Marvel vs Capcom 3 – review

Like its predecessors, the third game in the Marvel vs Capcom beat-'em-up series brings together the cast of the famous comics universe and a wealth of characters from the titular video game company's extensive back catalogue. The result is an extravagant fusion of geek culture, where the likes of Spider-Man and Thor can lock horns with classic Street Fighter warriors and the stars of titles such as Resident Evil . The gameplay itself offers close combat tag-fighting cut from the classic arcade mould, and delivers an ambitious variety of melee styles, including fantasy martial arts and weapon-based face-offs. It's unrelenting from the opening seconds of your first bout. Flurries of punches and kicks quickly evolve to become elaborate special moves that fill the screen with colour. It is, then, a very pretty game, but its extravagance can be bewildering at times. For that reason a simplified version is provided for beginners. Those prepared to invest a few hours overcoming the rather intimidating complexity of the core game will enjoy it most, however, as a wonderfully refined combat system is hidden behind all the excess that guarantees countless hours of frantic excitement; all of which is further bolstered by a robust online mode.