STACK #179 Sept 2019

GAMES REVIEWS STACK

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MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE 3: THE BLACK ORDER

GENRE: ACTION

PLATFORM: SWITCH

MULTIPLAYER: YES

Bringing the largest roster of characters ever in the series, Marvel Ultimate Alliance returns in style after 10 years away. Players start by controlling the Guardians of the Galaxy, boarding a Kree battleship and finding

all six Infinity Stones at once – and with Thanos’s Black Order right behind them! If you’ve seen any of the MCU movies

then the story will be familiar: Thanos wants the stones, but he should NOT be allowed to get them! Eventually, Nick Fury assembles an alliance, including the Guardians, the Avengers, the

I CAN MCU U! As you progress further into the story, you’ll run into and unlock more characters, with fan favourites such as Miles Morales Spider-Man, Doctor Strange and Deadpool (who can teleport!), but also some for the more hardcore Marvel fans, such as Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider and Elsa Bloodstone.

Groot (they’re one character) act like a mixture of Drax and Star-Lord. The combat is fresh, familiar, entertaining and simple enough for new players to quickly adapt, while still in-depth enough for hardcore gamers to strategically pick their heroes. If you enjoy the Diablo series then you’ll be right at home here. Besides special abilities, each character has an ultimate that can be activated in tandem with the rest of your chosen team. If all your heroes’ ultimates are charged at once, you can unleash all four simultaneously and create utter chaos. Entertaining and visually outstanding, whether you’re a fan of the earlier entries in the series, love the MCU, or you’re a Marvel Comics mega-fan, there’s something in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order for everyone.

Defenders, the Spider Family (and Venom), the Midnight Sons and the beloved X-Men (with Marvel Knights, Fantastic Four, more X-Men and story DLC planned until 2020). The Guardians give players an idea as to the different playstyles to expect. Star-Lord is a ranged player, sitting back and shooting, while Drax is a heavy hitter, Gamora is agile and quick, and Rocket and

FIRE EMBLEM: THREE HOUSES

GENRE: ACTION RPG

PLATFORM: SWITCH

MULTIPLAYER: NO

The 15th game in the series, Three Houses returns to the more traditional Fire Emblem game model after recent Nintendo DS releases, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate appearances, and the Dynasty Warriors -inspired spin-off.

Core gameplay is split between two vastly different modes. The first is an open-ish world discovery mode, where

your selected character performs story-driven tasks and learns more about the world around them. The second is the turn-based combat system. It’s here that most casual players will get hooked, with the

GO GO AMIIBO GAZEBO! If you’d like to get your amiibo collection involved, simply pop along to the brilliantly named ‘amiibo Gazebo’ scanning point in the monastery. All of the figures that you have will add a little something to the game, with actual Fire Emblem amiibo offering more special perks, such as additional music.

In contrast to the more thoughtful story dialogue, cutscenes and combat are fast and explosive. They’re extremely well animated and a pleasure to watch or play. The HD update and smooth combat motions are immediately likeable. Gameplay really suits the Switch. In handheld form, you can take your time and plan your strategy, plus it’s easy to jump in and out during a commute. While the animations are quick, you won’t feel rushed and you’ll enjoy watching a well-executed attack as it lands. While more suited to handheld play, cutscenes do look particularly special on a big screen. Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a love letter to fans of the original format, a step forward in the development of the franchise, and a welcome addition to any strategy game collection.

game’s real impact being on the battlefield. After choosing your allegiance within the monastery, which is essentially the game hub, the story becomes nuanced, and characters from other houses react to you accordingly. It’s a deep experience, and one that lovers of complex story development will enjoy. You’ll have every opportunity to discover the context soaked into the game’s core, which may or may not influence your later decisions.

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SEPTEMBER 2019

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