Republished on Wednesday, 13th July, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of July's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows.
Marvel’s Avengers’ biggest mistake is that it wants to be a game you can play forever, without offering the variety to sustain such ambitions. Its cast of characters – spanning household names like Captain America and Iron Man – all have entertaining combat suites, but once you’ve reassembled Earth’s ultimate God Squad across the ten or so hour campaign, you’ll be left repeating the same activities over and over with no obvious, ahem, endgame.
The title has improved immensely since its original PlayStation 4 launch, adding two new characters and mission branches, as well as a 60 frames-per-second option on PS5 which transforms the flow of the gameplay – but it still relies far too heavily on uninteresting objectives, which see you protecting designated strongholds while fighting off samey foes. All of this is in pursuit of strength-enhancing gear, which doesn’t even change your appearance.
Played in co-op with friends or strangers the action is undeniably intense, although it can look grainy on Sony’s next-gen console. There’s excellent support for the DualSense controller, with the triggers rattling and shaking under your fingertips as you execute larger-than-life attacks. And the story, which revolves around the elasticated Kamala Khan, has its fair share of tender moments – but the package as a whole simply doesn’t have the density it needs to realise its potential.
There will be case studies written about this release in the years to come, because it should have been a sure-fire slam dunk, and yet it feels like a missed opportunity. Make no mistake, the title has got better – and with the announcement of Black Panther, developer Crystal Dynamics remains committed to iterating on it for the foreseeable future – but as we alluded to in our Marvel’s Avengers PS4 review, there’s a disconnect between the promise of this product and what it actually offers right now.
Comments 42
This game would've sold better if it had a better art style.
Eeeh not even Ps5 or Spidey can save this game think i am gonna wait on a gamepass drop or under twenty dollars till i buy this game for the campaign.
I really enjoyed what I played of it but I got to a point where it said I wasn’t powerful enough to do the next campaign mission and I didn’t feel like grinding. I would have put in a lot more hours if it was a linear experience like to Tomb Raider.
Its a good game..just not great..its a shame really as no matter how many improvements are made its always going to get the rough end of the stick..
The reviewers' constant emphasis on the extra missions is simply annoying. Yes, they are most certainly boring and they lack variety. I somehow still enjoy them because the action is incredibly satisfying, but I can see why most people don't like them.
By constantly talking about the endgame, you ignore the excellent campaign and the decent free DLC. If anyone is on the fence, if you have the chance to play the game, stick to the campaign and forget about everything else. You will most likely greatly enjoy the game. So get it when it's cheap and worth the campaign alone?
it reminds me of one of the Tekken games being criticized for an extra story mode it had, which didn't play well, but the core games was still superb. Why focus on that when you can simply ignore it?
I still think it's stupid for SE to make this multiplayer loot-based game rather than full single player games like spider-man and jedi fallen order. Which sells very well btw 😕
I finished the story on ps4, may go back and try it on PS5 but the grind is keeping me away. Especially now theyve altered some of the level progression.
Will say its not a bad game by any means and would say to pick it up when its cheap like i did (£21). Honestly its the voice acting that erks me the most. Not that they are bad voice actors its just the same voice actors you hear in every game. I dont mind Nolan North or Travis Willingham so much but Troy Baker need to learn he can play background roles once in a while. As for Laura Bailey, kinda sick of her. There are many talented female VOs out there, basically same issue as troy.
Anyways rant over, would also give this game 6/10
@naruball "Why focus on that when you can simply ignore it?"
That defeats the entire point of analyzing any piece of art, and, in the case of Avengers, those repetitive missions are the bulk of what Square and Crystal want you to do when you're done with the story. The story mode isn't how SE wants to make back their money. It's these grindy endgame things that are the meat and potatoes of Avengers. They are why the devs proudly proclaimed this as a live service back at E3 2019. And, as many have pointed out, the endgame being crap is a big reason why this game bit Square in the ass financially. You can't ignore something like that. Why would Sammy and other reviewers ignore what defines this particular game?
@naruball Because the game is designed around it. Even the campaign — which I agree is enjoyable — has several missions that are designed around its multiplayer, endgame content. You can't tell me that, structurally, you think the campaign would be the same if they'd originally designed a Tomb Raider-style Avengers rather than what we got.
I like the game, too — a 6/10 is a good score! — and I agree that it's been improved since launch, but there's still flaws in it, and a lot of them stem from what they were actually trying to do. Which is to make a "service-style" game.
I would consider getting this just for the campaign, but I'm already sick of Khamala from the initial demo and the game seems to largely focus on her.
The game is a next gen Ultimate Alliance and it really should be played that way. It is about teaming up to fight some bad guys and having fun with the combat. A lot of people and journalists speak ill of the missions in the multiplayer, and I really don't get it. At that point, people are asking way too much from Marvel Avengers. The little missions you are given just serve to tell you where to go and augment the combat, and that's all it needs. If it had more complex objectives then the game would really be overloaded like everybody thinks it is now. Every game doesn't need everything and it cant have anything.
