This squad don't have to abide by any pre-established team-up, so players are free to make their own team, such as Moon Knight, Reed Richards, Deadpool and Spider-Woman, or recreate their favorite superhero group, be they the X-Men, Avengers, New Avengers, or Fantastic Four. Each character has their own unique attribute – Wolverine’s ability to regenerate health, Ghost Rider's able to resurrect teammates -- and more characters are added as the game progresses. Furthermore, as characters gain experience, they grow more powerful and more special attacks become available.

Fueling that progression is simple two-button combat. One button handles regular attacks while the other triggers a slower but more powerful blow. By alternating between these buttons, characters are capable of multiple combos that will stun foes, trip them or throw 'em up in the air. The defeat of bad guys and the destruction of the surrounding area then releases orbs into the air, containing life and special attack power, which automatically seek out the characters that need them most, making it easy to keep the team in good health.

This simplicity means that tackling the game alone can be a repetitive affair, especially when fighting against wave after wave of the same enemy using the same attack. Additionally, computer-controlled teammates behave in a questionable manner; they often trip bombs and walk straight into the traps you just carefully avoided. Fortunately, there's definitely some enjoyment to be had in building and customizing one's team, and constant progression (new powers, the occasional stat-boosting item) plus the ability to change the player-controlled character helps maintain interest.

Meanwhile, the simple controls and combat shine in multiplayer, where players can either work together or competitively depending on the selected mode. The presence of human-controlled characters alleviates the above artificial intelligence issues, the automatic nature of the health orbs prevents needless arguments about whose pickup, and the more players are added, the more involving the experience becomes thanks to the social dynamic.

On the technical side of things, there's not much to set the PlayStation 3 version apart compared to the the Xbox 360 version. Both have the same monotonously-addictive gameplay, both contain the same gameplay scenarios, and both feature the same cast of heroes and villains. However, a few minor differences do exist.

For starters, the PlayStation 3 version is capable of running in 1080p (assuming you have a compatible display), a higher resolution than the 360 iteration, but it also hits the occasional bit of slowdown a bit more frequently. It's nothing that really affects the gameplay, and truthfully many may not even notice, but it's annoying if you're the type to notice a fluctuating framerate.

The PlayStation 3 version also makes use of the system's tilt-sensitive controller with a variety of optional motions, such as moving the controller for extra at the end of a combo, using a motion to throw things, or wiggling it to wrestle a shield from an enemy. Unfortunately, these maneuvers don't really seem to work all that well, but can easily be deactivated from the pause menu, which then replaces the motions with more traditional button presses.

Lastly, the presence of online multiplayer is welcome, but a smaller population of total players and the lack of voice chat hamper the experience relative to the Xbox 360 version.

Regardless of the system it's on, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance contains a lengthy adventure of Marvel fan service that will leave fans of both Marvel comics and action RPGs thrilled, even if the solo play ends up somewhat tedious. However, a few technical details set the PlayStation 3 iteration of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance just a notch below the 360 version, most notably in regards to online multiplayer. Should this represent a major factor the 360 version is a better bet, otherwise, the identical content leaves nothing more than personal preference as the biggest factor if choosing between the two.