Virtually since the Marvel Avengers beta, there were datamines and character leaks that would come into the game as DLC. While this information should be considered with caution, there is an abundance of circumstantial evidence about some of these characters that are difficult to ignore. These characters, in essence, present a fundamental problem with Marvel Avengers.
It’s no secret that this first game from the legendary Avengers project didn’t land as planned, so Square Enix intends to “save” Marvel’s Avengers with DLC. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as it can really reinvigorate the game with new villains to contend with, new mission styles and more. It wouldn’t be the first game to need a redemption arc, but based on the leaks mentioned above, it could be that a major problem with the game is only exacerbated by the DLC, unresolved.
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The main problem of Brawler
Eliminating the problems with the loot, the elements designed around it, the service elements and more, Marvel Avengers he is a brawler at his core. Those who criticize its gameplay are likely to encounter problems with the design itself. This does not mean that fighting games are bad, but they are difficult to get right. Regardless of who the players choose, be it Captain America or Iron Man, the central combat mechanics are the same. There are light and heavy attacks, as well as some main skills, and that’s it.
Where your key in a brawler is not necessarily to avoid similarities in design, but to make these characters (flavor and others) stand out. Iron Man shouldn’t play like Captain America, Hulk shouldn’t play like Thor, and so on. Whether the game will succeed or not is a totally subjective point, since players are likely to develop their favorite character not just on the basis of a Marvel Avengers layer list, but in your favorite game style and likely favorite Marvel character in general. That’s where DLC characters can become an issue.
Marvel Avengers rumors or leaked DLC characters
So far, there have basically only been three confirmed DLC characters: Hawkeye (Kate Bishop), Hawkeye (Clint Barton) and Spider-Man exclusive to PlayStation for Marvel Avengers. This is a situation in itself, as it seems strange to limit the DLC to a specific platform when the game is in desperate need of some revitalization, but that’s not all. Based on some leaks, data and rumors, which means that any of these characters can be cut, changed or never included, the potential DLC line-up looks something like this:
- Ant Man
- Black Panther
- Captain Marvel
- Doctor Strange
- Hawk
- Mar-Vell
- Mime bird
- Earthquake
- Scarlet Witch
- She-Hulk *
- Spider Woman
- Eyesight
- War machine*
- Wasp
- Winter Soldier
*These Marvel Avengers character leaked alongside Kate Bishop.
Although the jury is still determined on the accuracy of these characters, even assuming that only half of them are remotely true still shows a big problem. As a fighter, making repetitive gameplay feel unique should be a key element. Otherwise, the characters may not look so different and, as a result, are less fun. Examining this list with this in mind highlights many problems: many of these characters are essentially clones of others. While, yes, it is interesting to see under-represented characters like Mar-Vell, Quake and She-Hulk receiving some attention, the big question is how those who are clones will play differently from their counterparts and there is enough difference.
For example, She-Hulk and Hulk are two versions of the big green thing, while War Machine has lasers, perhaps more weapons, but still has an energized suit like Iron Man. In addition, this is not a problem limited to the launch character vs. DLC character, but within the DLC characters themselves. Just as some may be wondering how Kate Bishop’s Hawkeye will be different from Clint Barton, the same question must be asked about Ant-Man and the Wasp (two heroes that central superpowers are using Pym Particles to shrink), as the use Doctor Strange’s magic will be different from the Scarlet Witch, and how the Spider-Woman’s web will be different from that of Spider-Man.
This does not mean that there are no fundamental differences in these characters. Of course there are; the Marvel universe makes use of this and can create interesting stories on a variety of media. The question here is how Crystal Dyanmics can make these characters stand out in a specific medium: a fighting video game.
Marvel Avengers: Brawlers + Clones = Not good
To delve deeper into this, one must ask, for example, how the She-Hulk will not be just a huge tank capable of hitting multiple enemies with its strengths that are the same as the Hulk. Ignoring even light and heavy attacks, which seem impossible to truly differentiate beyond the different basic movements and styles, how do your abilities, like the Heroic ability, differ enough to really matter? Sure, it is doubtful that the She-Hulk will make the same palms as the Hulk, but if her body hits, jumps or something, will it be different enough to matter?
The same goes for each character mentioned above: will it be different enough to matter? Generally, the wasp can fly, which is a point for it, but will it differ from Ant-Man or make it better? Clint Barton is likely to use different attacks, different arrow styles, and maybe even include Lucky in his layout, but a Hawkeye by any other name or combat mechanic is still Hawkeye. Although their physical abilities are very different from most versions of Spider-Man, these two characters are likely to walk hand in hand and move through a web, and as a result, a character in the Spider-Verse is a Spider-Verse character of any another name.
Again, in other media, this is usually not an issue. To tell stories of Marvel Avengers, this probably won’t be a problem, but when it comes to innovating in core game mechanics, Crystal Dynamics really has to reach that sweet spot, so that the game doesn’t continue to be the same.
Marvel Avengers is now available for PC, PS4, Stadia and Xbox One, with versions for PS5 and Xbox Series X in development.
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