Earlier this week saw the re-release of two of the most well-received Marvel video games in recent memory: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 1 and 2. For the first time, players could play the two action RPGs on Steam, Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
Seems like a win for everybody, right? Fans get to play one of the best Marvel video games again (or for the first time), and publisher Activision gets to rake in some additional cash on a series that had been collecting dust for years.
Except that's not exactly what has played out. Fans are in an uproar about the re-releases, and rightfully so. On PC via Steam, the games lack controller support and are missing visual options that were present when the game originally released on PC years ago. On Xbox One, achievements are missing, and Xbox 360-exclusive DLC for Marvel Ultimate Alliance 1 isn't included in the re-release. Making matters worse is the claim on the game's Xbox store page that says users can play as Hulk, despite Hulk only being available in a DLC pack that isn't included in the game.
It feels like a slap in the face, especially given the high price tag for re-releases that have seen almost no improvements over the original and are lacking features fans expect. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 1 and 2 are each $40 standalone, or can be purchased together in a bundle for $60. It seems like Activision simply slapped a price tag on the titles and didn't bother to put much more thought into what exactly it was putting out.
Naturally, customers aren't happy. User reviews for Marvel Ultimate Alliance list it as "Mostly Negative," while the second game sports a "Negative" average rating. Fans are tearing into Activision in reviews and lamenting the fact that the games are actually worse in their expensive re-release forms than the original versions released years ago.
There is, however, hope. It seems Marvel creative director Bill Rosemann has caught wind of the outcry from fans. In a tweet, Rosemann says Marvel is aware of the situation and is sharing the concerns of fans with Activision.
#UltimateAlliance fans, we hear you & are sharing your concerns w/ our friends at @Activision! Please stay tuned! pic.twitter.com/lxBEwtkrle
— Bill Rosemann (@BillRosemann) July 28, 2016
Does that mean fans might yet see the inclusion of controller support on PC and the addition of missing DLC characters across all platforms? Here's hoping, because $40 for a 10-year-old game is a little ridiculous when the original is, in many ways, superior.
