Before Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (MvC3) hit stores, the hype was pretty intense. Now that the game has hit the market, the game has definitely lived up to it's hype.
From the open credits to the selection screen to gameplay, the user 
experience feels like you are literally in an incredibly entertaining comic book that begs you to keep reading and flipping pages. This classic-style fighting game is visually stimulating and is ridiculously deep in terms of character moves and fighting combinations.
As you'd expect, the game features all the classic characters that old school comic fiends would expect as well as a slew of new arrivals. Disappointing though, is the omission of classics characters like Mega Man or Venom, for example. However, each character has their own signature styles and that goes for both the heroes and villains.
As the title indicates, this is the third entry in the series and it carries over the three-on-three battles and hyper combos. As with the previous installments, "tagging in" partners for brief attacks is available as well as a special meter to execute bone-crushing moves.
As for the gameplay, there are four main attack buttons that include light, medium, heavy, and special attacks. There's also a common move that pops opponents into the air for combos and a shift to calling in partners through the assist buttons instead of pressing punch and kick.
The roster of characters for MvC3 is 36 deep, four of which are locked when you start the game. Each character has their niche, and no two are alike. Some are physical and use brutal force, others use a quick, aerobatic approach, while others use magic and basic fighting techniques. The great thing with exploring the characters and their moves is that the combination feel almost limitless.
One cool element of game play is the X-Factor mechanic, which boosts the speed and strength of characters. It's a simple concept, every fighter in the game is impacted. The X-Factor also cancels any attack, including hyper combos, and allows for added creativity in combos and tactics.
On the surface, the game appears to be a classic hit the buttons until your fingers fall off-type game. However, a skilled player who knows the right combos and strengths of certain characters, will easily take down any and all newbies (especially because of the fast-paced nature of the game).
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