Game Review: Marvel's Avengers (Beta)
The price of a good game is high, but it’s a price we’re willing to pay (sort of...). We were lucky enough to receive and test out a copy of Marvel’s Avengers and took part in the beta this past weekend.
The game feels unique in that each hero has special attributes and abilities which are relevant to their character and familiar to the avid comic-book fan. Hulk is strong and brutish; Thor, fast and mighty; Iron Man, smart and lively. But the break-out star of the game is “Kamala Khan” aka Ms. Marvel. She’s earnest like Cap, witty like Stark and most importantly, a fan, like Parker. Essentially, Khan is “the player”, thrust into a world of heroes, villains and magic. I found myself playing her missions the most often, as the character is incredibly well balanced (like a certain God of Thunder’s mystical weapon) and by far the easiest to maintain. Many of her combos/special abilities reminded me of those from Playstation’s Spider-Man.
The game looks great, but remember, this is a game based on the Avengers of Marvel Comics, NOT the MCU. So don’t be disappointed by “Store Brand” Captain America. Keep an open mind with this one and you will not be let down. Forget what you think the Avengers are supposed to be and remember that their history is much deeper and more complex than could possibly be portrayed by several feature films.
The controls will seem familiar to anyone who has played the Arkham Series, and switching between characters is easy enough as their move-sets (close attacks, mid attacks and ranged) are fairly straightforward.
There were some bugs, as I did get a few drops even though my system currently sports a 2080-ti and 9900K. Frame rate drops during cut-scenes were incredibly annoying and at times took away from the storytelling and made me less compelled to continue playing. Hopefully, Crystal Dynamics can remedy this before the full release of the game.
All in all, I was happy with the beta. If you are a fan of the Avengers, you should absolutely pick this up. If you are a fan of third person action games, you should “probably” pick this up when it’s inevitably on sale.
- Mickey