An excellent example of a game that pulls off both quality and quantity, impressive depth and plenty of play time.
Ultimate Alliance is the spiritual successor to X-men: Legends 2. The gameplay, level-up mechanic, and much of the basics are identical. For those that missed the X-men: Legends series as well, then this game is best described as an action RPG similar to Diablo or Dungeon Siege. The action is view from a top-down, isometric angle. There are four heroes in your party at a time. You only control one at a time, but switching between them is quick and easy. Combat is performed simply enough; one button performs a light attack while another performs a heavy attack. These buttons can be pressed in different orders to pull off combos with varied results: tripping, stunning, or flinging the enemy into the air. The heavy attack can also be held for a couple seconds to execute a more powerful charged attack. Another button is used to grab a hold of an enemy to either pummel them with punches or fling them across the screen. There is also a block button, but we won't talk about that. I've played the game five times now and I have never used it. You play as super heroes, after all. Blocking is for sissies and Captain America. Wait, that's the same thing. (Well I think I just gave away my position in the Marvel Civil War)
While the above paragraph could describe even the most generic action RPG, Ultimate Alliance comes into it's own once you start using a character's unique special abilities. At first, you only have a few unlocked. However, after just a few levels, you will find yourself with some great options on how to play your chosen character. You can only have four abilities ready at one time since they are assigned to the face buttons. One is a buff skill, another is a powerful single attack that hits all on screen enemies, and the other two can be assigned to any of the hero's remaining skills that you choose. While you can reassign them as often as you wish, you will be better off finding your favorites and getting them as powerful as possible. Since there is a good variety of possible skills per character, it is easy to personalize their skills to your tastes. For example, your Spiderman may play completely different than in another person's game. Each hero also has four different outfits, though only one is unlocked at first. Each outfit has different upgrades that can be purchased with tokens earned through the game. Add to this the fact that there are twenty five playable characters and you are supplied plenty of variety that will make sure the game never gets old.
Pieces of equipment can be found for each character to wear that improve their stats and skills, but their implementation feels like an after thought. Almost every piece of equipment is specific to a single character, so the odds that you find one for your chosen group are slim. I played once exclusively as Deadpool and never got a single item that he could use in an entire play through. Also, each character can only wear a single piece of equipment at one time. If you find Daredevil's belt then later find Daredevil's gloves, you must take off the belt in order to wear the gloves. That just makes sense, right?
A lengthy RPG is nothing without a good story, and Ultimate Alliance delivers here in spades. It isn't entirely original, but it would appear that the writers were going for a story that would allow as many familiar faces and environments to fit into a logical plot, which is probably the best way to open a new game series to longtime Marvel fans. It opens with Dr. Doom attacking a S.H.I.E.L.D helicarrier that is commanded by Nick Fury. Fury calls for assistance from all meta-humans (fancy talk for super heroes) and the call is answered by Captain America, Wolverine, Spiderman, and Thor, although you can switch to any of the initial eighteen characters you like once you reach the first checkpoint (seven more characters can be unlocked throughout the game). What follows is an epic adventure that takes you to the Omega Base, Atlantis, Mandarin's Palace, Asgard, and many more locations. The campaign is interspersed with cutscenes that are easily some of the best, in terms of both graphics and action, I have seen on a console game to date. The story is easy to follow, but interesting enough to keep you guessing. Each act of the game has a home base where you can find the heroes who are not in your current party. There are some minor quests to perform here, but there is also a ton of back-story available as well. Each hero can be inquired about their past and personal feelings about the current mission. All of their responses are recorded voices that are faithful to each character and very well done. There are even a few side quest throughout the game that have different effects on the ending.
The level design is definitely the game's weak point. Each area is made up of the same few walls and textures. The layout of each is very generic and don't actually feel like real locations. You are constantly reminded that they are just levels in a video game. Every once in a while, you are given an environmental puzzle, but these break down to slowly pushing a heavy object to the clearly marked spot. Usually, all these accomplish are slowing down the gameplay and making you wish you just had to fight an extra group of enemies instead. Graphically, Ultimate Alliance is clearly a game that was made for every system in existence, including PS2 and PSP. The textures may be sharper on the PS3 and Xbox 360, but it is still the same environments and character models across the board. The action does conceal this problem to an extent, but it is disappointing to know that you probably won't ever say, "Wow, that looks cool."
Even after completing the storyline, which will probably take between fifteen and twenty hours, the bonus content will keep you coming back for a long time to come. There are the standard hidden items scattered around each level that unlock concept art. In addition, skill increases can also be found that improve the character that you pick them up with. The best to locate, by far, are the simulation discs. These discs allow you to enter a mission specific to each hero. Unlike the main game, in these mission, you play the assigned hero alone. Each of these give even more insight into the background of the heroes. Each of these missions have multiple rewards depending on how well you perform, which encourages multiple tries until you get it right. Also located in each of the home bases are trivia machines that reward experience for correct answers. Although there isn't any warning of this, most of the questions are answered during the course of the current act, so waiting until the end will provide you with the best chance to get the most right. Also, after finishing the game in easy or normal, a hard difficulty is unlocked that allows you to continue with your already leveled-up heroes.
Ultimate Alliance is pretty much exactly what a comic book fan would want out of a game. Even a fan of action RPGs in general would be hard pressed to find a better choice. Other than the weak graphics, this is an excellent example of a game that pulls off both quality and quantity, giving you impressive depth and plenty of play time.