A game based on one of the biggest media properties ever, Marvel Avengers will finally be coming to this generation of computers and consoles on September 4th 2020.
However, if you were smart enough – or had the blind faith – to pre-order, you were granted early access to the first of three ‘beta’ sessions this past weekend.
We were lucky enough to be given a chance to play, and briefly live out our own inner superhero fantasy.
The Marvel Connected Universe – or MCU – has become the hottest movie franchises in recent memory, and now a year after we witnessed the end of an era in Endgame, we are getting some of those amazing heroes and villains in polygonal form.
Has publisher Square Enix and developer Crystal Dynamics combined to produce a game that could last as long as the MCU itself? With future downloadable content already being touted and a treasure trove of characters and storylines to pull from, signs are good.
Get Your Head In The Game
First impressions suggest Marvel’s Avengers is very much a set-piece driven action-adventure, albeit woven with a co-operative mode complete with complex loot system.
In other words, ‘it’s all things to all people’. While the combat was fun and engaging, there is a real grind to level up and improve your character’s stats, which you are fully expected to embrace.
Right off the bat we are thrown into the action and given an introduction to the different characters and their playstyles as we get to run through parts of the ‘A-Day’ celebration-cum-tragedy as it unfolds, setting up the foundations of this all-new story.
The early portion of the beta takes us through a couple of story missions, hinting at the wider tale that will unfold in the full game.
As the demo develops you get to play as Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel), Black Widow, Iron Man, Thor, and Hulk.
Though their core mechanics are the same, understanding each character’s strengths and role within the team becomes essential to comfortable progression.
Each character plays and feels unique.
Combine this with their own individual skill trees and pages of new tricks and abilities to learn, it gives the opportunity to build your hero (and your squad) to whatever playstyle you choose.
The sheer amount of gear and the grind that comes with it will keep you playing long after the story has come to its conclusion.
Avengers Assemble
Much like Activision’s popular looter-shooter Destiny, the idea is you constantly find new weapons and equipment for each character that can be upgraded.
Equip the gear with the best numbers and feel like a boss, until you realise, you are severely underpowered and must do a side mission or two to get some different gear with higher numbers before trying again.
It is worth noting the amount of stats that contribute to combat effectiveness (or ineffectiveness)can look a little overwhelming, especially for casual gamers but will light a fire in the belly of completionists and gaming veterans.
Square has done an excellent job during this beta – finally answering many questions and giving the audience a little slice of what the final game will entail.
More than twenty missions are available including story-based hero missions, campaign missions, co-op warzones, training rooms and more.
With four heroes to choose from and dozens of customisations, outfits, and upgrades, there was plenty to discover over the weekend.
Of course, there were some teething issues at this early stage, but developers were quick to assist via social media – which does go some way to buying a bit of good faith moving forward.
If you did not pre-order, don’t worry.
For the weekends of Friday 14th and August 21st the second and third events will be open to the entire PS4 community and all formats of gamer respectively.
If you really cannot wait until September 4th, we recommend that you give it a go – assuming you have at least 30GB of hard drive space to spare.
Our excitement has absolutely increased after this, and we can’t wait to get our hands on the full game.
