H
% Marvel’s Avengers Review: Marvelous Mediocrity Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Best Products > Games & Consoles
visibility
593 views
thumb_up
34 likes
L
lifewire's editorial guidelines Published on November 19, 2020 Tweet Share Email We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best
products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. 3.8
Marvel’s Avengers
Lifewire / Andy Zahn What We Like Excellent graphics Enjoyable gameplay Spectacular set-piece moments Campaign plot is fun, if somewhat predictable What We Don't Like Aggressive monetization detracts from the experience Heroes feel less powerful to play as the game progresses Familiar characters look and sound different than in the movies Marvel’s Avengers is a fun game with some major issues.
thumb_up
41 likes
C
Its ambitions end up being its Achilles' heel, and what could have been an excellent superhero experience feels bloated and watered down. View On Amazon
View On Best Buy 3.8
Marvel’s Avengers
Lifewire / Andy Zahn View On Amazon View On Best Buy in this article Expand Setup Story Gameplay Customization Collectibles Multiplayer Performance Graphics Price Marvel s Avengers vs Destiny 2 Final Verdict Specs We purchased Marvel's Avengers so our expert reviewer could thoroughly test and assess it. Keep reading for our full product review.
thumb_up
40 likes
J
Marvel’s superhero movie franchise has become one of the most expansive film series in history, but has never really had a big tie-in game. That changes with the release of Marvel’s Avengers, a third-person action-adventure game where you get to play as a number of the big-name Avengers characters.
thumb_up
9 likes
S
It’s an exciting concept, but the reality might not live up to the high expectations of fans. Lifewire / Andy Zahn
Setup Straightforward aside from some account sign in nonsense
After a bulky 50 GB download, the game launched without issue, first from Steam to a separate launcher where I could adjust graphics and other settings. Next, I was prompted to sign up with a Square Enix account.
thumb_up
8 likes
I
This step isn't necessary but does unlock some exclusive content. The process of signing up and linking my account was a bit clunky and cumbersome, but I finally bulled through to the main menu.
Story Solid if a bit predictable
The campaign begins in a tutorial level that takes you through an “Avengers Day” fair full of easter eggs and references.
thumb_up
26 likes
M
This is pretty effective at introducing gameplay mechanics and characters. The story follows Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel), a hero who fans of the comics may be familiar with but who's likely new to moviegoers.
thumb_up
7 likes
J
As the campaign progresses you'll recruit additional Avengers, who you can swap between as the story unfolds. The plot is a somewhat tired one that will be familiar to anyone who has seen superhero films or read comic books. Superheroes fight bad guys, bad guys destroy things, accidents happen, superheroes get blamed - if you’ve watched The Incredibles or any of the X-men films there aren't many surprises here.
thumb_up
34 likes
B
The evil robots you fight even look like the ones from X-Men: Days of Future Past. It’s a cliche that I’ve come to find rather annoying, but it’s reasonably well done here and occasionally even really entertaining. Honestly, it’s better than some of the films, so I won’t spoil any of the details.
thumb_up
12 likes
T
Lifewire / Andy Zahn After several missions, you unlock a hub area from where you can choose to launch both main and side quest missions. Different characters have their own separate stories you can follow, and most can be played cooperatively. It’s worth noting that Avengers goes to great lengths to remain age-appropriate with a Teen ESRB rating.
thumb_up
25 likes
L
For example, at one point a group of unsavory teenagers tries to bully a boy into drinking a bottle of Soda brand soda, and he responds by shoving it violently away. It’s pretty obvious that the soda was originally intended to be an alcoholic beverage.
thumb_up
28 likes
A
Also, most of the enemies in the game are robots, with the exception of a few human bad guys in costumes so outlandish they could easily be mistaken for robots. In some ways this game is even tamer than the MCU films.
Gameplay A joy that wanes with time
Combat and navigation are competent and fun.
thumb_up
40 likes
J
The control scheme is very typical of third-person action games. Platforming segments are entertaining if somewhat scripted, and in general it’s fun to move around.
thumb_up
44 likes
C
The game does a good job of context-sensitive movement such as squeezing through a crack or taking cover behind walls in stealth sequences. Ranged attacks are ranged attacks, melee is melee, and the difference between how different characters play is largely cosmetic. Fighting starts out feeling really cool.
thumb_up
25 likes
L
In the early levels there’s a definite sense of being a superhero when beating up henchmen and robots. Initially, the heroes feel like they have unique methods of navigation and combat, but the longer you play the more you begin to realize that all the characters play pretty much the same.
thumb_up
2 likes
D
Ranged attacks are ranged attacks, melee is melee, and the difference between how different characters play is largely cosmetic. There is some variation in abilities, but it’s disappointing that there’s not more to make the different heroes unique.
thumb_up
34 likes
J
This wouldn’t be so noticeable if the experience weren’t intended to be so long. If you just play the main campaign it’s not that bad, but the longer you spend with it the more it begins to feel a bit humdrum. Lifewire / Andy Zahn Difficulty scaling is another problem the longer you play.
thumb_up
41 likes
N
As your power increases so does the power of your enemies, which means it’s hard to maintain that initial feeling of being an invincible superhero. There's also something very disappointing about playing as Hulk and having to slowly chip at an enemy's wellness bar at the same rate as any other character.
