Many of the characters and levels have already been revealed, but many more remain a mystery. Today, IGN pulls back the veil on the impressive Shi'ar stage and two playable characters: Storm and Luke Cage.
Shi'ar Shenanigans
Teleported from the Inhumans' home by Lockjaw (think: giant bulldog) the heroes arrive in the fighter bay of the Shi'ar ship, the Talon. They are met by Corsair, a swashbuckling space pirate and father of the X-Men's Scott Summers. He tips the team to the fact that Shi'ar Queen (and former Charles Xavier lover) Lilandra has been dethroned in a coup by her evil sister, Deathbird.
The Talon is under Deathbird's control and is tracking Lilandra's escape ship. The heroes must race through the belly of the Talon and take out its engines. If they fail, Deathbird will catch Lilandra's ship and end any hopes for the former Queen's return to power.
The Shi'ar level is further proof that Ultimate Alliance truly takes gamers across the entire Marvel Universe. From the SHIELD Hellicarrier to the Skrull Throneworld to Atlantis and beyond, Ultimate Alliance is a comic-book geek's dream come true. And for the non-geeks out there, this is the perfect introduction to the Marvel U. Or, at the very least, a nice sightseeing tour filled with plenty of button-mashing goodness.
The Shi'ar ship is one of the prettier levels in Ultimate Alliance. The interiors are sleek and shiny and a perfect example of next-gen technology. We've yet to see the current-gen version of this level, but we'll assume it is slightly less sleek and not nearly as shiny. The Shi'ar are among the most technologically advanced races in the Marvel Universe and the Talon certainly follows suit. It's easy to get lost in admiration for the next-gen shimmer while beating down the throngs of Shi'ar warriors barring your path.
The struggle to reach the engine room culminates in a battle with Gladiator, the most feared member of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard. There's a reason Gladiator is feared -- that mofo is tough. In fact, it's impossible to do any harm to Gladiator until activating four separate machines, which then zap the arrogant Imperial Guard. Once stricken by the rays, it's time to rush at Gladiator with the might of all four heroes. As we found, the most potent team consists of Thor, Dr. Strange, Spider-Man and Captain America. With these four, poor Gladiator doesn't stand a chance. That is, until the effects of the ray wear off and it's time to activate the four consoles again.
Gladiator isn't posed as a major boss battle. Like many of Ultimate Alliance's characters, he is merely a sub-boss en route to something far more dangerous. Still, Gladiator gives quite a challenge. What happens after his defeat remains a secret until Ultimate Alliance is in your hands.
Luke Cage
The man with unbreakable skin, Luke Cage, is as tough as they come. In Ultimate Alliance, Cage is unleashed as a pure brawler. With no true long-ranged attacks, Cage is limited to bashing enemies up close. His various attacks involve brutalizing the opponent, including bashing their face into the ground.
Cage has one slightly ranged attack with his chain. Like Ghost Rider, Cage can crack heads from a few feet away and also grab enemies with his chain. While it's fun to whip Doombots with the chain, Cage is more effective using his fists. Though he may not look as imposing, Cage is as potent a slugger as the Thing. He makes for a nice alternative, especially if you want to create your own New Avengers team by aligning Cage with Iron Man, Spidey and Wolverine.
If you want to crack baddies with style, Cage comes with alternate '70s Power Man costume. The ladies love Power Man.
Storm
The X-Men's resident Goddess graces Ultimate Alliance with her dominating weather-based powers. Like Thor, Storm can command lightning to strike enemies with incredible force. But unlike Thor, Storm looks damn hot doing it.
You won't want to use Storm in a hand-to-hand brawl. Though she can handle herself fine in close combat, she's better served staying behind the frontlines and attacking from afar. While Raven Soft could have taken the easy way out and recycled a bunch of Storm's powers from X-Men Legends, they instead gave new wrinkles to her abilities. She maintains the Chained Lightning attack that made her deadly in XML, but this interactive power forces you to button-tap to increase the power of the lightning strike. Storm is one of the better choices from the women available in Ultimate Alliance. Plus, her badass '80s Mohawk is unlockable!
