|
Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects
Marvel Nemesis:
Rise of the Imperfects finally arrives on the PSP and is easily one of
the most definitive Superhero videogames on the market, provided you
like the Marvel Universe with greats such Spider-man and Doctor Doom,
there’s easily a character for everyone. To keep the spirit on the comic
genre, the game actually uses concepts and drawings by artist’s
extraordinaire, Jae Lee and Paul Catling who lend their talents to this
well presented game that almost makes it an interactive comic.
The gameplay of
Marvel Nemesis is rather straightforward and in its essence, it's a
fighting game that not only allows the player to interact with their
environment but also gives you full 360 degrees control, up, down and
sideways. With a variety of different gameplay modes, the main campaign
mode allows you to select one character who then fights his way through
the marvel universe with not only their super-powers but also gaming
objects such as street poles, bricks or anything else that is
interactive.
The control system
of Marvel Nemesis is extremely easy to use on the PSP that includes a
basic attack button that will create combos with repeated tapping, a
jump button, a lock-on/block/dodge button and a throw button. The left
shoulder button controls movement powers, like Storm's flight and The
Wink's teleportation while the right shoulder button applies superpowers
to whatever you're doing at the time.
Using too much of
your superpowers depletes your power meter but it also fills up the rage
meter which will grant you temporarily unlimited use of superpowers when
full. Otherwise, the power meter recharges slowly on its own and you can
accelerate the charge by holding down the right shoulder button while
stationary.
Unlike its big
brother version on the XBox and the PlayStation, the PSP version
features collectible card-battling that every time you defeat a foe in
campaign mode, you are awarded a gold, silver or bronze medal, depending
on the amount of time elapsed. Then, you're offered a choice of five
facedown cards, the relative value of which will be determined by your
medal ranking.
Each card can be
used in-game to perform a specific function, like refilling some of your
health, boosting your rage meter or causing your power meter to
regenerate faster; they're further distinguished by their duration,
usability and rarity. Some special cards can only be used by a
particular character, and others simply signify that you've unlocked a
new venue or character. Initially I thought the card system was fiddle
some but it actually improves the gameplay and makes you use your brain
in the battles, rather than mash buttons together.
Graphically, Marvel
Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects looks brilliant on the PSP, thanks to
the presentation skills of both Marvel and Electronic Arts. The
character animation is perfect and match that with a true 3D gaming
environment and you have one great fighting game that includes substance
and grace. Unfortunately the frame rate of the title sometimes drops but
it's a small price to pay for such an attractive looking game. There is
also a plethora of special effects in the game from extraordinary
lighting effects to some great particle effects from the powers of the
superheroes.
All the sound
effects of the title have been professionally implemented into the game
and contain all the sounds of demi gods battling it out. Unfortunately
the music of the title is a little dull and really doesn’t suit the
superhero genre and what is really unusual is that there isn’t any voice
acting which is strange for a fighter.
In conclusion,
Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects is an entertaining fighter on the
PSP that really sets it apart from traditional fighters such as Tekken
or Mortal Kombat. With great graphics, addictive gameplay, Marvel
Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects is a worthy title to have but
unfortunately the replay value of this is probably only limited to one
or two plays. Still worth a look!
 |
