The newest update to Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3 brings the first of three major DLC releases into the game. The Curse of the Vampire expansion adds four new characters that have been highly anticipated since first teased following the release of the game, including Moon Knight, Morbius, The Punisher, and Blade.

There is also a major update that comes for free to all players as well. Everyone now has access to a new level cap of 150, which is a massive jump, and should help prepare players for any future difficulty in content or help progress through endless waves of combat in certain gauntlet modes. Another big change is that players will be able to use the in-game currency on experience points, which is a great modification to the current ways players must level up their characters and provides a much-needed “gold sink" - a term often a term used in other games to provide a purpose for a currency that exists in abundance.

The addition of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Depot looks to be a big plus for all players, where S.H.I.E.L.D. tokens can be spent in exchange for costumes, voice lines, and power-ups for their characters. These consumables include experience cubes, which are always in demand while leveling new or less-used characters, and with the new level cap increase, will continue to be necessary. These tokens will be earned through the new Gauntlet mode and the newest difficulty setting, Nightmare.

This leads to one part of the update that is a blend of free and paid DLC, and that is the Gauntlet mode. There are a series of challenges that players can attempt to endure in order to acquire S.H.I.E.L.D. Tokens. Players who have purchased the DLC pack will unlock the entire mode, while those who have not purchased any DLC will access a more simplified version of the Gauntlet for lower level characters. Completing the Gauntlet unlocks a survival mode variant for additional leveling.

Despite this update being the first paid portion of DLC, the game has already received a number of free updates that have brought in new, free characters and several skins, allowing for a high level of player customization to the appearance of a team, and this is no exception. New outfits have been added for Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, and Black Panther.

Another free part of the update is an additional level of difficulty called Nightmare. This will cause random enemies to be imbued with a vampiric curse, and when defeated they may be reborn with new abilities to deal with.

While the free and paid updates are proving to be popular among the gaming community, some feel frustration at the lack of additional story that appears in the advertising of the DLC. While the wording of the advertising makes it appear as though an entire chapter or more might be added, the DLC is instead new modes and characters, which may not be enough to satisfy all players.

Not everyone is frustrated with the lack of additional story, but it is something to keep in mind given that the story mode of the game is rather short. Playing over and over again with the sole purpose of leveling up characters is not something that can keep a majority of players satisfied.

However, for those who do appreciate the addition of these characters, there are two more DLC packs of characters coming to the game in the future. Both the X-Men and the Fantastic Four will be joining the roster of characters in the near future. Details are still being withheld about which X-Men will make the cut, while the Fantastic Four leaves little to the imagination since the core team consists of four members.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3 is available now for the Nintendo Switch. Players should keep in mind that DLC cannot be purchased individually, and is sold as a single bundle in the eshop for $19.99 USD.

Source: Kotaku.com