The question and the review basis should come from is it fun, and how much work was put into it. If you don't want a game that is fun because of combat and combos, then Marvel Avengers is not for you. They advertised the multiplayer as the game and basically threw in a campaign, and that campaign is as basic as it can get for Marvel, so I REALLY don't understand why everyone praises it. The game should be looked at and reviewed as a multiplayer game that included a campaign. Because there is other great super hero story games out there, people just keep complaining that they didn't get another one. I liked Ultimate Alliance and I like Marvel Avengers, this is made for me to enjoy. If you cant enjoy it because you want more story, then you came to the wrong game. The game not having YOUR gameplay style in it does not make it a bad game.
It's a shame to have such a great license and not put in the effort to make as great a game as possible. Not sure if the studio wasn't up to the task or if the publisher just wanted to cash in. Either way, it's a shame for Marvel.
Oh man, that tagline got me. Thor-t 😂😂😂😂
The review nailed it. Greed sunk this game. Who on Earth thought it would be a good idea to make this a live service rpg instead of an entertaining single-player romp?
I was definitely on the fence about this game on PS4 but I’ve been hearing about the improvements. If I do get this it seems like the PS5 version is the way to go. I just need to get a darn PS5. I remember @naruball saying that campaign is at least worth the play though before.
@JoshuaTChandler It’s not just the core objectives themselves that are the problem though, it’s the fact that you’re fighting the same enemies in the same environments. I also think the core combat of the cast is fun, but it needs more variety across the board — not just in WHAT you’re doing, but also the locations/enemies/etc.
Hasn’t this game cost square Enix a £60 million loss?
Should have focused on solely being a single player game.
How do you ruin the freakin avengers?
@naruball Damn you are like super hellbent on getting the other 98% of people who abandoned the game on Steam to come back lol
It's literally just a stripped down Ultimate Alliance with all the crappy monetary practices of live service games and a campaign that wastes its opportunity to use the wider Marvel Universe in its story outside Inhumans I don't care about, and an emphasis on generic A.I.M. robots instead of actual Marvel villains who show up for a single mission and then disappear with no fanfare like Taskmaster and Abomination
@JoshuaTChandler Nah. Ultimate Alliance had a roster like 3x the size and actually delved way deeper into Marvel's mythos instead of trying to act like a desperate advertisment for who was relevant in the movies
This game WISHES it was Ultimate Alliance. It's more like if the Marvel roster from MvC Infinite got their own game
I’ve been playing the game with friends and we’ve had tons of fun with it. I’ve not played the solo campaign yet because of the fun the multiplayer has been providing. That being said, the game could’ve been so much better but it fell right into the theme most licensed games fall into; “They’ll buy it because they know it.”
Treat this game as a single-player game with continuous story updates and you’ll be better off.
@TheFrenchiestFry if this were even 3/10 of Ultimate Alliance it would be 50x better.
@naruball Its just how you look at a game a review is always something personal. Lets be honest this game would have been much better as a singleplayer game. It would not surprise me if it was build that way and a higher up suit thought no it needs too be a liveservice. As for Tekken 7 i really missed the character specific endings aka Arcade mode.
@get2sammyb Good point the mediocre enemies plus environments were a big letdown for a lot of people. I think a lot of people where expecting something totally different something less mediocre
It's constantly on sale for under $20 bucks and that's well worth the campaign, and if you have a friend or two the game is a blast. Does get old quick though, but it's fun for a good week or two.
This game is horribly underrated
I've been enjoying it since I started playing it with the update (my first time). The marketplace is too pricey and I get tired of being in the same places a lot, but it's fun and I'm looking forward to more additional content. I couldn't care less about multiplayer. I don't like playing with other people 😆
@Ryall Agree 10000%
I personally really enjoyed it and have got the Platinum twice now for both versions. It definitely plays better on PS5 and by Thor those load times are astoundingly fast compared to those never ending slow mode showcases and elevator rides. Granted, it’s a slight annoyance when a multiplayer game is slowed down by cross platform but I’ve had a tonne of fun online considering I generally avoid online multiplayer. Thor is definitely still the best character by far whilst Hulk is kinda ***** but Hawkeye is surprisingly cool and with Black Panther on the horizon I’ll definitely be playing more. Yes, it’s repetitive and grindy but focus on the positive and there’s definitely enough to entertain with an ace campaign and some great combat. As for the revamped XP decision I honestly didn’t feel it affected things much. If anything it meant I hit Hero 50 and Power 150 at around the same time whilst giving me time to test out each new move and thus learn characters more than when I was spamming 5-10 skill points I’d amassed without knowing!
