Much to my delight, however, the answer to that question was (thankfully) a great big no. In fact, Electronic Arts and developer Nihilistic (Vampire: The Masquerade, StarCraft: Ghost) are determined to make Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects every bit as addicting, fun, and popular as Capcom's old Marvel vs. Capcom series. Whether or not the team can actually pull it off is still several months away from being legitimized, but after spending almost an hour of play time with the official E3 build just prior to the show, I can safely say that there is some definite potential here.
One of the things that stands out most about Marvel Nemesis is its unique art style. A deliberate attempt at capturing the look of a Frank Miller or Tim Sale-like "dark line" graphic novel, Rise of the Imperfects has a fashion all its own. And to be honest, this approach is really quite striking -- especially considering its attempt at getting away from the usual comic-to-game tactic of being too cartoony (Children of the Atom) or making everything overly realistic (The Punisher).
As for the game itself, the whole thing is based around the idea of being as accessible to as many skill levels as possible. What this means is that no matter which one of the 18 different characters you're using, they'll all control exactly the same. The differences between them, however, come in via what those standardized commands will do. So while all players will be aware that they'll have one button each for jumping, grabbing, and striking, those simple inputs will have vastly different outcomes based on the alter ego. So while Johnny Ohm may do one set of moves by tapping his melee button over and over again, Wolverine will have a completely different set.
In fact, every object in every stage of Marvel Nemesis can be destroyed and manipulated in some way. Cinderblocks, rooftop accessories, propane tanks, and even cars can be picked up and tossed around at deserving opponents. Keep in mind, though, that not everybody can pick up the same kinds of items since all objects have their own weight group. This is where the three-class strength system comes in as characters that can lift heavier objects will be able to rip lampposts and other such burly items that the weaker guys can't. And if they're fast enough, any character who is strong enough can use the grab button to catch a thrown object before it hits them (giving themselves a quick missile attack of their very own).
As you can seem EA didn't want to limit the powers of any character so that it could stay true to how these guys would fight each other in the comic books. After all, if Iron Man was fighting Wolverine, he wouldn't just stand in front of him and throw punches -- he'd fly through the air and nail him with energy blasts. But Wolverine wouldn't just stand there and take it either. He'd pop his claws and climb up to the highest point so he could jump on Tony Stark's back for a proper slashing. The cool thing is everything I've just mentioned is entirely possible in the game.
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My only real concern at this point, is that for a game with a simple layout it has a definite learning curve when it comes to the moves because of the awkward positioning of the buttons (blocking is a face button and not the usual shoulder key, for instance). Unfortunately the E3 build doesn't allow you to change any configuration on the controller, so if you're not immediately at home with the mechanics the first time you walk up to them, you could have some difficulty with progressing. Hopefully, the final build will allow you switch out to any arrangement you want.
Still, Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects has a lot going for it and I look forward to checking out a more complete build somewhere down the road. With a little more time spent with additional characters and stages (the Daily Bugle was all that was available this time), it'll be a lot easier to see just how deep and balanced it will eventually be. And considering that it plays like an extreme cross between Super Smash Bros. Melee and Power Stone 2 already, that's quite an exciting proposition.
