Don’t be fooled. Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3’s PlayStation 4 re-release may seem like an overpriced fossil at $24.99, but it offers more than just backward compatibility. The game was originally developed in 2011 for the PlayStation 3 as Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, with a smaller roster of characters and more rudimentary gameplay mechanics. It was repackaged the same year to include additional playable characters, better graphics, improved online support, and a more layered combat system, which became Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3. The upgraded version enjoyed a relatively devoted following on the PlayStation Vita, composed of dedicated fighting game purists, cleverly integrated into a fresh audience.
The series hit an all-time low in 2013, when Capcom’s licensing contracts with Marvel expired, forcing devs to pull the game — updates, DLC, and online support included — out of the PlayStation Network. It was a dark day for gamers and comic book fans everywhere, and the company’s newest entry, Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite, did little to compensate for the loss. Fortunately, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 received a much-awaited re-release in 2016 on the PS4 and Xbox One, featuring everything from an enhanced engine to reinvigorated online support. It came with limited edition physical copies including a complimentary 10-page comic book by Marvel artists Sean Chen and Gerardo Sandoval. Like its 2017 PC port, the game is currently digital-only.
Armed with the graphics capacity and processing power of the PlayStation 4, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3’s newest upgrade is the most comprehensive the game’s ever been. And it’s currently on sale in the PSN Store for a whopping 60% discount. At $9.99, does it offer anything new we haven’t seen before? Not really. It’s otherwise exactly the same game: a 3 vs 3 PvP packed with high octane combos, X-Factor, Heroes and Heralds, and a developed Aerial Combat system. But is it offering something better? Absolutely.
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3’s Upgraded Graphics
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 on the PlayStation 4 is rendered with an impressive 1080p resolution and runs smoothly at 60 frames per second. It previously ran at 720p on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and was further scaled down to Vita’s native 699x544 resolution, with hardly any difference in gameplay or quality. Paired with the graphically superior PlayStation 4 Pro, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 would have clocked in at a consistent 2160p, running in full ultra HD TV; unfortunately, the game has zero PS4 Pro support and will run at 1080p regardless.
Complete Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 DLCs, Comics, and Art Books
The PlayStation 4 port boasts a completed Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, loaded with every single DLC released, including those excluded from the PlayStation Vita and the base games for the PS3 and Xbox 360. Shuma-Gorath and Jill Valentine round out Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3’s expansive playable list, totaling 50 characters in all. Save for Magneto, whose alternate outfit needed to be scrapped because of its resemblance to former King of Spain, Juan Carlos I, every single character in the PS4 version comes with their own alternate costume. Previous iterations featured a rotating color palette for each character, which extends to the PS4 re-release as well.
For those unable to get limited edition physical copies, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3’s PlayStation 4 rendering contains a digital version of Chen and Sandoval’s Marvel versus Capcom: Fate of Two Worlds comic book, along with pages from Marvel vs Capcom: Official Complete Works, the game’s accompanying art book.
The best part? These perks are included in the base version of the game and therefore unlocked right away. Everything and more in just $9.99 — what do you have to lose?
Online Support for Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3
Online support was always a staple element of Marvel vs Capcom 3, right from the start. Unfortunately, earlier versions were shoddy at best and often lagged once connected to the Internet. Online mode suffered from stutters, lag, and repeat button delay, making combos unnecessarily taxing to pull off.
The PS4 version attempts to fix this problem by upgrading the firmware to support the PlayStation 4’s powerful online capabilities, and now the game runs a little better at full capacity. The gameplay is still bogged down by the occasional lag but responds better to faster Internet.
Advantages aside, matching opportunities are almost nonexistent. The fallout caused by the expiration of Capcom’s licensing contracts with Marvel led to a decreased interest in Marvel vs Capcom, including Infinite’s unequivocally more successful predecessor, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3. The player count is mediocre at best, and most of the people that are playing aren’t utilizing Online Mode. Not even Heroes and Heralds’s improved multiplayer mode is exempt. Folks have a better shot at finding opponents by accessing lobbies; just don’t expect them to be brimming with users.
Capcom reinstating online capabilities for the PS4 is still fairly laudable, and worth the 10 bucks, regardless.
The improved version of Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 is available on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.