Lycra and Latex applenty

It’s been a good year for Superheroes. Prototype, Infamous, Wolverine and Batman have all been received fantastically. But these all focus on one hero. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 features all the best Marvel characters to grace comic book pages in history. So it’s not short off lycra clad heroes.

A world divided

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is based on the Civil War series which divided the Marvel world seeing Heroes being forced to register themselves, and then remove their masks so the world could learn their true identities. Not only does this make the story interesting, it also impacts the game and the choices available to you.

If you choose pro-registration you will work with Iron Man and the government to face off with those that have chosen rebellion. If on the other hand you choose to keep your identity hidden you are forced underground with Captain America as your leader. Whichever option you choose you will lose the ability to use certain heroes and missions and vice versa. So choose your side wisely.

Power at your finger tips

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 plays much like the original so Marvel Ultimate Alliance players will feel right at home when they pick up the pad. The attack animations have been smoothed out so the slightly jerky and clunky feeling of the first game has been lost. Like the original you can access your mutant powers by holding R1 then press one of the face buttons to use your chosen power.

In addition to this you now have the Fusion ability. This enables you to combine your super powers with another hero to unleash a devastating attack on your foes. A good example is the Wolverine/IronMan combo, which sees Wolverine holding his claws up so Iron Man can blast them. Rather than damage Wolverine the beam is dispersed in the surrounding area hitting all enemies in range. This attack is a Clearing attack, which is used to clear out an area around you to give you some breathing space. You also have Targeting attacks, these are brilliant to use against bosses as they take the full force of the attack as you can only aim it at a single individual.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 has had an impressive visual overhaul. The characters have all had a complete makeover. They are now more detailed than before in the game and the cut scenes. Like the original there are also multiple costumes to unlock. The characters aren’t the only thing in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 to be beefed up. As you’d expect the levels are all brand new to Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 but they just look so much better than the original.

United we stand

One key component that made Marvel Ultimate Alliance popular was that it could support 4 player co-op online. Thankfully this feature has returned in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 so you and your friends can unleash your combined powers on the evil doers of the world.

If you preordered Marvel Ultimate Alliance at GAME, you will have received the code to unlock Jean Grey aka The Phoenix with her telepathic abilities. It has to said though that Miss Grey can hold her own in a fist fight too and that she has quite a nasty right hook. However you decide to incorporate her into your team she is a very welcome addition.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 has gone above and beyond the original. The story is darker and more compelling, backed up by fantastic cut scenes. The gameplay itself feels familiar yet fresher than its predecessor, thanks to the inclusion of the Fusion attacks. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is a great addition to the Super hero genre. Whether you choose pro-registration or rebellion

GAME's Verdict

• +Great improvement over the original
• +Fusion Attacks are a great addition
• +Online Multiplayer

• -Waiting for DLC to be announced
• -Special moves are no longer shown by an icon, just the button
• -Waiting for the chance to play as Green Goblin and Venom

Review by: Tom 'Lycra-Loving' Daly
Version Tested: PlayStation 3
Review Published: 02.10.09