Raven Software first proved it could make an RPG back in 2004 with X-Men Legends. The company has been known for making shooters in the past, but they have succeeded in combining two unlikely elements together: Superheroes and Action Role Playing.
Two years later, after releasing X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse, Raven Software releases Marvel Ultimate Alliance, their first attempt at using other Marvel universe characters, other than the X-Men.
The story starts off with Dr. Doom and a collection of various super villains, who call themselves the Masters of Evil, attacking a S.H.E.I.L.D. helicarrier. Colonel Nick Fury sends out a distress signal to all available superheroes in which the heroes Spider-Man, Wolverine, Captain America, and Thor answer. After saving the helicarrier, the heroes meet up with Nick Fury to create a team that will counter the Masters of Evil and discover what exactly the evil villains are trying to accomplish.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance seems to visit every single landmark in the Marvel universe, as well as feature dozens upon dozens of villains and heroes in the fictional universe. I was very impressed at the number of playable characters there were in this game.
Heroes that you could play as included Ghost Rider, the entire Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Iron Man, Deadpool, Dr. Strange, Ms. Marvel, Iceman, Captain America, Luke Cage, Wolverine, Elektra, and Storm. There are also five heroes that you can unlock in the game by doing certain tasks. The PlayStation 2 version, unfortunately, does not include any exclusive unlockable heroes like the next-gen and handheld versions included.
The all-star lineup goes on and on. Though you can’t play as the other heroes, you will most likely see them throughout the game. Characters like Nightcrawler, Odin, Professor Xavier, Bruce Banner, Black Bolt, and Cyclops will be apart of the story. The amount of villains that appear in Marvel Ultimate Alliance also impressed me quite a bit. Popular villains such as Rhino, Dr. Doom, Ultron, and Galactus appear in the game, while lower profile characters like Radioactive Man, the Skrulls, and Arcade are also in the game.
Each character that you came across in game had surprisingly great voices. Most of the characters in this game haven’t even been heard in any other form of entertainment, such as a movie or another game. People like The Watcher and Captain America had voices that fit their personality and look perfectly.
Having never played any of the X-Men Legends games, I had little idea on how Marvel Ultimate Alliance would play. I always thought it would be as fun as maybe a Double Dragon, or another beat-em-up game like Fighting Force.
Article comments