A Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups advertising campaign from the 1970s introduced a wonderful phrase into our cultural lexicon: “Two great flavors that taste great together!”
Originally, this phrase referred to the combination of chocolate and peanut butter. Since then, however, this phrase has become synonymous with creating something new by putting two old favorites together.
This is basically the design philosophy behind Crystal Dynamics’ new Marvel’s Avengers game, which will be fully released on September 4th. The game seeks to combine the immersive world of Marvel with the immersive gameplay of games like Destiny.
However, first beta impressions make one thing clear: this isn’t chocolate and peanut butter. Instead, it is simply a disappointment.
Disturbing drawings
Obviously, the taste in character design is very subjective. But the first thing we need to talk about are these weird looking characters!
Marvel’s Avengers departs from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in terms of design, so don’t expect Iron Man to look like Robert Downey, Jr. or Thor like Chris Hemsworth. That’s not a bad thing, considering some of the best Marvel games (like Ultimate Alliance 3 or Spider-Man) feature original designs.
However, Crystal Dynamics still wanted a more realistic and movie-like character design. The end result provides a kind of “mysterious valley” experience, with characters that seem to misinterpret the characters in the MCU.
Bottom line? Petty as they are, these designs often distract and disappoint.
Slow gameplay
How would you describe combat in your favorite Marvel movies and games? The most typical description is “fast”. Unfortunately, combat in Marvel’s Avengers is often quite slow.
Most of the characters’ punches and other attacks feel very slow and slow. While this makes sense for a big guy like the Hulk, it’s odd to throw slow punches like Captain America or Black Widow.
Ranged combat also often feels slow and slow. And while some of these could theoretically be cleaned up before the final release, it points out one big problem: none of these superheroes feel very “super”.
Start a new Thread