Marvel: Ultimate Alliance on PC Features

First, let's get the latest playable character reveals out of the way: Jean Grey and Gambit. There. That was easy, if not the best-kept secret. What is a surprise, though, is that I was able to clearly distinguish Jean from the other on-screen heroes and mess of beaten-down baddies as I stood a distant twenty feet from a Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 demo at a recent Activision games showcase. As I approached, I was amazed by the difference three years makes. MUA2, at least on Xbox 360 (and PS3, presumably), is a hot dayam-better looking game than its predecessor. This is not a last-generation production brushed with high-res assets.Vicarious Visions proves a worthy successor to Raven Software, taking over lead development of the franchise -- and finally ending its streak of assignments to Activision's lesser ports. While it was evident the first time we played MUA2, it's worth reiterating that the game's camera angle has been adjusted to provide a closer perspective of the foreground and more distant view of the background. I could identify Jean from across the room because the character models are larger and more detailed. Additionally, updates to Vicarious' Alchemy game engine have added Havok physics and more on-screen enemies. While the grandiose (super) heroism has been amplified by newer technology, MUA2's style is still very much that of a Saturday morning cartoon.