Marvel showed up swinging inthis week’s Nintendo Directwith a pleasant surprise for fans of the Beat ‘Em Up genre.
Slated for a 2025 release, this hero-brawler comes to us fromDotemu, the same studio behindTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge,andMetal Slug Tactics.
The game will be available on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, offering both 4-player local and online co-op to assemble with your friends.
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Marvel Cosmic Invasionfeatures 15 playable heroes(and anti-heroes) to choose from, including Spider-Man, Captain America, Venom, Storm, Wolverine, Nova, and also some deep cuts like Phyla-Vel, adding a unique flavour to the roster.
While we only know of these seven confirmed characters so far, more are sure to be unveiled as we move further into the year.
Check out the announcement trailer below:
A Refreshing Retro Throwback
Continuing the trend of beautiful cinematic trailers featuring Marvel characters (bothMarvel RivalsandMarvel Snaptrailers immediately come to mind), this brief preview goes above and beyond.
Aside from the vibrant 90s-era inspired comic book animated sequence, we get our first look at gameplay and wonderful spritework oozing from every attack, enemy, and stage.
The game doesn’t just allow you to play as one character, but you can select a team of any two of your favourites andquick-swap between them at any moment.
This already sounds like a lifesaver, as the trailer shows how the different fighting styles could be more useful than others based on the situation you’re in.
For example, Captain America naturally seems more like an in-your-face brawler with stylish combos, whereas Nova can take to the skies and deal serious damage from above and handle any flying enemies that stand in your way.
Little is known about the story, aside from the fact thatAnnihilus will be at the center of the threats facing our universe.
We do get this brief quote through theDotemuwebsite, hinting at the darker, more selfish motive driving the invasion:
“The cosmos must fall so that I might live!!”
So swears Annihilus, the living death that walks!
In theNintendo Direct announcement, we also get our first look at what seems to be a Taskmaster boss fight atop the Helicarrier, hinting at thediverse lineup of villainsyou could be up against throughout the game.
WhileMarvel Rivals dominates the current high-intensity, competitive hero-shooter market, it’s a pleasant surprise to see the comic book giant remind a lot of us why we fell in love with video games in the first place.
For many people growing up, including myself, the old-school Beat ‘Em Up video game titles likeCaptain America and the Avengers, Streets of Rage, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, were the beginning of a lifelong passion that has stuck with us ever since.
Whether you want a single-player narrative from Marvel’s Spider-Man and the upcoming Marvel’s Wolverine, a competitive rush from Marvel Rivals, or a laid-back party game like Cosmic Invasion, there seems to be something for everybody to enjoy in Marvel’s games universe.
MARVEL Cosmic Invasion
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