Marvel Studios has teamed up with Square Enix for their upcoming release: Marvel’s Avengers. With the game set to debut on May 20th of this year, Marvel also released Iron Man #1, a comic book prequel to the upcoming game’s story.
The comic shows the famous Avengers going through a snag in their teamwork, but succeeding in their mission nonetheless. However, Tony Stark discovers his tech is being used by criminals and starts to investigate. Although he eventually finds and apprehends the criminal behind the leak, trust becomes an evident theme. It is interesting to think about trust as a driving mechanic in a game about a team of the world’s mightiest heroes.
Square Enix has shown some mild gameplay footage but there is a lot still left to speculation. Playing on trust, we may see a rift form in the Avengers. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has touched on this idea in films like Captain America: Civil War. Playing as your favorite heroes is already an eye-catching idea, but being able to see them go head-to-head is even more so.
DC has done this for their Injustice game series, but Marvel’s Avengers has an interesting opportunity to innovate. Square Enix has already announced it will have a co-op side mission gamemode. It may not be likely, but a heroic version of TMG Studio’s We Were Here would capture my attention completely.
In We Were Here, two players work together from completely separate locations, focusing on their communication to be able to bypass puzzles and other challenges. One player has visual access to the puzzle, while the other sits in a library with access to all the information needed. Every hero in the Avengers has a distinct personality and ability. It is easy to imagine the cooperative missions that may occur, relying on teamwork. Black Widow infiltrates a facility while The Hulk creates a distraction, drawing the enemy forces. A powerful enemy can only be overwhelmed by the long-range firepower of Iron Man while Captain America holds his attention in a brawl.
The potential is clear. A botched mission could lead to the separation and the eventual opposition amongst friends. One of the most iconic moments from Lego: Star Wars, is when Obi Wan and Anakin face off after working together, with each player controlling one of the characters for the final battle. Both are games based on a popular franchise of powerful heroes. The difference is is that Lego: Star Wars is a legendary game that holds a place in many people’s hearts. Marvel’s Avengers has to live up to its potential.
But judging by the gameplay footage alone, I feel mildly underwhelmed. The financial power behind a name like Marvel is enormous. But so far, Marvel’s Avengers looks to be a paint-by-numbers game that simply mimics styles that have been around for years. It looks like it plays it safe. This tends to occur with triple-A titles and I wouldn’t be surprised if the release is indistinguishable from the crowd. The most unique part about the game is it’s co-op multiplayer and whatever it may hold. For now, I remain: “Whelmed.” –Dick Grayson
For more information and to purchase the Comic, please visit here.
My name is Devon Huge. I'm passionate about writing, art, games, and lists that are one item too long.
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