MVC3 is a blast for anyone willing to dedicate time to its steep learning curve.
Marvel and Capcom characters such as: Ryu, Iron Man, Chun-Li, and the Hulk are ready to slam fists and throw projectiles once more after a long, gregarious 10-year hiatus. MVC3 is a hardcore, tag-team fighter that pits three of your chosen Marvel and/or Capcom characters against another three in a battle of vibrancy and madness. It's one of the more complicated fighters on the market which is a rare nod to the hardcore audience, which is slowly being diminished by the ever-growing casual market.
The storyline offers an incredibly engaging experience: Galactus wants to destroy the Marvel and Capcom worlds. Stop him. Now…
Stringing combos, and learning how to perform:Ariel Combos, Snap-Backs, Advancing Guards, Crossover Counters, Team Ariel Combos, Ariel Combo Counters, Hyper Combos and other various mechanics take a long time to master. Capcom tried to make the game more inviting (unlike previous installments) but largely failed at giving it the accessibility it needed to obtain a wider audience.
However, this isn't a bad game at all. The colorful combo madness that occurs on the screen is candy to the eye, and rewarding to any player that takes the time to accrue the skill. A couple nights ago I pulled off a 97-hit combo. That's right, 97 individual hits before the string died. Did I get this done because of luck? No, it all takes skill. Button mashers will find themselves overwhelmed by AI and by the online community, and it isn't recommended in any form. You have to decide before even buying this game "Do I care about mastering this game?"
If yes, you've probably just purchased the most rewarding game of 2011. If no, it's easy to understand why you would make that decision, because this game is the Karate Kid of video games.
Score: 8/10