Customization Compromised by monetization
Customization is split between skills, gear, and cosmetics.
thumb_up
36 likes
L
Skills are earned by gaining experience and buying new combat abilities. Gear is found in-game and can be crafted and upgraded. Unfortunately, it doesn’t alter your character's appearance and only provides incremental stat improvements, so it ends up feeling pretty meaningless.
thumb_up
29 likes
S
The only thing that changes your character's appearance is cosmetics, which can be earned by lengthy grinding in-game, but are available for purchase via a microtransaction marketplace. Lifewire / Andy Zahn The big problem here is that by divorcing cosmetics from gear to enable and encourage non-gameplay affecting microtransactions, Avengers takes away the fun of customizing your gear.
thumb_up
20 likes
A
It makes the game feel cheap and manipulative.
Collectibles Weighed down by knick-knacks
There’s a lot of stuff to collect throughout Avengers, but way too much of it is junk.
thumb_up
45 likes
Z
Comic books give characters stat boosts, there’re tidbits of lore to pick up if you feel like reading, and then there’s the endless stream of armor and components that you use to boost your character’s power. The problem is that the deluge of nearly identical bits of armor quickly make opening treasure chests and finding hidden loot a chore.
thumb_up
49 likes
A
There’s never anything really good and it interrupts the action, but you feel like you’re missing out if you just ignore them, and they’re necessary to face higher level enemies. This means that you’re stuck time and again waiting for your character's chest opening animation to cycle through. Lifewire / Andy Zahn If raking in that glut of unexciting loot weren’t tiresome enough, managing it’s even more of a pain.
thumb_up
0 likes
W
You have limited inventory space, which means constantly going through your stash and methodically breaking down items so you can upgrade other gear. If there was more incentive to care about acquiring and managing gear this might be tolerable, or even enjoyable, but as the game is it just feels like busywork. There’s even more tedium when you factor in the variety of different vendors, each peddling a pile of the same boring gear that is purchased with the broken down components of gear you don’t want.
thumb_up
18 likes
I
Multiplayer Co-op friendly
Marvel’s Avengers can either be played solo or with up to three other players for multiplayer missions. In such missions you can invite friends, or fill empty player slots with random players or AI-controlled characters. At the time of writing, the number of active players has plummeted, so unless you’re able to rope in some friends, you’ll likely be playing the whole game in single-player mode.
thumb_up
50 likes
A
Performance Generally good
The game ran very well for the most part at max settings in 1440p on my gaming rig with its Nvidia RTX 2070. I enjoyed smooth, consistent frame rates over the monitor’s 60-hertz refresh rate.
thumb_up
26 likes
R
The game should perform well even on older or lower-end hardware in 1080p. However, it’s not all clear sailing, as when I finally unlocked Thor his lightning abilities immediately resulted in a big drop in framerate.
thumb_up
41 likes
A
The Avengers isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s still a great looking game.
Graphics Pretty to look at
The Avengers isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s still a great looking game.
thumb_up
23 likes
R
Environments are richly detailed, action sequences are spectacular, and overall it’s very pretty to look at. Character models are remarkably well-rendered and don’t have much of that uncanny valley feel to them. However, as a fan of the films, I found it disconcerting to have familiar characters look and sound like different people.
thumb_up
11 likes
L
It took me out of the experience at first, though I got used to them over time. Set piece moments are particularly spectacular, with a few really cool moments. I could easily imagine some of the more impressive sequences appearing in an Avengers film.
thumb_up
28 likes
D
Lifewire / Andy Zahn
Price Good value but with hidden costs
Marvel’s Avengers launched at $60 but is widely available for $50 or less at the time of this writing due to its decline in popularity. If you’re really itching to play an Avengers game and can put up with its flaws it’s not a bad value. Unfortunately, microtransactions may encourage you to spend more money.
