With Crystal Dynamics taking on a major IP after the success of the Tomb Raider reboot, it seems Marvel’s Avengers was almost guaranteed to be a ‘Hulk-Smash’. Square-Enix hasn’t spared any expense, but assembling a flowing narrative alongside compelling gameplay is a rough ride.
Marvel’s Avengers: Assembly Required?
Avengers‘ single-player mode features a nicely written narrative concerning Ms. Marvel and the Avengers to further the theme of reunion after a cataclysmic failure. Giving each Avenger their time in the spotlight is a great idea, but ultimately breaks immersion. Ms Marvel seems to be implemented as connective tissue to various portions of the game.
In a mix of Naughty Dogs’ Uncharted series and Rocksteady’s Arkham franchise, Ms Marvel is the Nathan Drake of Marvel’s Avengers. The action focuses on the Hulk, Iron-Man etc. Each character has their own unique set of attributes that work within a nice control layout.
For example, the Hulk pushes an emphasis on raw power. Ms Marvel is great for sweeping ground control which compliments Iron-Mans ranged aerial attacks. Special attacks and abilities can be toggled using the shoulder buttons.
Take My Strong Hand – The Hulk
This ranges from a casual ThunderClap from Hulk to a burst from Caps Brooklyn Brawler ability. Overall, button mapping feels tight. The single-player mode is a showcase for the live-game features in its multiplayer modes.
Akin to live games such as Destiny 2, players will find daily challenges, bonus and loot objectives. Although this starts to grind early on, it’s clear that Crystal Dynamics set out to introduce a loot system that controls access to new levels and content. As later DLC and updates drop this mode should flesh out more.
The multiplayer maps have been built to cater to each character. As such, they aren’t very inventive. Players will find that live game levels often serve as an arena rather than a standard mapped out affair. Multiplayer boss battles and busy areas often become a blur of fists, powers and jumps, which is understandable but jarring at the same time.
Live At Avengers Tower?
In six months time, Marvel’s Avengers could become an amazing live game with players using each Avenger effectively. The groundwork is there, but Crystal Dynamics need to work on its execution before players lose interest.
It’s no secret by now that Marvel’s Avengers has had its fair share of performance issues. Following its first patch, players are still complaining about spawning issues. The TS review play-through highlighted long load times with 4K mode toggled on and off, Waiting in some cases around 100 seconds for a respawn load screen.
A Great Idea on Paper
It’s a shame that a AAA production is held back by such technical limitations. Marvel’s Avengers is a beautiful game. All textures, Character Models and effects are ridiculously detailed, especially in 4K mode on the Xbox One X (Where’s Spider-Man?). Marvel’s Avengers nailed the art direction and polish in this regard.
The sound engineering is also spot on. From each blow of Thor’s hammer to a chain of hits from Caps Shield, every detail has been captured perfectly. The OST is a cinematic dose of orchestral wonder, putting emphasis on narrative gravitas. There were no sound glitches of any sort during the review playthrough.
Marvel’s Avengers truly has an identity crisis. Whilst it does a commendable job of a single-player narrative, its heart follows the beat of the live-game genre. It would have been great to see Crystal Dynamics commit to just one genre. A live-game Avengers title with an army of Avengers to choose from would have been beautiful, hopefully it’s still possible.
What are your hopes for Marvel’s Avengers moving forward? Let us know in the comments.
Review code provided by PR
