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"Marvel's Avengers Beta has enough content to let players know if the full game is going to be for them."

• Solid gameplay

• Well written story

• Hourly repeatable content

• Improved live service aspects

• Disappointing opening

• Very familiar

• Missing characters

The good news is that the Marvel & # 39; s Avengers beta has an impressive amount of content for curious gamers to delve into. The not-so-good news is that it may not be for everyone. Those who have a deep-rooted affection for these heroes and who like constantly evolving titles like Destiny 2 will be excited to be leaving the beta for the full game to be released. Players looking for a focused, linear storyline may be disappointed with the repetition of the games and the pursuit of loot.

The game is not ashamed to emulate other popular live service experiences and even improve them in some aspects. It also offers excellent gameplay among the various characters. It's a shame that Avengers trust in its multiplayer framework affects other elements of the game so much.

The story is thin, but good

The preview features part of the included story, which is pretty well written and certainly well listed. I can't say for sure whether or not the game is worth buying the game for those who are solely looking for the single player story, but it is certainly not the focus of the title and the campaign is missing because of that.

Photo courtesy Square Enix

The tutorial level, which takes place on the Golden Gate Bridge, is the least fun part of the beta and is the first thing you do in the game. While I understand the developer's desire to give a taste of each of the characters, the hot-swapping between them isn't what they were designed for, and therefore it feels incongruent to the experience later in the beta. The tutorial is interrupted by short cutscenes every few minutes, which doesn't help. Although it passes fast enough, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth at the start of the game.

The good news is that the Marvel & # 39; s Avengers beta has an impressive amount of content for curious gamers to delve into.

The beta skips a series of early levels introducing Kamala Khan, the heroine at the heart of the game, and begins after already working with Bruce Banner to put the team back together. You then play as both the Hulk and Kamala, also known as Ms. Marvel, in a linear and an open mission.

If one fits in well with the history of the game, several functions are immediately introduced to the player. It can feel overwhelming until you get into the rhythm of the game, but hopefully this won't be a problem for full release.

Photo courtesy Square Enix

The more time I spent in the game's beta, the more fun I got. Troy Baker's Bruce and Sandra Saad's Kamala have some brilliant mentoring and menteeing moments together, including a touching but lighthearted scene at the Chimera, a dilapidated helicarrier the couple uses as their home base. Still, it's hard to imagine Mark Ruffalo delivering the lines since the Dr. Banner here is written in a similar way to its MCU counterpart.

The heroes are at the center of the fun

After you get used to the controls, both characters feel great as well as Iron Man and Black Widow, which the player unlocks with the multiplayer portion of the beta. The heroes are basically controlled in the same way, so the player can lose some muscle memory, but the execution of their attacks and their effects on enemies are different.

It's proof of the game's combat system that even Black Widow, a character with no superpowers, can still compete and have as much fun playing as the entire roster. That means players spend their time jumping between heroes, and while they might find a favorite like I did with Kamala, they don't mind if they're forced to play as one in a multiplayer match different character to play.

Photo courtesy Square Enix

The beta does not include Thor and Captain America, although they are included in the tutorial and will be added when it is fully released. The developers wouldn't speak to their expulsion if asked, but something tells me they'll need a little more time in the oven if I play them in the opening level. Hopefully when the game starts with all six heroes the roster will feel just as balanced and entertaining as it is here. It also gives me hope that the game will hit Spider-Man when it hits PlayStation in 2021.

The gameplay is further enhanced with skill trees and equipment modifiers that you can use to level up your hero. However, some of the attacks are frame-by-frame identical to those inside the MCU. There's a move Iron Man uses in the opening scene of Age of Ultron where he pulls out a couple of Hydra soldiers by flying straight at them to stop himself at the last second with his hand pushers to stop the to send bad guys racing. This exact move is available through the in-game skill tree. Not only does it feel fantastic, but it also serves as another direct link to the films.

I like the elements of the game that fit into the Marvel Cinematic Universe because, like many other players, I'm a huge fan of this franchise. The problem occurs when the developer Crystal Dynamics makes an effort to determine that this game is something different from these movies. It adds confusion to an already overcrowded experience and makes me wish they either had their own vision or delved into a playable version of the films rather than this somber mishmash of the two.

