Hardcore Catering
It's nice to see attention still going towards hardcore gaming in an era of increasingly bloated cash-in casual titles. Although I consider myself a gamer I've never faired well when it came to fighting games. But the over-the-top east meets west spectacle of the MvC series has managed to work its way into my heart when it probably shouldn't have.
Thankfully the combat has been "dumbed down" for guys like me that are on the fence about fighting games. With less buttons to worry about memorizing and a one-button-fits-all launch attack it makes it A LOT easier to get into the big combos scene in tournament play.
The problem is that the game tries to imply that these changes make accessible to both hardcore and casual crowds and it doesn't. Sure, the game may be a bit easier but if you have never played a fighting game before you're in for a nasty surprise. It's like P90-X, if you don't come in with a solid foundation you're gonna get worked. And modes like Simple Mode don't really help you understand the game, as it pretty much plays the game for you. But this game isn't meant for the casual crowd.
Overall the roaster works with just a few missteps. A character like C. Viper seems unnessicery. With about 3 generations of SF characters to pull from they add a new school character that's already in a current generation fighter. Oddball characters like Arthur and Viewtiful Joe add comic relief as well as varied fighting styles. But it's a shame the tradition of original characters like Amigo or Ruby Heart wasn't kept.
If MvC2 was Mount Everest MvC3 is K2, a steep slope you can conquer quicker. A refreshingly hard game that pushes you to earn those blue ribbons, while the competition is content with handing out participation awards for all who inquire.
