Ever wonder what would happen when two worlds collide for total dominance? Hours of addictive gameplay and another winner for the team at Capcom is the answer.

Let’s start by talking about an outstanding roster of over 36 fighters straight from the world of Marvel comics and the heroes of the Capcom gaming universe. Every character has their own unique abilities and personality that make every match seem new and fresh.

If you’re not familiar with the franchise, “Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds” (MVC3) is a standard fighter where you select a team of three characters and unleash your rage until your opponent’s team has been eliminated. During battle you may tag out any of your three fighters at any time or just call on them for a little backup such as a laser blast or gunfire during match play. The game sounds straightforward but the most addictive part of the game is its simplicity.

You’ll find four basic buttons during fighting. A light, medium, heavy and special attack which can be used together at any time for additional combos. MVC3 lends itself to beginners or non-fighter fans allowing them to play and still pull off some incredible moves like serious veterans. This is a huge selling point and the main reason the game is so much fun: the playability. Anyone can pick up MVC3 and feel that they have what it takes to hang with the big boys of the 100-hit combos. This doesn’t mean that Capcom left out the more experience fighters. The depth of the game is enormous and veterans will not feel cheated because of the amazing move selections and combos that are capable if you have the skills.

Visually the game is outstanding. All the characters are spot on and have vibrant colors and movements that emulate your favorite comic book superheroes or Capcom characters. The game boasts a beautiful sense of comic-book style, with deep shadows and bright colors making the characters look like they were ripped right out of the Sunday papers. The animation is spectacular, with smooth movements and distinctive expressions. The action is fast but should not scare away players from picking up the controller. During battle the screens become an explosion of colors that make you grateful that you have an HD television to experience next-gen gaming.

One of the amazing feats that make me tip my hat to Capcom is the voice-overs for all of the characters. The amount of detail when addressing their opponent during and after the match is fantastic. When you switch out characters during battle you’ll hear a fighter call out for help to his teammate by name or maybe make a little joke at his opponent’s expense. These details are the reason we game. The shear fact that Capcom put so much time into these small gems really brings the game to life. You’ll find yourself saying “just one more match” more times than not after completing what should have been your last.

The game has both single player and multiplayer components with the single player consisting of arcade, versus, training, and mission. Arcade is just like any arcade mode where you fight AI controlled opponents and end up fighting the end boss, Galactus, trying to save the Earth. The other modes such as training and mission are generally for the more hardcore fighting game players as you get to try out combos in practice and learn how to execute difficult combos and attack timings in the mission mode for each character.

As far as multiplayer goes, this is where fighting games have always shined and MVC3 is no different. Offline multiplayer is just a blast since there is nothing like playing your friends face-to-face in the same room and throwing down some trash talking. Online multiplayer is very good as well, however I do have a problem with not being able to see the fight if you’re in an eight person lobby. Instead you get to sit and watch player’s health bars disappear until it’s your turn to play. (Here’s hoping for an update very soon.)

In the end, if you’re a fan of either Capcom, Marvel or fighting games in general then this is the must pick up game of the year. The level of enjoyment will come from your love of fighting games and the Marvel and Capcom series. If you can get some friends together for a few hours to play in person, the game seriously shines. Here’s to one game that I’m hoping for some downloadable content very soon. Either way, this is money well spent and you’ll begin to wonder where the hours have gone. Hadouken!

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