Its been ten long years since the cast of Marvels gargantuan comic book universe squared off against Capcoms roster of back catalogue superstars, so while this latest fusion of geek culture has exploded onto consoles with a colourful bang, its not without its share of flaws.
If you, like those of us here at Empire towers, have been itching for a brawler oozing with diverse game modes then youre probably looking in the wrong place, Bub. The time to shelve that copy of Street Fight IV in favour of something even more monstrous in scope is still some way off. Thankfully, this is only a minor kink in an otherwise solid framework, with Capcom delivering a brilliantly refreshing and skilfully assembled slice of gaming that, much like its predecessors, is a treat to pick up and play.
Interestingly, anyone daunted by the breakneck pace and finger perplexing move sets can rest easy thanks to the introduction of Simple Mode, a control scheme that re-maps Marvel vs. Capcoms three primary attack buttons in a bid to focus on some of the games jaw-dropping special moves. It does, unfortunately, come with a price the majority of brawlers in the chunky line-up tend to lose the bulk of their moves, including particular powerful strikes paramount to a skilled win. Still, with pitch-perfect balance, depth and a cast of colourful characters, youre looking at one of the years most addictive dust-ups.