The internet can be a merciless place. For all the hype and goodwill an incredible reveal can generate from fans, if there's something not quite right about a game or its trailer, the mood can turn very quickly. Square Enix's upcoming Avengers game isn't coming to Switch, but its E3 reveal trailer has arguably given Switch exclusive Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order an unexpected boost in credibility with fans.
Despite impressing with other aspects of its visuals and God of War-style gameplay, the internet seems to be hung up on the fact that Square didn't pay for the likeness rights of the Marvel Cinematic Universe actors. Consequently, instead of the incomparable Robert Downey Jr., Scarlet Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Chris' Evans and Hemsworth and the rest of the Hollywood super troupe, developers Crystal Dynamics are delivering what gamers are uncharitably calling the 'stunt doubles'. Case in point:
If we compare this - as some posters on ResetEra have been - to the comic book-inspired, stylised depictions appearing in the Team Ninja-developed Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, the Switch game comes off looking more authentic, despite not having the tech muscle of the more powerful systems:
As you might expect, Twitter hasn't been kind to Square Enix's offering:
https://twitter.com/AndyCole84/status/1138270084898541568
It's arguably an interesting instance of Switch's limited specs working for it. The cel-shaded aesthetic comes across as a much more authentic take on the comic book characters even though it's still obviously taking inspiration from their MCU incarnations. The Switch game also benefits from being able to include a wider range of characters; Spider-Man, Hawkeye, Wolverine and the X-Men, Deadpool... the list goes on.
It remains to be seen how the Crystal Dynamics game actually plays, but first impressions count for a lot and it seems that Square's misfortune is Nintendo's gain. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order is out on 19th July and we'll hopefully get some hands-on time with at E3 over the next couple of days, so keep an eye out for some hot takes.
Do you think the characters on Switch look better than their counterparts in Square's bigger budget version? Would not having the actors' likenesses affect your enjoyment? Let us know below.
[source resetera.com]
Comments 57
I think the new models look great honestly. The model they used in Spiderman PS4 was new too, and people love that one. This is a NEW take on the characters, it doesn't have to look similar. I can still tell who is who regardless.
Peter Hastings never stops
The characters look better in Square's game clearly, the problem is that there have been so many films recently that they kind of come off as lookalikes. They may have been better served redesigning the costumes a bit like Spider-Man did
June 9: Switch owners are made fun of online for getting UA3 instead of Marvel's Avengers
June 10: Everyone gets Switches to wash the 1990 VHS movie Captain America-taste out of their mouth
Seeing that very obviously not Chris Hemsworth Thor back there kind of reminds me of this.
Kind of a pointless article. Let's wait and see how it plays, cause from what I've seen, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 seems a bit repetitive and shallow.
Cosplay Party should be the name of the game wHich square is developing.
Marvel Ultimate Aliance3 > avengers.
More characters, visual like the comics, better action, expansible and don't desapoint even the movies fans.
@geox30 then you havent seen much.
All takes from E3 are that the AVENGERS game being show behind closed doors is pretty awful and buggy.. this is not good
People know that paying for actors' likenesses is a thing, right? And considering how huge the MCU is, expecting Squenix to pony up for the core MCU Avengers team is a tall order; RDJ alone would probably be extremely expensive.
I think both titles have their strong points and am curious to learn more about them.
They're currently releasing 10 months apart. Given Squenix usual delays probably more like 15 months. I wouldn't' worry about how either of them look, just how they play. Who knows, maybe we'll be lucky and they'll both be good. Good for me, bad for the haters. 😂
I don't mind the faces, I just can't get over Captain America's abysmal costume design. His fighting style is all about moving fast and with agility. Also the colors are too dark and ugly. Visually, Ultimate Alliance 3 is much more fun.
I love the look of both games, I’ll get both. While others may be fatigued with Marvel, I’ve waited so long as a fan of the comics for decent films that I’m still loving them. If only they didn’t directly impact on the comics, as far as I’m concerned, I wish the original heroes would stay gone and Miles, Kamala and Riri get the spotlight while the others have the movies.
