Preview: Marvel’s Avengers needs work but shows promise

Last year, I saw Marvel’s Avengers at E3 and while I didn’t get to play it, I was quite impressed. Based on a linear level (also featured in the beta), the heroes, the gameplay, the story all showed great promise. Now that I’ve gotten to feel mighty Thor’s hammer in my hands and flown around as Iron Man, I feel the game still needs work but still shows that initial promise that hooked me in 2019.

First and foremost, the big, blockbuster feel of a Marvel product is definitely present here. Marvel’s Avengers opens with a catastrophic event on the Golden Gate Bridge, it’s big and it’s loud. This is exactly what you’d see at the start of an actual Avengers movie, with all the explosions and spectacle in its glory.

While there’s only one other story-heavy level in the beta, it still feels like its maintaining its ambition. The other level features a bombastic boss battle between Hulk and Abomination which sees them throwing each other through various environments. You truly feel like two titans are clashing with each other on screen.

All of the heroes featured in the beta feel distinct. Everyone from Ms. Marvel to Captain America all feel super well-realized. The animations, skills, weight, and various ways of fighting help ensure that you’ll always have plenty of variety. Everyone has their own advantages, some can get to places other characters can’t. Some are better at wiping out larger groups. Some are better solo while others really excel in a team setting.

Iron Man can call in a Hulkbuster suit (a giant mech-type suit) and either use it himself or allow another player to get inside of it. As far as I saw during my time, this was one of the only abilities that can be used by other players. It would be great to see other key team abilities in the full game. For example, imagine Iron Man being able to fire his beams at Captain America’s shield who can deflect it into enemies for a powerful attack.

The core gameplay between each hero is sometimes incredibly satisfying but other times very clunky. You can launch an enemy into the air with a big uppercut and have another player shoot them in mid-air. Then, you can go and pummel an enemy as the Hulk but very quickly feel like the game isn’t registering all of your hits. You lose the feedback of Hulk’s rage-filled strikes, causing both you and the enemy you’re fighting to stumble around for a second. It’s jarring and pulls you out of an otherwise pretty rock solid combat system.

Marvel’s Avengers does have a handful of issues apparent from its beta. The environments, at least outside of the main story missions, are lacking in variety. When you open the map to select a mission, you’ll see several locations across America to play in. While this is a small selection of what will be present in the final game, you’d expect Crystal Dynamics to be showcasing a variety of their best content.

A lot of these missions consisted of walking in AIM (the evil corporation in the game) science facilities. You’ve seen these types of environments in countless games, they’re pretty sterile, corridors, or medium sized rooms to fight in. There’s really nothing compelling about this at all.

Even in a mission which seemingly took place in Jersey City, you very briefly explore a block or two of the city before taking an elevator underground into yet another facility. There are a few forests and other locations but they’re these standard template biomes that don’t feel specific or interesting whatsoever. It’s mostly standard window dressing.

It doesn’t help that some characters, like Iron Man, feel incredibly restrained in these tight spaces. He works best outdoors but since many of these missions are inside these facilities, his flight isn’t as fun as one might hope. You’re sort of just bouncing off the walls if you want to fly around, one of the character’s key and iconic abilities.

The other big gripe with Marvel’s Avengers is the RPG set-up that takes surface level cues from Destiny. It doesn’t feel integrated well at all and comes off as a trend-chaser. An Avengers game can and should work as a co-op game. It doesn’t work as a looter. None of the gear makes any cosmetic difference to the character because there are skins you can equip instead, earned separate to the gear.

All they do is add numbers, give percentage variables, and have some other expected effects. It feels so easy to ignore and the game actively allows you to do so by having a button that auto-equips your best gear. The problem is, the game does require you to think about it so that your character has the right power level for each mission. If you’re underpowered, you’ll get your ass rightfully whooped. It feels like a way to encourage a grind without implementing a feeling of reward by getting the required gear.

There’s not that serotonin hit like when you see a brightly colored piece of loot hit the ground in Destiny or a feeling of uniqueness to anything. It’s all just… there. The game on it’s own is good and every character has their own skill tree to level up, which is far better. Had they just made it so you have to level up your character without the gear, it would be much smoother and less convoluted.

The Verdict

Marvel’s Avengers has potential to evolve into a game that matches its grand ambition. The core experience is promising and I believe Crystal Dynamics has something special, hopefully they manage to really hone the experience for launch in September.