'Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds'
Capcom
Sony PlayStation 3 (Xbox 360)
$59.99
ESRB rating: Teen
Review rating: 4 stars
Even though "Marvel vs. Capcom 2" was popular enough to make itsway from the arcade (remember those?) to three separate consoles, ithas taken more than 10 years to garner a sequel. Fans of theoriginal will be thrilled that "Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of TwoWorlds" has finally been released, but is it in the same league asmodern fighting games?
Once again, players must select three perturbed pugilists to formtheir super-team. Although the roster has diminished somewhat, oldfavorites like Ryu, Morrigan and Doctor Doom join several newcharacters, including Thor, Deadpool, Dante and the incredibleViewtiful Joe. With no limitations on teammates, heroes and villainscan combine their forces to create the kind of battles that onlyexist in the minds of adolescents.
Prior games in the series are known for having overly complicatedcontrols with lightning fast reaction time. To be honest, the combatalways seemed too fast to keep up with, which resulted in manydefeats while I was trying to complete a mega-combo! Even withsimpler controls, I still find the action to be too hectic for mytaste.
Now the controls have been simplified so much that performingspecial moves is second nature. In addition, there are three mainattack buttons instead of six as well as a "special" button thatinstantly launches enemies into the air. I was also surprised tofind that the special move meters fill rather quickly, resulting inmultiple special moves being performed during every match.
Online play is just as over the top, but waiting in staticlobbies before each match gets old fast. I also don't want to bepunished with problematic game play just because the other guy has apoor Internet connection.
"Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds" isn't as easy to learnas, say, "Tekken 6," but gamers with patience will enjoy the uniquecharacter matchups.
'Knights Contract'
Namco Bandai
Sony Playstation 3 (Xbox 360)
$59.99
ESRB rating: Mature
Review rating: 3 stars
Most video games are extensions of the average teenager'sfantasies, so it isn't surprising that they depict larger-than-lifecharacters adored by top-heavy women. Believe it or not, playing theuntouchable hero gets old after single-handedly saving the universefor the thousandth time. That's why I like the premise behind"Knights Contract." Too bad the game play isn't as original.
Heinrich, the former witch executioner, isn't your typical hero.He's old, scarred and walks with a limp. After years of serving amad dictator, he inadvertently decapitates an innocent witch, butnot before she curses him with immortality. Now he is doomed to walkthe earth without the solace of his eventual demise. The witch,named Gretchen, promises to end the curse if Heinrich helps herascend a mountain guarded by the legions of hell.
Players only have direct control of Heinrich, but they can fireoff Gretchen's magic spells whenever they want. Up to four spellscan be equipped, and the visual effects are flashy enough to causeconfusion during combat. Unfortunately, she's pretty much useless inevery other regard and actually has to be protected throughout theentire game. This means that it's an escort quest from start tofinish. Yawn!
This wouldn't be so bad if Gretchen's A.I. didn't have a penchantfor her own death. She runs straight at bosses and loves to meanderthrough hazardous pits of fire. But the most maddening thing iswhenever Heinrich falls in battle, she just stands and gets hit bypowerful boss enemies. Then it's a race against time to see if theplayer can revive Heinrich before Gretchen dies and ends the game.
"Knights Contract" has an interesting storyline, but it isn'tenough motivation to endure the mediocre game play.
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