We win, we win HOORAY!
Of all the things to try and brag about like.
I think the real problem here is that the Square Enix game is obviously trying to feel like the MCU. I don't know if it's actually canonically part of it (doubt it), but the costumes obviously look the same.
In order to not have comparisons drawn with the movies and yet still go with a hyper-realistic look, they need to make the costumes look distinctly different. Granted, I think they wanted to imitate the MCU in order to draw in that crowd, but unfortunately for Square Enix I think their plan is backfiring on them.
I don’t care if the use the actor’s likeness from the MCU or not but they could have at least modeled them closer to their appearance in the comics. Just pick any comic and model them off that. They definitely look a little bootleg.
@Sabrewing This is an official Marvel product, I would expect Marvel to be the one to pony up. They asked Square Enix to make an Avengers game and didn't provide the stars of the Avengers for it
Honestly I don’t care about the models, there just something off about the facial expressions. They come off looking helpless or passive In slot of the footage I’ve seen.
So from now on, all the Marvel characters in comics, games, toys, etc are supposed to look exactly like the actors from the movies?? Gimme a break.
They change appearance constantly depending on who is drawing them. This is no different.
If you are offended by this, you are a colossal nerd.
I find both of the them boring, UA3 sticks too hard to the MCU inspired Marvel Now comic designs which is a problem MVCI also had. I’d like to see a marvel game with designs with 0% influence from the movies.
@Supadav03 this is the thing, it’s not that they don’t look like the MCU it’s that they don’t look like the characters at all. Comics, cartoons, films(mcu and all that came before it) the characters were recognisable.
That Captain America looks like Stryker from Mortal Kombat.
Totally disagree, love it to bits.
MUA3 looks like a pretty fun way to spend the afternoon. Not a classic most likely but good as long as it performs well.
That Avengers game looks like it is suffering from an identity crisis. It’s obvious they want it to feel like the films, but couldn’t afford to actually use the actors or their likeness. They also seem to want to jump on the live service bandwagon with this one, at least from the way that guy was talking. Also anytime someone from the games industry says “we will not include micro transactions or loot boxes” hang onto your wallets folks, they are still coming for it.
Old movie tie in games used to use A different likeness and it always seemed strange and off.... this is clearly trying to be MCU that’s the difference.... anyone who says it’s fine or doesn’t matter is a colossus nerd.
MUA3 works because it’s being its own thing.
Has Punisher been confirmed yet???
I didn't care about the lack of actor likeness (it isnt like they are voicing anything either) but something looks off about the animation in general. My hype went down a lot. I'm at max hype for MUA3 anyway so that is unchanged.
Wasn't even sure I wanted MUA3, but the trailer at E3 sold me on it. The inclusion of Miles Morales and Gwanda helped, especially after I bought Into the Spiderverse on 4K (which I found out my PS4 Pro can't play, but thank god for the digital copy!)
Already pre-ordered Black Order I wonder if they will be coming out with a special edition?
"Starring Rorbort Dornie Jr, Chress Erverns, Chress Hermswermth, Scorlort Jerhernsen, and Mork Rorfalor"
Amazing.
Exactly how I felt watching the conferences. Crystal Dynamic's Avengers just looks wrong. It's also not as good looking as Spiderman.
Then the Nintendo one came on and I was like ... This looks so much better xD
I would much rather they don't look like the actors from the movies. I would prefer this game to have its own identity as opposed to being tied to the movie franchise. I think Thor should look like Thor, not Chris Hemsworth, etc.
Trust the internet to get hung up on the appearance of characters where you spend the entire game looking at their backsides.
I thought the Squeenix Avengers game was disappointing overall. Very generic looking, vague talk of GAAS and dodgy looking characters. MUA3 looks like an IPad game but like it could be really fun.
