Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2

Review - My Spidey sense is tingling...

Comic books are hot property at the moment, what with the latest Spider-Man, Batman and Iron Man movies setting the box office alight and sequels being pushed into production faster than you can say, "kerching!" Suddenly, Hollywood has given the green light to every comic book license in the known universe, with the money men rubbing their hands together as the cash ceaselessly rolls in.

Videogames it seems are no exception to the rule, so it's no surprise to see a glut of comic licensed games constantly being released of late, riding the surging wave of the movies' popularity all the way to the bank. And with Batman: Arkham Asylum showing everyone the way comic videogame adaptations ought to be made, all other comic book games are beginning to pale in comparison even more than usual.

Of course, it doesn't particularly help Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2's chances when you realise that it's the follow up to the decidedly mediocre character-based RPG from 2006. Essentially more of the same, UA2 retains the same isometric 3D viewpoint, same team-based gameplay and same kind of button-mashing action.

So far, so 'same old' then. But at least the story's different this time, focusing as it does on the 2006 Marvel event known as Civil War - which has just finished its run in the UK comics. So conveniently, we've just read the narrative source material and if you happen to be a massive comic book geek like yours truly, be warned that the game only very tenuously follows the original story.

Revolving around an issue that divides the superhero community in two, factions form and loyalties are put to the test as the Marvel universe must decide whether they're in favour of a government legislation stating that all super-powered individuals must register. Anyone in breach of the act is deemed a dirty lawbreaker and branded a fugitive outlaw.

And so with Tony Stark aka Iron Man lending his staunch support to the government initiative and Captain America standing on the opposite side in favour of freedom, the American way and all that, a war of stern, portentous words and fast-flying fisticuffs commences. As a set-up for a Marvel game, it's perfect, even if it does play fast and loose with the actual events that take place in the books.

For the rest of the non-comic consuming public, Ultimate Alliance 2 will likely elicit little more than an indifferent shrug and the fact that the game adopts the guise of dungeon trawler (of sorts) will perhaps do little to sway their opinion. The visuals and the gameplay aren't particularly polished or remarkable either, so anyone hoping to derive pleasure from Ultimate Alliance 2 purely at face value will have a hard time in doing so.

For an RPG, there's also very little in the way of depth beyond the core 'Fusion' mechanic that enables you to execute various arena clearing moves using co-operation between two characters. In multiplayer co-op, there's something strangely satisfying about teaming up to pull off a devastating barrage of super-power aided pyrotechnics, but in single-player, the manoeuvres boil down to simply holding the left trigger, pressing a face button and then tapping A on Xbox 360 or X on PS3 like a madman. There are loads of different permutations to discover, but they're all incredibly similar and invariably result in only one of three outcomes and effects.

Which is pretty much the crux of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2's combat in fact. Wading through cookie-cutter villains mostly involves pounding a couple of face buttons ad infinitum, maybe modifying a power with the right trigger held or chucking in an aerial move from time to time. It's puddle-shallow stuff and even though there has been some attempt to encourage you to string together combos, when you're surrounded by grenade spewing mechanoids, it's difficult not to unwittingly descend into frantic pad mashing, as it tends to get the job done just as effectively.

Marvel fans will no doubt find the 24 playable characters in Ultimate Alliance 2 massively appealing, and the option to assemble iconic teams such as The Avengers, X-Men or Fantastic Four is also immensely welcome. However, there are some more obscure inclusions (um, Penance anyone?) and some glaring omissions from the playable roster (Bishop, Cable, Colossus, Cloak, Black Widow...the list goes on) that still feature as non-playable boss characters.

Still, there's a generous list of faces to combine and experiment with, which gives the game its lifeblood. Without the Marvel license, this might not be worth bothering with at all. The strength of the characters and the situation that they're embroiled in manages to generate some interest that succeeds in carrying the game some way, but not quite enough to disguise the repetitive and simplistic fighting concealed beneath the colourful comic book veneer.

Peel that veneer back and you'll find something that might just pass as average fare at best. Getting to the end of the narrative deserves a hearty pat on the back and an imaginary medal from us - it can be a grinding, sometimes thankless chore. Even the conversations that take place during each of the inter-level hubs are staid and dull, your decisions having very little, if any effect on the story whatsoever. Optional trivia quizzes to earn extra XP will also confuse and frustrate those unfamiliar with Marvel comics lore while delighting fervent fans of the universe.

Which is ultimately the fundamental deciding factor in whether you'll enjoy Ultimate Alliance 2 or not. If like us, you happen to be a rabid Marvel devotee, then you're going to get a lot more out of UA2 than anyone else. Although that also depends on how long you think you can tolerate bashing buttons. Do yourself a favour - play this with friends in co-op mode and you'll find a lot more to like about the game than solo play will allow. In single-player, UA2 is just plain dull, regardless of how many universally recognisable Marvel heroes developer Vicarious Visions has managed to cram in.

A marked improvement over the first game, this sequel is really only worth seeking out if your Spider sense is tingling for more Marvel action. Otherwise, you may want to use your common sense and avoid.

Like Marvel comics? Then you might consider buying UA2. Don't like Marvel comics? Then you'd probably prefer to eat your own earwax than play this. The End.

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