Marvel Cosmic Invasion presents itself as a side scrolling beat ’em up with some original solutions. Dotemu and Tribute Games return together to give life to a nostalgic and original work.
As soon as the news about Marvel Cosmic Invasion reached my ears, I couldn’t help but be happy. A side scrolling beat ’em up with tag-team elements that winks at the classics of the genre. Add the fact that Dotemu and Tribute Games were behind the project with their excellent previous TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge, the conditions could not be better.
In addition to this, a good number of characters and the unmistakable pixel art that made the previous title a classic. Even the care for animations and settings is up to par, at least from what we’ve seen. Despite its brevity, the demo left me particularly satisfied.
But let’s go in order and see what Marvel Cosmic Invasion has offered us.
Contents of the demo
Marvel Cosmic Invasion has 9 playable (in the demo) heroes: Nova, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Phyla-Vell, Captain America, Storm, Venom, She-Hulk and Rocket Raccoon.
The demo only lets you play two stages, although they are well structured and interesting. The first is a New York invaded by insectoid alien creatures, with small Easter eggs and references to the Marvel universe. The second is aboard the Helicarrier: S.H.I.E.L.D.’s air fortress. also under attack by enemy forces.
Characters and gameplay
The game aims to modernize the concept of horizontally scrolling beat ’em up, based on the choice of two Marvel superheroes who can synergize with each other.
In this title we have different dynamics compared to the characters we choose.
Let’s start by saying that compared to classic fighting games, each character has a different moveset. Beyond the standard attack which translates into different and well-animated combos, we have other possibilities. Depending on the character, the heavy attack can be a grab or a special blow. Furthermore, there is a button that activates the defensive move: a parry or a dodge. The jump and double jump work differently depending on the character: Venom and Spiderman can use their web, Storm or other characters can even float in the air.
This versatility creates interesting combos between characters, in fact we can use 4 combined attacks. The mechanism resembles that of the old Marvel vs Capcom fighting games. The dynamic of the tag-team and also the animation of the combos and super moves takes a lot from that world.
Regarding super moves, they can be loaded by performing combos and hitting enemies, a classic of the genre.
What convinced us and what didn’t
Marvel Cosmic Invasion seems to have all it takes to be an excellent product. The names Dotemu and Tribute Games are already a seal of quality regarding this genre. Although the demo is quite short, the mechanics and feel of the controls are good and satisfying. The structure and basic mechanics of TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge make themselves felt, together with the pixel art which is now a guarantee and always well done. The animations and combos, especially of some characters, are reminiscent of those of old Capcom fighting games, almost as if they were paying homage. The two stages are well designed and full of details, I hope it’s the same throughout the game.
What didn’t convince me about Marvel Cosmic Invasion is actually what I haven’t seen yet. The idea of the tag-team, taken from Capcom fighting games, is interesting but I would like to understand the impact on the whole game. Tag-team moves can be spammed, this could make the gameplay trivial in the long run. The characters, however well-groomed and diversified, have a different impact on the gameplay. Mine is just a guess, but there is a risk that some characters could be relegated to the sole role of support compared to the performing ones. The 2 boss fights at the end of the level are quite anonymous, although well constructed. The game, for the moment, seems quite geared towards easy, perhaps it’s just for the demo. However, a little more challenge wouldn’t hurt.
Try the free demo of Marvel Cosmic Invasion on STEAM.
