The beat ’em up genre is one of gaming’s classic genres dating back to the mid 1980s. The genre exploded in the late 80s and early 90s as these types of games dominated the arcade scene. In the decades since, the genre has taken a backseat as gaming has evolved. However, there are still developers making some high quality beat ’em up games with one such being Tribute Games. Following the success of their 2022 release Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, they have returned with another IP that fits the genre so well with Marvel Cosmic Invasion.
Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a classic sidescrolling beat ’em up that can be played by yourself or with up to four players total with each player picking two heroes, which can be swapped between at any time, from the game’s roster of fifteen as you brawl your way through a plethora of comic book locations. The fifteen hero roster is wide ranging featuring iconic heroes such as Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Captain America to lesser known heroes that the developers wanted to include such as Nova, Beta Ray Bill, or Phyla-Vell. At the start of the game, you have access to eleven of the fifteen heroes with the final four being unlocked as you progress through the game’s campaign. Aside from the campaign, the game also features a classic arcade mode that features no saves and you have limited lives and continues to complete the game which makes you feel like you’re back in arcade around a cabinet doing your best to get as far as you can.
The campaign of the game is basically a comic book crossover event as all the heroes come together to take on Annihilus and his universe threatening plans along with a plethora of other villains he has on his side. The campaign itself has you progressing through individual levels with some branching paths which allow you to take on levels in which ever order you want when hitting those splits. However, you still have to complete each of the branches before being able to continue on to the next level. You can tackle each level with whatever heroes you want. However, each level does have specific heroes highlighted in the story which allow you to experience all the heroes instead of just sticking to your favorites. These specific heroes have challenges that they can accomplish in their highlighted levels that only they can complete giving you more incentive to try out other characters.
On the gameplay side, Marvel Cosmic Invasion is the typical beat ’em up formula of you progressing through the levels while taking out hordes of iconic Marvel enemies. Heroes have their own unique combos and moves that they can do, and can even combine attacks of their second characters to deal more damage without actually having to swap between them including doing both ultimate moves at once. The heroes also play differently mechanically depending on which ones you pick. Some characters are able to fly and take out airborne enemies easier. Then, all characters fall into one of two categories in terms of defense. Heftier characters are able to parry enemy attacks and leave them stunned for a short period. Whereas more agile characters have a dodge roll which allow them to avoid attacks. These mechanical differences allow for a stronger variation when it comes to deciding your hero duo as you can cover for the weaknesses of the other hero you choose. As you progress through the game, even when you lose on a level, characters gain experience and level up which increase stats such as max health, focus energy, or skills.
The game itself is beautifully done with its pixel art style that is reminiscent of the 1990s Marvel cartoons. Every time the game starts, it opens with an incredibly animated opening cinematic that I watched every time. Each level has a lot of background details with some levels having a variety of Marvel Easter eggs to see in the background. Outside of actually playing the game, Marvel Cosmic Invasion has a Cosmic Vault where you can unlock new things such as additional color pallettes for characters, lore files, music tracks, and Arcade mode modifiers.
Overall, Marvel Cosmic Invasion is another great beat ’em up game, and showcases that Tribute Games is one of the best developers to handle a genre that doesn’t get much love from nowadays. With a solid foundation, there’s a lot still that be expanded upon if they decide to do DLC in the future. Even if they forego that, Marvel Cosmic Invasion will still be like transporting back in time to experience an era of gaming that isn’t around anymore.
Score: 8 out of 10
Reviewed on PlayStation 5