The first Marvel Ultimate Alliance was a comic book lovers dream game. With dozens of characters, four player co-op play, and lots of replayability - it was a sure fire hit. Now with the sequel on the horizon hoping to up the odds, we sat down with Dan Tanguay, Game Director, at Vicarious Visions to get the details of Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2.
Co-Optimus: With so many characters, people may be a bit lost or unfamiliar with some. Is there going to be any character backstory or extras for people to find out more?
Dan Tanguay: Yes, there will be. We wanted to create a story that everyone could enjoy. If players want a more straightforward action experience, they can get that. If players want to learn more about the story or the Marvel Universe, there is a sizable amount of backstory to absorb. Numerous audio logs provide critical pieces of the backstory, while hundreds of dossiers provide information on every conceivable topic, ranging from organizations to locations to—of course—characters.
We also have a strong community website (marvelultimatealliance.marvel.com), where we have tons of backstory on the storyline and the characters, so people can learn all about them before the game’s out.
Co-Optimus: The first game had team bonuses (X-Men, etc) - Roughly how many "teams" are there this time? Is there still bonuses for certain teams?
Dan: There are roughly 20 different roster (team) bonuses in the game. They are a mix of new and returning teams. Though we’re in the middle of DLC development, it’s safe to assume DLC will add more roster bonuses to the game too.
Co-Optimus: The whole Gamestop exlcusive character thing with Juggernaut has created a bit of animosity. In a game like MUA 2 it seems that characters can really change the dynamic of the game - so why limit it to such a small group? Is there any chance of seeing Juggernaut as DLC in the future?
Dan: I’m sorry to hear that Juggernaut has created some animosity in the community. Unfortunately, we can’t speak on our DLC plans quite yet, but I can tell you that we are always listening to the community and always will do our best to provide the best content and experience for them.
Co-Optimus: Are there any characters you wanted to use, but couldn't use, because of licensing issues?
Dan: We’d love to include every single character in the Marvel Universe in the game but we do need to deal with licensing issues from time to time. Regardless of licensing issues, I believe we have a strong mix of heroes that stays true to Civil War and delivers fan favorites. We’re really excited to see what players think once they see the heroes in action.