Marvel Cosmic Invasion review – Beat ’em up action that’s out of this world

If you’re a fan of side-scrolling beat ’em ups, the last few years have been pretty kind to you. Sure, there have been some howlers, such as the recent Terrifier: The ARTcade Game, but there have been some brilliant new entries in the genre, too, such as Absolum. And now here we are with Marvel Cosmic Invasion, yet another fantastic brawler. Though it should come as no surprise considering it’s from the same team-up that also brought us Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge.

When it comes to Marvel Cosmic Invasion, it’s clear that Tribute Games and Dotemu have aimed to deliver one of the most content-packed side-scrolling beat ’em ups to date. After all, while most games of this ilk have just three or five characters to take control of, Marvel Cosmic Invasion has fifteen. Not all of these are unlocked from the outset, however; a small number of the characters here, such as Venom and Phyla-Vell, need to be unlocked by making progress in the game’s campaign, which finds its swathe of heroes teaming up to take down Annihilus.

Perhaps the reason there are so many characters to choose from is because, rather than simply selecting one character to play as, you actually select two, and you can then switch between them at the push of a button. At the very least, it gives you another character to switch over to when one has taken a battering. But skilled players will make frequent use of both, bringing their reserve character in for a team-up attack, or switching characters mid-combo to extend their flashy and ultimately health-bar-obliterating assaults. Add in the fact that up to four players can get in on the action either online or offline, and that’s eight Marvel characters potentially all going at it at once.

Needless to say, the action in Marvel Cosmic Invasion can get very chaotic, perhaps to a fault on some occasions. Sometimes so much can be happening on-screen that it’s hard to keep track of things. The action always remains fun, though, thanks to the over-the-top nature of the action and the sublime work that’s been put into animating the game’s characters and adversaries. The visuals here may be retro-styled and pixelated, but it’s still a treat for the eyes.

Even better, it’s a joy to play, with each character having a moveset that incorporates a swift combo, as well as a charged attack, a unique special attack, and a powerful ultimate attack powered by a Focus meter. Some characters have other unique traits, too, and all are capable of either dodging incoming attacks or blocking them. The result is that every character feels somewhat unique. You can go from swinging around the screen and throwing webs as Spider-Man, for example, to thwacking enemies with a hammer as Beta Ray Bill.

While Campaign mode is the main offering here, with some fifteen missions to complete, there’s also an Arcade mode for those who just want to quickly get into the action. Data cubes earned in Campaign mode can also be used to unlock a wide range of extras, including additional colour palettes for the game’s cast of characters, and Arcade gameplay modifiers. You can make it so that ultimate attacks deplete your health rather than requiring Focus, for example, or give your enemies more health for an added challenge.

All in all, it’s hard to fault Marvel Cosmic Invasion. The only frustration I’ve really had is encountering one or two difficulty spikes in the game’s campaign when playing alone, though they were easily overcome by either getting a friend to jump in and help, or levelling up my characters to give them more HP and other stat boosts. If you’re into side-scrolling beat ’em ups or love Marvel, then, consider this essential. With its large roster of playable characters, stunning animation and exciting gameplay, it’s simply marvellous.