At The Game Awards 2018, a third game in the much-loved Marvel Ultimate Alliance series was announced. Titled The Black Order, and developed by Team Ninja, the game is releasing in 2019 and will be a Nintendo Switch exclusive, according to Marvel.
It’s probably apparent, but this is not the Avengers project being developed by Square Enix. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order is completely unexpected. The game is obviously taking many cues from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, from the costume designs, to the story featuring Thanos, who looks to be the main antagonist. Other villains were also featured, including Ultron, Kingpin, Ronan the Accuser, and the Green Goblin. It seems like some of these villains will get their hands on Infinity Stones.
It is interesting that the Ultimate Alliance name has been brought back. It does make sense, as many players have nostalgia for the first game. The original Ultimate Alliance released in 2006 when the Wii launched. That game was probably many’s first ever Wii title during that Christmas season. The second game released three years later, and was loosely based on the Civil War comic storyline. The second received more mixed reception, garnering a 74 on Metacritic. Will the third fare better?
Team Ninja is a notable developer. Nintendo fans will know Team Ninja’s work from Metroid: Other M. While Other M’s story was divisive, most agreed that the gameplay was very good. So, it remains to be seen what Team Ninja can do with the team-based, beat ’em up style of Ultimate Alliance.
Based on the trailer, the gameplay hasn’t changed all that much. According to Marvel however, there will be (in addition to the traditional gameplay) a “dynamic, zoomed-in heroic view,” with its description implying that those who are playing alone or online can play from a first-person perspective. As for the heroic characters who appear, we got the Avengers, Spider-Man, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and Wolverine in the trailer. The first Ultimate Alliance was a dream come true for comic fans, as it featured a multitude of characters. We’ll see if this game can top it.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order will be released in 2019 for Nintendo Switch.
