Marvel is on top of the world right now thanks to the continued success of theMarvel Cinematic Universe. An interconnected film franchise that now includes multipleTV series on Disney+, the Marvel brand has also begun receiving big budget video game releases as well. PlayStation has theMarvel’s Spider-Manseries developed by Insomniac, and not wanting to be outdone, Nintendo pulled a surprise move in 2019 and landed exclusivity rights toMarvel Ultimate Alliance 3. The game was a success, and considering the continued popularity of Marvel, Nintendo should fast trackMarvel Ultimate Alliance 4at some point in the near future.
The previous game in theMarvel Ultimate Allianceseries, was released a good decade after the previous entry in what was believed to be a dormat franchise. In retrospect, the Nintendo Switch is the perfect platform for the co-op focused, pick up and play beat ‘em up action of this series. Marvel keeps on growing in popularity, and with new heroes introduced to mainstream audiences at a regular pace, a fourth entry would be a wise investment for Nintendo at this point.
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The Expanding Marvel Universe
As mentioned above, theMarvel Cinematic Universecontinues to expand with a bevy of new installments this year, and beyond. BothShang-ChiandEternalsintroduced new areas of the MCU not yet explored, which also happened to be brand-new to mainstream audiences not familiar with the comic books. So much has happened with Marvel properties sinceMarvel Ultimate Alliance 3hit the Nintendo Switch two years ago in 2019, leaving plenty of room for new characters, locations, and storylines.
The plot inMarvel Ultimate Alliance 3wisely centered around the conflict againstThanos and his search for the Infinity Stones. This same premise was also being used on the big screen in bothInfinity WarandEndgameat the time, making it easy for fans new and old to quickly jump in and be familiar with the general concept. A fourth game could follow a similar idea, drawing inspiration from current events in theMCU, such as Kang and the increased emphasis on the multiverse. Basing the game around established storylines makes it more accessible to players wanting to relive their favorite moments from the movies, giving Nintendo a competitive edge against Sony’s hugely successfulMarvel’s Spider-Manseries.
Improving Upon Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3
As with any sequel, there is an opportunity to revisit what worked, what didn’t, and make the necessary changes to improve the experience.Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3was a solid action game with plenty of fun to be had, but there are things that could be altered to make a potential fourth game even better. For starters, on the subject of new playable characters, there were a handful of strange omissions from the overall roster that could be included this time around.
For example, while characters likeJessica Jonesand Winter Soldier did make appearances in the game, they were completely unplayable, even in later DLC additions to the base game. These seem like odd decisions, especially considering the popularity of these characters among fans. Furthermore, even more refinements to the combat system would be welcome, because while the third game was fun, it could become a bit repetitive on longer play sessions. New moves, combo attacks, and perhaps deeper RPG mechanics would help add more variety to the adventure.
Perhaps notes should even be taken fromLego Marvel Superheroes, in which players were able to roam a fully explorable sandbox environment, and then jump into story missions at their leisure. This would open up new opportunities for side missions, hidden collectibles, and just a general sense of fun for players. It remains to be seen ifMarvel Ultimate Alliance 4will ever see the light of day, but it would be wise on Nintendo’s part to take advantage of this franchise it gained access to, assembling Marvel’s mightiest heroes once more.
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