Even so, Marvel's Avengers shines for itself in its multiplayer option. In one scenario, I used a land pound as the Hulk who tossed a handful of bad guys in the air. The insult of the injury was added when another player used Kamala's high-five ability, a devastating move that caused her disturbed palm to shoot out and plunge enemies into the stratosphere. Attacks also adapt to the enemy you are facing. For example, the Hulk has an ability that involves charging through a line of enemies, grabbing the last one in the chain, and slamming it to the ground. However, if the final enemy is an opponent in a giant mech suit, the Hulk will instead jump onto its frame and bash it with its fists. For a replayed game, these differentiators allow moments of uniqueness to shine through and inspire you to begin mission after mission.

Each character has two heroic abilities and one almighty ultimate move. The special thing is Tony's Hulkbuster suit, which in addition to the flight and explosive abilities of Iron Man briefly gives him the strength of the green avenger. I specifically mention this step not only because the Hulkbuster armor is one of the coolest things out there, but also because anyone in the group can use it. Imagine my surprise when I call the suit while playing as Iron Man hampered by a wave of enemies and watch my friend as the black widow jumps in the huge armor and smashes it until her heart is satisfied is.

Photo courtesy Square Enix

I've had a handful of such moments when the game's problems went away. It was one of the funniest games I'd played lately, and I could hear how cool what had just happened on the screen was.

While the gameplay is strong, it feels very similar to other Avengers experiences like the Ultimate Alliance series and Lego titles. During the missions, you will come across boxes where you can open new equipment and collectibles, as well as boxes where you can look for resources. It's all way more sophisticated and fun than previous games. Even so, it doesn't feel like it's reinventing the wheel.

Aspects of the game enhance the live service genre

Hero missions, war zones, and the faster, more focused drop zones will initially be accessible via the war table on the chimera once the single player portion of the beta has been completed. From here, the player is given a world map that they can access to different parts of the world, each containing different types of missions.

I've had a handful of moments when the game's problems went away.

An area, the tundra, which is the setting for the final single player mission in the beta, can only be revisited if a hidden secondary objective is achieved in one of the first war zones. The stumble in the beta gave a glimpse into the depth and replayability of the final game with all of its content. The most interesting setting, the East Coast city shown during the game's final showcase, was unfortunately not available during our beta but was promised for the upcoming public.

The game shines over Destiny 2 in small but powerful quality of life improvements that its fan base has been looking for. In Avengers, there is an automatic gear button for your prey at the highest level of power. You can equip equipment from your locker, choose a new mission, and access the marketplace for additional cosmetics without having to return to the chimera. It's hard to say what exclusive functionality the Helicarrier will have in the final game. Even so, in the beta, I was able to do whatever I needed while sitting on the Quinjet, which serves as the waiting screen between missions. As you spend more and more time in the game hunting for prey, this time saving is welcome.

Marvel's Avengers is a game that is okay 90% of the time, and 10% of the time, takes you into the world of these heroes like no other game. It's a relief that it never delves into really bad territory outside of the tutorial, but the game's worldliness doesn't seem appropriate for Earth's most powerful heroes, especially from a studio with such a pedigree for top titles like the Grave Raider- Reboot trilogy.

Our opinion

The Marvel & # 39; s Avengers Beta gives a glimpse into the promise of what the entire game could be, but its familiarity and focus on live service multiplayer might be an aversion to some.

Is there a better alternative?

Numerous current games such as Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order and Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 offer an Avengers experience. For those looking for a live service game, Destiny 2 is still the crème de la crème and has had several years to revise and refine its formula. However, Marvel's Avengers significantly improves on all of these titles.

How long it will take?

The content of the story in the beta is approximately an hour. The War Zones and Drop Zones range from five minutes to an hour, depending on their size and the level of exploration by the player. They can be repeated, with each hero having a level cap of 15 and a power level cap of 45. If you maximize your time in beta, over a dozen hours of content can easily be found.

Should you buy it?

As it stands, it's hard to recommend pre-ordering Marvel's Avengers for access to its beta.

The beta will be released on three different weekends. The first opened exclusively for PlayStation 4 pre-orders from August 7th to 9th. The next beta phase will be open to all PS4 users from 9 p.m. August 14-21, August 16. A full beta for PS4, Xbox and PC players will finally start at 9 p.m. August 21 to 9 p.m. August 23. All times are local to your time zone. There is no early beta option for Xbox or PC users.

There is currently no crossplay feature, but the game will be playable for generations (so that PS4 and PS5 owners can, for example, compete against each other together). According to Crystal Dynamics, there is currently no attempt to allow multiplayer across platforms, but character exclusivity will not affect its plans.

The game will officially launch on September 4th.

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