There’s no triumph either way for me though, I wanted both to be good.
@Sabrewing The problem is Crystal Dynamics is trying to make the characters look like the actors, without actually being able to use the actors' likenesses. The result is something like a bad lookalike contest. If they can't pay for the actors' likenesses, then they should have drawn their inspiration from the characters' classic appearances, instead of the MCU in particular.
@westman98 Coach Z, is that you?
Why?
Why should the characters in this game resemble the Avengers' actors from the MCU?
Were the characters in PS4's Spider-Man looking like the actors in the movies? Are video games who are unrelated with the MCU supposed to look like the MCU?
What exactly is the logic here? And what the hell is that idiocy about Widow looking like a transsexual?
It must be horrible for Crystal Dynamics to put so much effort in this game and the trailer and the fandom reacts only to character faces. We live a great era of gaming, but the fandom drags it down deeply.
This so reminds me of Spaceballs
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iwV61t_Tec8
@carlos82 Cleary? Fidelity and photo-realism, sure, but they're comic book superheroes. Eidos' versions looks like they're going to an AA meeting after performing at a kid's birthday party.
My complaint isn't so much that they don't look like the MCU actors, its that the models don't look very...er attractive. It's like the models from the first Injustice. They just looked a little stiff and off.
Why is everyone so caught up on the look of the superheros. We knows it's supposed to look different because its a new take. It's weird to see a different look, but nothing to cry over.
Yea Robert was an iron Man, but people gotta see that they change the looks depending on who does them (actors, directors, timeline, etc)
Change hulk or Spiderman's look..... No one bats an eye
Change iron Man, Thor, or widow's look..... Everyone loses their minds.
If they kept the same look and still had different voices, people would complain that square was being cheap to not get the original actors.
....and I'm not even a big superhero fan
@Spiders maybe a poor choice of wording but I still think the only real problem with Square's game is the existence of the MCU and with modern graphics they were always going to look like impostors. Maybe they could have tried to make them look a lot different to their on screen counterparts but I thought in action they looked really good
To show you the power of Square Enix, I DIDNT PAY FOR THE ACTORS
Those faces look awful. Square's Avengers look like they are all confused. As if they don't even want to be Avengers.
I'm pretty impressed by this. Reminds me playing on the Xbox. I guess it's nostalgic for me than anything. I can't wait to get my hands on it.
@Nickolaidas I think it's because everything else looks so much like the MCU, so when one thing doesn't (the characters faces) it sticks out. To be fair, it would be even more jarring if they used the film actors faces and then changed the voices, but I think Crystal Dynamics shot themselves in the foot a bit with this.
PS4's Spider-Man is clearly not part of the MCU (very different costume, Peter Parker is twice his age in the films etc.) it was deliberately doing its own thing, which is why nobody brought this up then. But it's very clear that this game is aping the MCU, at least aesthetically, which is a shame because I'd prefer it if it had a more original take on the characters/world.
However I agree people are blowing this way out of proportion, especially when we've seen so little of the game.
I guess you can say the Marvel characters look marvelous if there is an actual art direction and style like Marvel vs Capcom 3 (even Spider Man PS4 had some vividness and style to it). l personally think the Square game looks too grey and has a bit of a chrome filter, although not a visual disaster like Marvel vs Capcom Infinite there are kinks that distract me.
It's not about the actor's likenesses. It's about the fact that the Crystal Dynamics game is trying just too hard to make the characters look realistic when they should be stylized. It's too far into uncanny valley territory, while MUA3 looks like a comic book game should.
