The Marvelous Countdown, Day 5: Hawkeye

In addition to the individual character changes that have been implemented in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, several general changes to the game system itself have been put into play. The most notable of these is the addition of Air Xfactor, and the removal of airdash blocking. The latter of these is a breath of fresh air to zoning players and characters alike, making it harder for characters across the board to approach the opposition safely; it's more risky now, and much harder.

While such a change is certainly helpful to just about every character with a decent projectile, it perhaps helps nobody more than newcomer to the game, Hawkeye. In a roster crowded with mutants, superhumans, superheroes, supervillains and the like, it's a refreshing change to see a normal guy, albeit blessed with uncanny aim.

Hawkeye's game plan is to lock down the opponent on the other side of the screen with his myriad of arrow variants. Poison arrows, lightning arrows, arrow traps- the guy's got quite the arsenal, all designed to pester the enemy from a distance. In conjunction with an assist (preferably one that can cover the vertical space above Hawkeye), and the nerf to airdashing, it's looking to be very hard to get in on him. Hopefully he has low health to help balance out his strengths.

I think what worries me the most about Hawkeye is a particular super of his, whose name escapes me. He fires a single arrow, and in a relatively small amount of time - WHEREVER YOU ARE - you get hit if you aren't blocking. You know, kind of like Magneto's Gravity Squeeze, but only costing one meter? That can't be a good sign.

If you find yourself fighting against Hawkeye, my best strategy would be to try and take advantage of his limited mobility to close the gap between you and him.Once he backs himself into the corner, it might be tough for him to get back out of it. That's when you force a mistake and tear him apart.

Hawkeye's theme is probably my favorite out of all the new characters. It's bouncy, full of character, and just downright catchy. That's all I've really got to say about that.

Hawkeye's not really my playstyle, but I do know a good character when I see one. Any player who enjoys keeping their opposition on the other side of the screen will be looking at this guy when the game launches for sure.