There might not be any MCU movies this year, but you can join Earth’s Mightest Heroes in a battle to save the world once again. Presented by Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix, Marvel’s Avengers is an action RPG where you take control of heroes such as Hulk and Thor. The game is one part single player and one part multiplayer. Long anticipated, does this game live up to the hype?
The Avengers are gone. Five years ago, a disaster lead to the team disbanding and normal humans gaining superpowers. An organization named AIM has earned the public trust and is capturing anyone displaying powers. Enter Kamala Khan, a teenager with powers and a love for the Avengers. Dodging people who want to capture her, Kamala decides that she needs to reunite the Avengers. Her journey will take her across the country, fight alongside her heroes and learn what was really behind the events that outlawed superheroes.
Kamela ( Ms. Marvel) is an interesting choice for the main character. One of the lesser known heroes ( my husband, the household comic book expert, admitted he didn’t know much about her) we see her journey from person to superhero. It makes some real connections, as Kamela and the player learn about her powers at the same time. If the game had put you into the shoes of an Iron Man or Black Window, we know who these characters are and what they can do. Video games that feature comic book characters have always struggled making you feel the beginning of the hero’s journey. Kamela brings the joy, wonder and yes even fear a hero starting out out would feel.
The game puts you in missions where you have to destroy the enemies and find the objective. While Kamela is the main focus, you will still play as some of your favorites. As you progress, you can put skill points into skill tree for all characters. There are even some cool cosmetics you can buy. after the game is finished, there are post game missions. Just be warned that your skills better be up to snuff. It was pretty disconcerting to have gone through the main game and suddenly be destroyed in the first mission.
There are a few graphic hiccups. Some features in cut scenes did not load in and so forth. The missions start to feel a little repetitive after awhile. The characters and story keep the game going. You want Kamela to succeed and become the hero she used to dream about. The actors are good. putting their spin on characters and not trying to imitate the actors from the MCU. The title is a little misleading, but hopefully this is the first in a series of games.
8/10
Available on Xbox, PS4 and PC.