Marvel's Avengers: PS4 Review

Developed by Crystal Dynamics

Released by Square Enix

Platform: PS4

Unfairly rounded on because the heroes didn't look like The Avengers many knew from the big screen, Crystal Dynamics' Marvel's Avengers game went on to be one of the biggest betas of the year.

Millions got in on the action, and thousands were unhappy with the game's progression and loot-based shenanigans.

But in truth, Marvel's Avengers is more a game that will appeal to the casual player, interested in being one of the superheroes from the comics and in Marvel's Cinematic Universe.

Spoilers are rife in any reviews of Marvel's Avengers, but the main storyline concerns the ramifications of A-Day, a day that's supposed to celebrate the Avengers. However, it all goes disastrously wrong, leading to the death of one of the team, and infecting the whole of San Francisco with the possibilities of superhero powers.

Five years later, what's left of the team must re-assemble when a new threat emerges.

What's great about Marvel's Avengers is playing the game from the perspective of Kamala Khan. The giddy enthusiasm she opens with as she hero-worships the Avengers is infectious. Add into that the chance to play as all of the Avengers in the opening mission when disaster strikes, and there's a sort of superhero-tinged thrill that's hard to shake, as you sample various powers, play as the various members and generally feel like a team up.

But it's in the latter stages of the game that it feels a little misshapen, a mix of loot-grinding and repetitive missions that leaves a slightly sour taste in the mouth. Quests result in rewards, but the rewards themselves are largely cosmetic pieces that don't feel essential or worthy of the effort put in. And multiplayer doesn't really add much more than an AI would as the game goes on.

Also, the microtransactions intrusion into the game seems slightly out of step with the benevolence of the Marvel world. Costumes and gear bits are earned in-game or can be bought, but it's a move that's not really befitting of what the game actually should be about.

Ultimately the game works when it sticks to basics - using each of the superheroes' powers is a supersized thrill. Square Enix has promised more characters to come and a free upgrade to the next generation consoles, but unless the game radically overhauls some of its basic repetitive fight MO, no matter how good it is and how well it's executed, Marvel's Avengers will be consigned to the darker recesses of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.