game any other way.
Audio
Another aspect that really feels modern. The music is all fast paced with a techno-rock feel. It would not normally appeal to me, but with the style of the visuals and the speed of the game it really works. In the case of Capcom's characters, many of the older themes are remixed for the game. The cohesion between music and graphics create a sense of style neither could accomplish alone. It really is difficult to balance the retro characters and music with a modern theme, yet Capcom pulled it off nicely. The first time I heard Zero's theme from MMX2 in its remixed glory, the kid in me had a mild nerdgasm. If you're familiar with any character in the series well enough to know their themes, don't be surprised if you too suffer from nostalgic euphoria. Furthermore, the voice acting in the game is well done, showcasing both Japanese and English versions. Capcom threw in a nice touch allowing the player to customize which is character's voice is in English and which is in Japanese. In addition to this, they added the 'original' option, this gives each character the language their series began in. That isn't to say the writing is without its cheesy dialogue. The first time you hear Deadpool utter the line, "I'm the ghost of Christmas kick your ass", eye rolling is a guarantee.
Story
Let's be frank(not West, unfortunately), Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has no real story to speak of. There's an Arcade mode that jumps from fight to fight. The only real story is really just the comic book panels at the ending of the arcade mode. This is 2 simple images, with a few lines of dialogue, usually an attempt at comedy. This is a real letdown as the characters, style, and quality of character back stories really lend to this sort of storyline. Leading up to the release of the game, the videos(intro video's) really suggested a storyline to it all. Furthermore, it all worked so perfectly. A the very least, a character ending featuring video would have really given the game more offline value. Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe had a storyline, it wasn't perfect but it really did improve the single player experience for me. I realize stories aren't important to most fighting games, but since there's only 2 real modes, vs/online or arcade, I did expect good quality in them. A disappointment without a doubt.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is near perfect. You choose 3 characters to do battle against another team of 3. After picking this game up, I immediately enjoyed myself. Button mashing was fun at first, and I slowly progressed, enjoying every moment. It's a beginner friendly game, allowing some level of ability no matter what skill level. However, having played better players online, I realize that the ability to improve is enormous. This along with the tournament videos show that there is a significant level of competition amongst tournament players. The character balance is superb and I've rarely seen the same combination of fighters. It's a game that appeals to both the hardcore and the mainstream. The only issue some players will have is with the long series of combo's/supers that will sometimes lead to losing half their health without being able to do anything about it, or against better players, maybe even losing an entire character to such an event. These can be frustrating, so I would suggest playing other players near your own skill level until you can counter these combo's and even perform your own.
Online/Offline
These killer combo's are more common in the online mode. I've encountered a few players with such an understanding of timing and move combinations that I did not even take out half of their first character's health. That being said, the majority of matches were still fun. If you're afraid of the online pro's you have the option to play unranked matches, which typically have a lower skill level players. If you still feel intimidated playing online before getting good you can play the lackluster arcade mode, or just train in the mission modes or training modes. Both of which are essentially the same idea, figuring out combo's, game mechanics, and timing. They work well for what they are trying to do, but they do not adequately make up for the weak arcade mode. The online statistics and offline achievements/titles do add a little something to accomplishing things and give a natural progression to the game. It's a nice system online and a decent one offline, it's just missing that single player experience to make it the complete package.
Verdict
In general, if you have no friends to play with or no online intentions/connection, then there's really no reason to be playing this game. If you do have any or both of them, then you should get this game immediately. I would certainly put this into the 'best fighting game' discussion at the very least. Capcom made a great fighting game for both the mainstream players as well as the hardcore vets. If only they hadn't forgotten about the single player.
