Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds

(Capcom for Xbox 360)
By Mike Delano

There’s so much worry today about the quantity of content that can be stuffed into one game (multiplayer? co-op? A score attack mode? Is DLC on the way? Are creation tools available?) that, too often, the incredible value of a well-made game is ignored. A single three-on-three fight in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 offers so much craft and strategy and joy that it’s crazy to think of anyone making it through just one of these explosive bouts and being left wanting. There’s so much to explore, from mastering air combos and controlling space with projectiles to broader tactical choices like team combinations and Hyper Combo Gauge management, that it will take dedicated players ages to experience it all. And you’ll definitely want to see it all, because the smooth controls, fantastically eclectic cast of characters, and peerless presentation make it hard to put down. And, of course, being a game in the modern age, there’s plenty of quantitative content as well, from training modes to online multiplayer, to downloadable characters and alternate A.I. schemes. But when you strip away all of the modes and the extras to get to the heart of the game, any given three-on-three fight in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 delivers the goods in spectacular fashion, guaranteed.
(www.capcom.com)