Preview: Marvel Cosmic Invasion is shaping up to be out of this world
I’ve been pretty excited about Marvel Cosmic Invasion ever since it was announced. I don’t see how you couldn’t be if you’re a fan of the side-scrolling beat ’em up genre. It’s being developed by Tribute Games, after all, the studio which delivered us the rather brilliant Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge back in 2022. And now, after going hands-on with a preview build of the game, I’m somehow even more excited for its release.
Launching later this year on PC and consoles, Marvel Cosmic Invasion is set to be the ultimate beat ’em up for Marvel fans, though it’s so much fun to play that even those who don’t give two hoots about Marvel should also keep it on their radar.
Still, Marvel fans are certainly going to get the most out of it, what with it set to feature a whopping 15 playable Marvel Super Heroes. 11 of those have been revealed so far, and they include fan favourites such as Wolverine, Storm, Spider-Man and Captain America, as well as some lesser-known heroes along the lines of Phyla-Vell and Beta Ray Bill.
Facing off against Annihilus, and many other villains along the way, the important thing to note here is that each playable character feels unique to take control of. Play as Venom and you’ll be delivering powerful punches and kicks as well as throwing enemies across the screen and swinging around to deal with airborne attackers. Then, when it comes to defence, you’ll be raising up your hefty arms to block incoming attacks. Switch over to Rocket Raccoon, however, and you’ll find that he can fire at enemies when they’re at range, and has a nifty dodge ability instead of being able to block.
I’ve taken control of four characters in Marvel Cosmic Invasion so far, and had a blast with each one, getting to know their unique movesets and getting the best out of them in order to obliterate the enemies ahead. You’re free to choose any two when you play, too, switching between them on the fly and calling them in to assist when required.
Anyone that has played Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge should have an idea of what to expect: the gameplay is wonderfully fluid, with you able to have fun putting together combos. Only, there’s greater depth here thanks to the tag mechanic and the extended character movesets.
Add in the fact that what I’ve seen of Marvel Cosmic Invasion so far quite simply looks stunning, with absolutely sublime animation on display throughout, and we quite possibly have a Game of the Year contender on our hands. Oh, and it appears to have a fantastic soundtrack, too.
I really have been blown away by what I’ve played of Marvel Cosmic Invasion so far. It feels like a labour of love, and an unprecedented amount of work must have already gone into it, considering its obscene number of playable characters. Colour me impressed, and very, very eager for the release of the full game later this year. I just know it’s going to be marvellous.
Marvel Cosmic Invasion launches later this year on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and PC.
