Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order - Switch

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Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order (Switch)
Viewed: 3D Third-person, over the shoulder Genre:
Beat 'Em Up: Hack and Slash
Media: Cartridge Arcade origin:No
Developer: Tecmo Koei Soft. Co.: Nintendo
Publishers: Nintendo (GB)
Released: 19 Jul 2019 (GB)
Ratings: PEGI 12+
Connectivity: Save data cloud, Downloadable content, Internet
Subscriptions: Paid online membership service
Accessories: Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
Features: Handheld Mode, Co-op play, TV Mode, Tabletop Mode

Summary

It's been the best part of a decade since we last saw a new Marvel Ultimate Alliance game so this third game in the series, The Black Order, is well overdue (and it's all the sweeter for Switch fans that they're the only ones who get to enjoy it).

If you weren't around for the first two, Marvel Ultimate Alliance basically presents a fanboy smorgasbord of Marvel heroes for you to play as, then has you team up to save the day either with your mates or with AI-controlled partners. This time out the game has a cosmic spin, with the heroes racing to gather the infinity stones before Thanos and his Black Order get their evil mitts on them.

The list of playable characters is immense and sure to get any Marvel fan's heart palpitating. Remember, no-one beyond some of the more marginal corners of Marvel fandom had heard of characters like the Guardians of the Galaxy or Doctor Strange last time out, so there are some new faces in amongst the familiar ones. Included in the game are Black Panther; Black Widow; Captain America; Captain Marvel; Crystal; Daredevil; Deadpool; Doctor Strange; Drax the Destroyer; Elektra; Elsa Bloodstone; Falcon; Gamora; Ghost Rider; Groot and Rocket Raccoon; Hawkeye; Hulk; Iron Fist; Iron Man; Luke Cage; Magneto; Miles Morales; Ms. Marvel; Nightcrawler; Psylocke; Scarlet Witch; Spider-Gwen; Spider-Man; Star-Lord; Storm; Thor; Venom; Wasp and (of course) Wolverine. Throw in the fact that each has a unique skin and four abilities to tinker around with and you have a LOT of content to be going at.

Beyond that, you can use a feature called The Lab to make tweaks to your characters using drops called ISO-8s picked up while playing. They basically allow you to monkey around with stats, doing things like upping your chances of stunning a boss. That's complemented by a system that allows you to buff more basic stats, like your strength or speed, and extend them out to your whole team.

Throw in unlockable 'Infinity Trials' such as speed runs which can be completed in exchange for new goodies, and there are lots of ways to really make this game yours.

New to the game is the heroic camera option, available when you're playing solo or spreading your multiplayer session over multiple consoles. It brings the camera in for a much tighter focus on the hero you're playing as, rather than that floating camera view. It sounds like a small tweak, but in the mayhem of a multi-character brawl it gives you the chance to really drill down to what you're doing and gives the game more of a feel of a third person hack and slash game or shooter.