thumb_up
19 likes
S
Marvel s Avengers vs Destiny 2
The comparison between Marvel’s Avengers and Destiny 2 are inescapable, given the clear attempt to turn Avengers into a “live service” game like Destiny. However, while Destiny 2 was built from the ground up to be this kind of game, in Avengers it feels like it was tacked on partway through development and it clashes violently with the core of the game. If you want a multiplayer-focused, “live service” style game go for Destiny 2.
thumb_up
27 likes
C
Avengers is good if you want a superhero story game with co-op. Take a peek at some of the other best PC games you can buy. Final Verdict Marvel’s Avengers is a good game with some major flaws.
thumb_up
34 likes
A
Marvel’s Avengers has a decent story, fun gameplay, and is by far the most complete video game experience related to this cinematic universe. However, to enjoy that you have to look past all the problems weighing it down, which is a tough ask.
thumb_up
39 likes
S
Similar Products We' ve Reviewed
Apex Legends Assassin's Creed: Valhalla The Outer WorldsSpecs
Product Name Marvel’s Avengers Price $60.00 Availability Playstation 4, Xbox One, PC, Stadia Rating Teen Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know!
thumb_up
17 likes
K
Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day
Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Watch the Spider-Man Movies in Order The 10 Most Fun Online Games for Kids in 2022 The 9 Best Games for PS5, Tested by Lifewire Assassin's Creed: Valhalla Review: An Epic Viking Adventure Across the Medieval World Bloodborne Review: A New Dark World LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Review: An Older Game That Still Holds Up The 9 Best Xbox One Kids' Games of 2022 Watch Dogs: Legion Review: A New Setting for the Series Star Wars: Squadrons Review: Immersive Space Combat Top Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville Review: Silly Shooting for All Cyberpunk 2077 Review: Flawed and Unfinished Masterpiece The 9 Best Multiplayer Xbox One Games of 2022 Monster Hunter: World Review: Track Down Unique and Dangerous Monsters Diablo III: Eternal Collection Review: Button Mashing Fun The Top 10 Action Games for the Game Boy Advance Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
thumb_up
3 likes
H
Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies
thumb_up
35 likes
Similar Discussions
-
You have to be careful because that can break something they are building now Pundit warns Barcelona about plan to bring Lionel Messi back to Camp Nou
-
The Munsters 2022 takeaway 2 How does Rob Zombie s film comment on trends and stereotypes?
-
Fans and content creators react to Sidemen Charity match
-
You don t want coming up against him too often Jamie Carragher admits he would have struggled to play against 23 year old Liverpool star
-
A lot of space behind their backs PSG s Christophe Galtier explains why Lionel Messi Kylian Mbappe and Neymar misfired initially against Maccabi Haifa
-
USA W vs TL W Dream11 Prediction Fantasy Cricket Tips Today s Playing XIS and Pitch Report for Women s T20I Quadrangular Series 2022 Match 4
-
Disney Dreamlight Valley guide Cooking ingredient locations
-
Major update on AEW Rampage Grand Slam later this year
-
Is Lucy Anywhere in Cyberpunk 2077 ? Details on Fan Favorite
-
Nets vs Raptors prediction odds spread line 2022 NBA picks Oct 21 best bets from proven model
-
ESM Mensagens Seguras Cripto APK Download for Android APKfun com
-
Rainbow Glitter Birthday Cakes APK Download for Android
-
Modern Kebaya Hijab Style APK Download for Android
-
Hide N Seek APK Download for Android
-
DoubleClutch 2 Basketball APK Download for Android
-
South Shore Community Church APK Download for Android
-
Bristol Motor Speedway APK Download for Android
-
Ballon d Or 2022 la r action de Sadio Man grand vainqueur du prix Socrates Ballondor
-
13 adolescents renvoy s en proc s pour l agression du jeune Yuriy en 2021 Justice Paris
-
Emmanuel Macron choisit Jean Castex comme PDG de la RATP Transport Ratp
-
Boris Johnson Rishi Sunak Penny Mordaunt Les favoris pour succ der Liz Truss Boris Johnson
-
Garcilaso de la Vega no solo poeta sino tambi n esp a imperial en la guerra contra el Turco
-
Time is Running Out to Submit a Claim in Multi Million Dollar Snapchat Settlement
-
Why The ThunderCats Deserves Another Chance The Nerd Stash
-
Destiny 2 Where to Find the Altar of Reflection The Nerd Stash
-
By Changing His Lifestyle And Eating Habits At Age 60 Steve Ramsden Has Successfully Lost Over 60 Lbs And Now Has A Body Of A Bodybuilder
-
13 best cardigans for feeling fashionably snuggly this fall
-
How to Better Use What You Read in Books
-
How to Unlock iCloud Locked iPhones
-
How to Delete Downloads on Mac