So I Tried... Marvel Cosmic Invasion

Each edition of So I Tried… I will try a game that I have never played before. Will I find something new to love? Will I find something new to despise? I'll take a full half hour, no matter how bad it gets or how badly I do, to see if this is the game for me. A demo for Marvel Cosmic Invasion is available to download and check out, so I’m going to see if this is a game to get excited for its release, or if it feels like other superhero games that I have played in the past.

What I thought it was

From the trailer, Marvel Cosmic Invasion looks like a 2D side-scrolling beat ‘em up, with a cast of characters we have seen many times in the past through films and other games. It looks like it’s full of non-stop action, and the levels are set in places that comic book fans are familiar with, like the Daily Bugle from the Spider-Man universe. The heroes and environments look vibrant and cartoon-like, which fits the source material very well.

What it actually is

Marvel Cosmic Invasion is indeed an arcade-style beat ‘em up game, but it has great pixel visuals, and the full game will have 15 different characters available to play as. In the demo, there is a limited number of heroes to choose from: Captain America, Nova, Storm, Venom, Wolverine, Phyla-Vell, Spider-Man, She-Hulk, and Rocket Raccoon. Before this title, I had never heard of Phyla-Vell, so it was neat being able to play as someone I didn’t previously know.

You will need to pick two heroes to make up your team. While playing, you can swap between characters on the fly, and they can team up to perform a large attack together. Each with their own melee, special, and power attacks that are true to their character. For example, Rocket can throw grenades or use a large gun that, when charged, becomes a monstrous combo of many guns that all fire at once. The attack animations are great, and it feels very satisfying when you land a huge move. There will also be online and local multiplayer for when you want to take down enemies with a team of other players.

Will I keep playing?

I will definitely keep playing the demo as I wait for the full game to release. Playing as all the different heroes was awesome because they all feel unique, and not just like reskinned versions of the same character. It was fun battling against enemies you don’t see too often, like the yellow alien bugs swarming buildings and taking to the streets, or MODOK and the A.I.M. agents on the helicarrier. I can’t wait to play through all the different stages as the heroes battle against Annihilus and his minions from the Negative Zone on Earth-616.