Review: "Marvel Cosmic Invasion" is a Superhero Love Letter to Comic Books and Video Games Past
Gamers, it's time to head on a nostalgia-filled epic adventure with Marvel Games and Tribute Games. After the success of Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel Rivals, does Marvel Cosmic Invasion stack up to the superhero action?
Marvel Cosmic Invasion is here! After months of sharing behind-the-scenes looks at the new video game through their Dev Diaries series, fans can finally jump into the Marvel Comics action in the brand new side-scroller. Taking inspiration from arcade unit gaming in both playstyle and art-style, the 16-bit inspired adventure is all about the action, featuring 15 playable characters. Allowing players to pick from their lineup, which includes Captain America, She-Hulk, Rocket Raccoon, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Storm, Phyla-Vell, Venom, Nova, Black Panther, Beta Ray Bill, Cosmic Ghost Rider, Silver Surfer, Phoenix, and Invincible Iron Man, Marvel Cosmic Invasion takes players through a storyline inspired by some of Marvel’s most out-of-this-world comics like the Annihilation storyline. While Marvel Cosmic Invasion invites solo players into the action, you can also enjoy the battles with friends in both local co-op and online co-op.
Jumping into the game as a more casual, MCU-focused Marvel fan, I was welcomed with an epic, almost 90s-inspired cartoon introduction, filled with a rock backtrack and characters I was less than familiar with. But wow was it cool. After the intro, the game switches to a very bright and colorful pixelated art-style. The first thing that really struck me about the game is how simple the menu is. For more casual gamers and those that just want a quick way to enjoy some video game action, it is a perfect, easy game to jump into. The demo introduces players to the intuitive battle mechanics, fighting off aliens and giant bugs. What was a really pleasant surprise to me was the ability to switch between and team up with characters. Through each level, players will have two heroes to work with, giving players the ability to swap between the different characters mid battle. Each character also has a rechargeable move, which can be performed in tandem with both characters, dealing massive damage.
After the tutorial, players can begin traveling down the storyline path, which includes very GameBoy Color era aesthetics with voice over. The first level has players traveling down the streets of New York, fighting off aliens. Each level is structured as a journey to a boss battle, which includes increasingly difficult enemies and hidden healing items. Unlike many modern games that offer seemingly endless areas to explore, the side-scroller directs you through each level with you unable to traverse backwards. It is wonderfully refreshing having a game as combat focused as Super Smash Bros., while still highlighting a narrative.
The storyline picks up pretty quickly after that, bringing players into worlds filled with aliens, dinosaurs, and more. Each level also offers challenges, pushing players to choose specific characters and take full advantage of their different and unique abilities.
It is incredibly smooth switching between characters, as they all have the same basic controls. Where gameplay gets interesting arrives in each character's strengths and weaknesses. For a character like Storm, her ability to fly and her ranged attacks are helpful. She-Hulk, on the other hand, has some really powerful close range attacks for swarms of enemies. As a Spider-Man fan (I know, basic.), I really enjoyed his not quite flying, swinging mechanic. It made moving away from powerful enemy attacks really smooth. Several characters are locked at the beginning of the game. Spending a few hours playing, I’m still unclear of how those characters become available. There is an interesting unlockable track called the Cosmic Matrix that allows players to unlock mystery items by using Cosmic Cubes found throughout the story. It’s possible they are in there, but I wasn’t lucky enough to unlock one if they are.
To answer the question of whether Marvel Cosmic Invasion stacks up to Marvel Games’ most recent heavy-hitters, the answer is the games don’t really compare. Spider-Man and Marvel Rivals are graphically intense and have very different purposes, both of which are meant to be experienced on PC or home console. Marvel Cosmic Invasion feels more like a love letter to both comic books and video games past. I was strongly envisioning myself playing this game on the 90s and 00s Nintendo handheld systems.
While I had the pleasure to play on PlayStation 5, this game feels like it’s meant to have the ability to be played on the go, whether that be on Switch 2 or Steam Deck. It’s incredibly easy to pick up and put down for a short gaming session. In terms of storyline, I was admittedly a bit left behind. One episode of Dev Diaries included a list of must-read comics that helped shape the adventure, and going in as a more casual Marvel fan, I was worried I wouldn’t follow. However, the gameplay really made me forget that I knew nothing about characters like MODOK.
Overall, Marvel Cosmic Invasion harkens back to a time when video games were simple pleasures and not over-the-top realistic adventures. If you love Marvel and classic gaming, Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a must.
Marvel Cosmic Invasion is out now on Steam, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox.
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