I remember seeing the reveal for this game last year at E3 but I wasn’t sure what to think of it at first. The game had an enormous amount of potential but I feared that it would just be a flashy looking beat-em-up. After playing Marvel’s Spider-Man there was a change in the caliber that I’d expect in superhero games going forward. I can say whole-heartedly that Marvel’s Avengers has the potential to surpass that game with the number of character details that developer Crystal Dynamics has put into this game.

Gameplay

The beta gives the player so much of the final game to see. What I mean is, it displays all of the game mechanics and sets us up for its launch day. If you play the beta you won’t go into the game blind but fluent in everything the developers give you to become the strongest team of Avengers you can be. The end-game roster will feature more Avengers than what we get in the beta but it’s not underwhelming by any stretch.

There are two you’ll play most of the beta as, with another set becoming available after the main missions and a couple that are playable only in the first mission. The main Avenger’s that you’ll play as for the majority of the time are The Hulk and Ms. Marvel. Hulk does what he does best, smash. While playing as him you’ll obliterate enemies and the scenery as well. I almost felt invincible at times, because nobody stood a chance against him. Ms. Marvel though was my goto character for the duration of the beta. I loved watching her hand as it grew to the size of a bear and stretched out to hive-five enemies in the face. It was impressive to see how her body would manoeuver while she’d make her way through the battlefield like a plate of Jell-O.

The next set that you’ll get some time with are Iron-Man and Black Widow. Iron-Man was fun because he’s mainly effective while in his aerial mode. He can hover in place while blazing the baddies with his blasters or take-off through the locales hitting them quickly and disappearing in a flash. Black Widow is quick too and always packed a nice punch when it came to cracking down on the bad guys. When you play as her, guns are your friends. Strike first and fling yourself around like an acrobat dodging incoming attacks.

Lastly, there’s Captain America and Thor. Though their appearances are short, these were the two that made me wish that the full game was released sooner. Captain America uses his body as a weapon, just like in the movies. There’s not an attack he does that I’d even attempt in my physical state. Thor though, now that guy is wicked. I wasn’t prepared for how much of an absolute monster they were going to make him. This is going to be my main when the game releases and I feel as if I’m not the only one. My favorite part of playing as him was how they implemented Mjolnir. It’s actually very similar to how Kratos uses his axe in the most recent God of War. You throw it with one button and call it back with another.

The war table allows you to join in on multiplayer action and complete missions to accomplish your objectives and progress the story. The levels are a pleasant surprise too. I wasn’t expecting to see open-world areas at all. There are some really cool variations and no two areas ever felt the same. Some are open wilderness and others close-quarter hallways. Filled in all levels are different kinds of chests and collectibles to upgrade your characters and their abilities. Skille trees, armors, and even more offer advantages for every single character.

I’m truly blown away by how each character is 100% unique from each other. All animations and fighting moves are for that Avenger specifically. You won’t see the same sprint from Ms. Marvel as you would from Captain America and you wouldn’t see the same punch from Hulk as you would from Black Widow. It just shows how much appreciation a devotion to the comics and their creators have gone into the making of this game.

Expectation

After the bar being set so high during the beta, I’m only assuming that the best is yet to come. I’d still love to play as Hawkeye. I can only imagine what kind of bolts you’ll be able to use with his bow, and what his attacks might look like. I’m hoping to see a lot more of open city areas. There’s a lot of wooded areas in the beta but only one city location. I’m intrigued by the story already and can’t wait to see exactly what’s happened to Captain America following A-Day.

Verdict

The beta has already created an instant fan in me and has satisfied my Marvel fanboy side. While I was playing this game I actually felt like a member of the Avengers. I cannot wait to play the finished product when it finally releases on September 4th! In my eyes, this game has the potential to be a game of the year contender if all goes well with the full game and its launch. Fingers crossed!