How many times do I need to hack a computer or smash a generator? The game play loop blows.
This game is an embarrassment.
Meanwhile Nioh 2 complete edition has hundreds of hours (at least) of loot based action straight out of the box with no micro transactions or anti consumer rubbish, as well as far superior gameplay.
@JoshuaTChandler Next gen MAU? Dude MAU3 with its DLC has over 50 playable characters from all corners of Marvel including a few playable villains as well like Thanos and Loki. It also has way more bosses like from all corners of Marvel and multiple locations from all corners of Marvel. I like Marvel's Avengers but its no where near the quality of any of the MAU games, it has deeper combat sure but its let down by a terrible live service model with barely any content, boring loot and over-priced MTX.
I still regret paying full price, but sadly it's too late for me to get a full refund, and I can't be bothered trying to sell it.
At least the PS5 upgrade was free, but I shall be waiting until all DLC is released before I resume playing the main story.
@RBMango it doesn't matter what Square Enix wants you to do. You can choose to play the game any way you want. Just like some people only play the campaign of COD, even though it's mainly a multiplayer game.
@get2sammyb I've played most of the campaign and don't see your point about "has several missions that are designed around its multiplayer, endgame content." Can you give me some examples? Or even one. Because nothing springs to mind.
hi guys has this game an offline player campaign , or is it like that dc universe game purely online?
thank you in advance
The campaign was really good in my opinion and if they'd left it at that it would of been fine. Advertising it as a co-op multiplayer is what has done the damage, yes the combat is great fun with friends but the actual multiplayer 'endgame' missions called 'Hive' are played in single player only. Its just totally bizarre why they didn't make the hive missions multiplayer especially when you have AI teammates?! They definitely missed a trick here.
Tried it on PS4 and it was alright but that's it, not interested in playing it on PS5 though. I'll stick to the Ultimate Alliance games, Ultimate Alliance 3 is a particularly good game.
Just completed the main game after purchasing this for £20, which I’d argue is still too much for this the ultimate ‘meh’ game.
They should have called this game pushsquare as that’s all you do in this game! Pushsquare to punch, pushsquare to open doors, pushsquare to open crates.
The graphics are great, the storyline is ok. Leading with Kamala was a good idea story wise but she’s not a mainstream name like Thor or Ironman so can see why people complained about her inclusion.
The levels are dull, the missions are dull, the RPG elements are dumb. In the middle of a fight I can stroll over and go looking for a crate to upgrade my bracelet by 1 point. I must have missed that in the MCU films!
Everything is solved by punching, there are no puzzles, no other game elements absolutely nothing radical or revolutionary. Crash bandicoot on the ps1 had more interesting gameplay!
The skins (which are truly awful) have to be bought, yet in insomniac Spider-Man they’re free if you go and look for them.
This was truly an ultimate example of wasted potential that should have been handed to rocksteady or insomniac.
You play as Thor, Ironman etc for a max of 2 hours each! Nowhere near enough time to unlock any skills or special moves or even care about your character or their motives. Black widow is terrible to use, her pistols do absolutely zilch.
It's a fair review though personally I thought the campaign was worse than Sammy here. I'd give it 5/10 at most, if I was being generous.
The worst criticism I have is that you almost never feel like a superhero. That power fantasy that gaming is so good at delivering is hidden behind a loot/grind mechanic, bullet sponge enemies designed around multiplayer and mindless bots to fight. It makes you feel pretty weak at most times, almost like Superman (excuse the DC x Marvel crossover) is fighting with Kryptonite in his worn-over pants.
By the end of the game i'd unlocked barely any of the skill trees, skins or other upgrades for any characters. It's all cynically designed around grind and MTX... but doesn't even have an engaging enough loop to entice you to keep playing.
This is all obfuscated behind some beloved characters, excellent production values and a few too many lens flares.
There are still a few really nice moments (no spoilers) and I liked Kamala and most of the cast, it just failed at the one thing superhero games should deliver... being a superhero.
Honestly there are many better games to use your time on and many better games that deserve your support. This doesn't, or we will see more of it's like.
@themightyant I couldn't disagree more with the second paragraph. Playing as Thor, for example, makes you feel like an absolute God. He's incredibly powerful, even against strong enemies. I felt the same in the campaign when he first appeared, i.e. that he's leagues ahead of the rest of the team.
@naruball I said ALMOST never felt like a superhero. That Thor moment was one of the few where you did, it was a great entrance. But those moments were few and far between for me. Then you return to mindlessly swinging at rinse and repeat droids with almost no visceral feeling to any attacks. Combat is so floaty like you are fighting with wet noodles.
Honestly I went in late, for free, and with the very lowest of expectations yet still hated it.
Regardless there's room for multiple views if you felt differently, that was just my 2 cents.
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