Marvel to the Rescue?

I'm not big on comic books. Not even when I was a kid did I enjoy any of the old Marvel superheroes, so this review will be purely on the game itself, rather than any ties I have to the comic book characters in it.

Let me start by saying that I did not get this by choice. It came in a bundle pack that I received with my XBox 360, so I didn't really have high expectations for Ultimate Alliance from the get-go. Anyways here is my review!

Graphics- 7/10. I was very pleasantly surprised when I first put the disc into my XBox to see how terrific the graphics were on the opening cut-scene. It was almost photo-realistic, and that really boosted my enthusiasm to play the game. However, as in all games, the graphics aren't as good in game-play as they are in the cut-scenes, and my enthusiasm was shot right back down when I saw how "average" the in-game graphics really were. A lot of the computers and such used in the game are hideous to look at, and reminded me of the graphics from the game Fighting Force, for the N64. Of course, not everything looked that bad, but it was a disappointment for sure. All of the character wearing dark clothes (Spiderman, Human Torch) looks constantly wet, and all of the characters wearing light clothes (Wolverine, Thor) seem to be way too bright, almost with a light bulb inside of them. This game was released quite a while ago, and for the time, the graphics were good, but that won't help you much if you are looking to buy this now.

Game play- 6/10. As you begin to play, you will think how nice it will be to have more than one character at your disposal at all times. Infact, you can travel with 4 different superheroes at one time, though as you begin to think about the dynamics of game play, you begin to realize how hampered it will be to play as one of the 4, seeing as the camera has to show all 4 characters at once, and that with so many characters, the individuals can't have as polished of combos as you'd like. It can be extremely frustrating to attempt a combo with the camera being so bad. There is just no way to predict how it will end up for you.

Again, the word average comes up, this time in the A.I. Your squad is all right; as the 3 characters that are on the screen that you are not playing will quickly aid you when you begin to attack an enemy. The enemy A.I. can fluctuate, and at times, you can sneak un-noticed through halls where enemies are clearly supposed to attack you.

The missions you have to complete in the game are EXTREMELY boring, and present little to no challenge on easy or medium settings (which is all you get until you beat the game). The enemies usually aren't intelligent enough to chase you beyond a certain point, so you can just lay low for a while, and attack over and over again for very easy kills. Besides this, the game tries to come across as clever with random puzzles it throws in here and there. Give me a break. The puzzles are laughable at the very best.

RPG elements- 8/10. It can be very fun trying out new characters, and there are just so many characters that the RPG elements of the game really stand out. Besides just getting new characters to experiment with, you can add new combos to all the characters, and this can be a blast to just play around with. When your superhero reaches a new level by just kicking as much tail as possible you can assign new points for them at designated access points. Not only can you level up individual players you can level up your team as well. As taken from the game's manual-"When your team defeats enemies, rescues civilizations, and just generally saves the day, it will increase your team's reputation and you will be given special bonuses."

Multiplayer- 9/10. This is where the game really shines. Not only can you play offline with a buddy, you can also play co-op over XBox Live. You and up to four friends can all control one character out of your team. This is just a blast to play with your friends, online and offline. Playing on XBox Live with strangers can be stagnant at best, but still, you can play the entire game through and through with up to 4 people. There is also an Arcade Mode where you and your friends will compete to try and get the most kills and things of that effect.

I can't remember the last time I had this much fun playing a co-op game, if you are the type that has been waiting for a good one to come out you are in luck. This is as good as it gets in terms of a co-op play.

Story- 3/10. I absolutely HATED the story. It truly is the corniest story you will ever play in your entire life. The plot centers around you and your newly formed team of superheroes trying to save the world from Dr. Doom! Oh the suspense! Then again, like I said earlier, I am not much of a comic book person, and that has a lot to do with how much someone will like the story. I usually go much more in-depth in the story with my reviews, but I really can't bring myself to talk about the story in this game. If you aren't a comic book person, and you are over the age of 8, you won't get much, if any, enjoyment out of the story. The voice acting is very corny, the soundtrack is corny, and overall the story just gives you no incentive to want to finish the game.

This game is just not very fun to play alone. The story is god-awful, the game play is lacking, and even though the RPG elements are decent enough, that alone can't carry a game. However, when you and your friends get together, or you and a stranger on XBox Live play together, the game can be a blast. So if you are not a fan of the old Marvel superheroes, do not by this game. If you are, then this might be something to look into further, but based on what I've seen from Ultimate Alliance, I can give it no higher than a 7.0/10.