Marvel Cosmic Invasion, the upcoming side-scrolling brawler from developer Tribute Games Inc., and publishers Dotemu and Gamirror Games, sees Marvel‘s heroes tasked with driving back the hordes of the Annihilation Wave. With monsters from the stars teaming up with some of Earth’s worst, the heroes have their hands full. But luckily, they have their own individual strengths, as well as teamwork to make the dream work, and drive back the evil forces of Annihilus.
As a lifelong gamer of 42, I periodically get reminded of just how far games have come since the early days of the Atari and the NES. How mechanics, graphics, and understanding of compelling gameplay have grown to take genres, even ones I never jived with, and turn them into something that sings to me. This was my experience with Marvel Cosmic Invasion‘s demo. Easily the first brawler of its kind, I’ve not only enjoyed, but I’m hyped to play more of it.
Get BWT in your inbox!
Get BWT in your inbox!
Creating a dazzling first impression is the game’s gorgeous pixel art visuals. The pair of levels available in the demo, the streets of NYC, and the Helicarrier, all jump off the screen with vibrant colors. Every energy attack and giant space bug stands out brilliantly in the spectacular color palette.
Marvel Cosmic Invasion is the first of the genre I can’t wait to play more of.
Giving motion to the eye-catching colors and designs is wonderfully smooth animation. Each character has several different attacks as well as a defensive action, each of which comes to life within the skillfully implemented animation. Whether diving across the screen as Phyla-Vell with sword drawn, or slamming opponents off the ground as She-Hulk in classic wrestling fashion, every action looks great. And Marvel Cosmic Invasion provides plenty of variety to be experienced.
With a total of 15 characters slated to appear in the game, and 9 of them present in the demo, the high character count alone would promise plenty of options in dealing with the endless waves of Annihilus’ minions. However, the devs at Tribute Games have gone even further, imparting each character with numerous attacks, making the playable characters feel like truer representations of the inspirations.
Basic, special, super, airborne, and dash attacks all come together to give each character a plethora of options. And while some of the more impressive attacks are limited to gauges, these fill up fairly quickly, allowing players to unleash their full might with little worry for being left wanting when it’s really needed. Building on this depth is the game’s tag system.
Marvel Cosmic Invasion offers a mechanical connection to some of the most popular Marvel Characters.
When starting a game, two characters are selected that can be swapped on the fly during missions. But rather than simply alternate who is present on the field, the devs have built in several different ways the benched character can aid their teammate.
By holding the tag button and pressing one of the face buttons on the controller (controller use is required), one of several actions can occur. The benched character can leap onto the screen and perform a particular attack before leaping away, or they can perform a special knock-up attack before taking over, leaving a foe open to combo hits. This tag system gives Marvel Cosmic Invasion a mechanical connection to some of the most popular Marvel games of all time.
Racking up huge combo numbers is fun thanks to the generous power levels the cast wields here. Attacks frequently send enemies flying against the side of the screen, only for them to bounce back, opening them up to well-timed follow-ups and juggling opportunities. Seeing foes bouncing all over the screen encapsulated the focus on fun that permeates every element of the demo.
Marvel Cosmic Invasion delivers a great first impression through its demo premiere.
Despite every character being enjoyable and offering their own approaches, Marvel Cosmic Invasion also rewards players for putting a little thought into their pairings. Having a flying character is nice when airborne enemies show up, though ground-based characters can bring these foes down to earth with a well-timed jump attack. Each character also has either a dodge or a parry defensive move. These can be better or worse depending on the situation, so having one of each is useful.
Perhaps the biggest element of each hero’s kit, though, is their super attack. These come in a multitude of styles with different elements that could make it more desirable in certain circumstances. Screen-wide vertical attacks prove deadly to faraway enemies, while omnidirectional short-range abilities can get a swarm of foes off a hero’s back, whatever their angle of approach is.
Marvel Cosmic Invasion delivers a great first impression through its demo premiere. Fun gameplay, lots of options, and gorgeous visuals that embrace the comic aesthetic promise a great time for all fans of superheroes, brawlers, or both!
