One of the most anticipated games from Capcom is finally here, the third installment in the Marvel vs Capcom fighting franchise, which continues all the fun while adding new characters, some of which we haven’t seen for decades. Of course, the third installment couldn’t come any earlier, as Marvel vs. Capcom 2 was released… way back in 2000. So Capcom has had plenty of time to do this right. But with 10 years of wait comes a lot of expectations, and fortunately, Capcom lives up to most of them.

If you don’t know, Marvel vs. Capcom is a fighting game which includes popular characters from Marvel and from Capcom, pitted against each other, and there’s a real comic book feeling about it, e.g. everything is over the top and nothing is taken too seriously, and we’re happy to report that the third game continues all the fun and the light tone. However, we’re sad to report that Marvel vs. Capcom 3 doesn’t really add much new besides the new playable characters. Another disappointment is that in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 there are 36 playable characters, compared to 56 playable characters in Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Luckily, only a few characters make a reappearance in the third installment (like Spider-man), so most of them are completely new, and most of those, are quite interesting and fun to play.

The gameplay itself is fast paced just like any other fighting game, and you have plenty of moves and combos to dish out, with each character having his specialties, of course. Some of the combos are way over the top and effects are flying everywhere to a point where you’re wondering what’s going on. But in a good way. Just like in the last game, you team consists of three characters that you can switch between, and there’s an option to save your favorite teams. Another thing we loved about Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is that it records stats on almost every front, giving you great detail over everything and making it easy to track one’s progress. Mode wise, there’s a challenge mode and training mode, and that’s about it. There’s no real tournament/campaign, and multiplayer is limited as well. And since you can only unlock 4 additional characters, with the rest available from the get go, it doesn’t give much to fight for in the long run, no pun intended.

Visually, the game has a cartoonish, quasi-cell-shaded look which fits it perfectly, as if the game was taken directly out of a comic book. The sound effects are great as well, while the soundtrack is inspired by 80s Capcom games. Overall, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 will satisfy most of the folks who have been waiting for a long time, but we somehow expected a bit more.

The Good:
Fun, fast paced gameplay
Great visuals
Great variety of characters


The Bad:
Limited amount of modes and variety
Fewer characters than last time

Overall score: 8/10