The things people complain about on the internet has become absolutely ridiculous. Anyone with an open enough mind and just a little bit of optimism (I'm not talking about being overly optimistic by the way, just reasonably optimistic) can see that the Avengers Project by Square Enix is shaping up just fine. If you're complaining about the character models not looking like the Marvel Cinematic Universe characters, or not looking the exact way you would prefer them to look, and that's the reason you think the game doesn't look good, then you are seriously blind and your expectations for things are unreasonably impossible to please. This is the same exact situation with Kingdom Hearts III. People are complaining about absolutely ridiculous things like "the ending was rushed" or "there wasn't enough character development for Roxas, Kairi, etc." Those complaints show how little those people actually pay attention to how Kingdom Hearts games are. Most Kingdom Hearts games in the series actually also have rushed endings that throw everything at you after you finish all the Disney worlds. And if you're expecting a super well written narrative with perfect character development you shouldn't be playing Kingdom Hearts period. Kingdom Hearts III was an excellent entry in the Kingdom hearts franchise, and most of the things people are complaining about when it comes to that game are completely ridiculous ideas and expectations that people have because they can't see past their own wild expectations. They can't just enjoy the things that ARE great about the game — which there are a ton of great things about it. I know Kingdom Hearts and the Avengers are two entirely different types of narratives in games, but it's the same ridiculous type of complaining. The Avengers project looks really good to me. I'm not saying you have to agree with me on that, but honestly when it comes to the things people complain about nowadays it's not just a matter of opinion anymore. A lot of the things people are complaining about nowadays when it comes to video games — and especially Square Enix video games for some reason — boil down to people failing to see the good in things and only focusing on little things they didn't like. That's not just about "I have my opinion and it's my opinion". That's actually just failing to be reasonably optimistic about good things. All it takes is being willing to see the good in things, and willing to have a more open mind, to see that things aren't so bad. In actuality, this is a great time to be a gamer. There's lots to enjoy about video games today, including the games by Square Enix — even if they aren't perfect.
I thought the models looked fantastic, tbh.
The real problem is the garbage online service approach. Oh it’s “online and you play with your friends, yaaaay...” Immediate hype killer.
Unless there’s an offline story mode, I’ll be cancelling my preorder.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 still looks hype though
Are people seriously complaining that they don't look like the actors? This is a sign that the MCU has taken over too much.
@graysoncharles People didn't complain about the batman not looking like christian bale cause the popularity for him no near matches the popularity Robert being Iron man or Chris being Capt.
Even as reader of the original comic books. It hard to look at the comic book versions of Tony Stark and not think picture Robert because he embodied the character. It same with Mark Hamill's Joker or Kevin Conroy as the batman. They will always be the definitive batman and Joker no matter who voice them... Which bring up the point that people did riot when they wasn't the voices in Origins.
They shot themselves in the foot going for the boring hyper realism but NOT going all the way to the most recognizable versions of the "real" characters. If they couldn't or didn't want them to look like the MCU versions of the characters, they should have made them look closer to the comic book or cartoon versions.
@NinjaWaddleDee nah. They look janky af. Especially widow.
I think they both look great. The Square game looks great and the trailer made me want to play it. As for Alliance, I knew that was a day one buy when it was announced. However, I have two sons to play locally with or I would probably skip Alliance.
My issue is the character models. there so bland and uninspiring. After 2 to 3 years, I would expect the graphics to look so much better. Captain America doesn't even feel or sound like he character. Widow looks like a man, Thor looks horrible overall. Might as well give him his helmet if you want to be original. Hulk/Banner is okay. Iron Man helmet needs work and the suit looks plastic instead of robotic.
I mean look at Spider-Man ps4 how vibrant the colour scheme was, how cool his design and gameplay felt. You could tell how enthusiastic Insomniac was when creating the game. This feels inspired by the MCU, but like a bootleg version of it. If they wanted to be original they should have used the original Avengers Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Antman and Wasp plus Captain America.
@Lizuka You know the first week this game is out, there will be an unofficial mod that make all the characters look identical to the MCU stars. The modders are just waiting at the gates 😂
That's the first thing I noticed: They are finally making a triple A Avengers game...but without the proper faces and voices?! The what now?! That's what people call epic fail...
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