Earlier this week, at Gamescom 2019, Square Enix finally debuted gameplay footage of the anticipated Marvel’s Avengers. Although the game was discussed at E3 2019, no gameplay was shown; all the videos were solely cinematic. This is the public’s first real taste of what can be expected come the game’s 15 May 2020 release.
The nearly 20-minute gameplay footage follows the original Avengers quintet (Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Black Widow, and Thor) as they battle their way through waves of enemies on and around a crumbling Golden Gate Bridge. The explosive gameplay leads to a Black Widow-headed boss fight and an intriguing cliff-hanger “ending.” In this “A-Day” footage, each Avenger gets his/her solo gameplay slot to showcase unique attacks and abilities. Each of the characters have a set of similar basic attacks that are just visually tailored to the hero attacking, but each also has a unique set of special abilities.
The one thing that bothered most Avengers fans during the game’s E3 reveal was the “look” of the characters. Over a decade, most fans have become accustomed to identifying the Avengers as the actors that play the heroes roles in the Avengers films. Although, the “odd” character designs are more or less the same, this time around, the heroes are more polished, and the fans have noticed the improvement. Developer Crystal Dynamics has also reassured everyone that the game is still in pre-alpha and that much will change come the title’s release.
In a sitdown with IGN at Gamescom 2019, Crystal Dynamic’s Studio Head Scot Amos shared a bit about the behind-the-scenes and making of Marvel’s Avengers. The game features an original storyline composed by Marvel and Crystal Dynamics, and the heroes’ outfits and abilities weave elements from the comics and original content created by Crystal Dynamics. Amos stated that not only are the characters cosmetically customisable but also, that players will be able to modify the heroes’ abilities via skill trees. The skill trees vary the playstyle of each hero quite significantly, promises Amos, and as long as abilities are unlocked, players can tweak and switch between them on the fly.
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Commenting on the Marvel’s Avengers as being game as service, Amos stated that the game will be a “world you get to be part of and will keep growing for years to come.” The major difference between the Marvel’s Avengers and the sea of game-as-service type titles is that most of Marvel’s Avengers content will be free.
There’s still a long way to go until 15 May 2020, but if Crystal Dynamics keeps true to its word, the finished Marvel’s Avengers will be worth the wait.
