Marvel’s Avengers video game misses Robert Downey Jnr and Chris Evans, but it’s the best tie-in yet
- Video games based on movies are normally disappointing, put together in a rush to meet film release deadlines
- Marvel’s Avengers, although it doesn’t feature the A-list actors, is the best film tie-in
At first, the new Avengers video game from Square Enix is disconcerting, like watching a Tony Stark or Captain America impersonator at a children’s birthday party. After more than a decade of memorable performances from Robert Downey Jnr and Chris Evans in Walt Disney’s Marvel films, the video game adaptation feels out of place.
But the game, Marvel’s Avengers, is a pleasant surprise. It allows players to pummel enemies using superheroes from an alternate dimension.
I’ve played around five hours of the game, released on September 4, and had a lot of fun so far. Developer Crystal Dynamics has sculpted a version of the superheroes that’s lovely once you’ve got over the fact that they’re not quite the A-listers you’re used to seeing.
Besides, the best character hasn’t been in a single Marvel film yet: Kamala Khan, a.k.a. Ms Marvel, a teenage girl granted superpowers after a cataclysmic accident. Khan is a confessed fan-girl of the other Avengers, which makes for some charming dialogue as she works to bring them all back together.
For a long time, video games based on comic books and movies were the dregs of the industry. The projects were rushed to hit film release deadlines and often poorly received. The website Eurogamer described the 2008 Iron Man game, released alongside the movie, as “a singularly unpleasant experience.”
In recent years, the landscape has changed. Publishers have shifted away from movie release tie-ins and invested big money into making top-notch games.
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The Arkham series gave new life to Batman in the early 2010s, while Sony’s critically acclaimed Spider-Man sold more than 13 million copies following its 2018 release, becoming the bestselling superhero game. Last month, Warner Bros unveiled Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which have both built buzz.
Marvel’s Avenger is the latest example of what the industry has coined “games as a service”, or video games that can be updated over time with new content, sometimes for an extra fee.
Heroes like Hawkeye and Black Panther will be added to the game for free in future months, while players can buy fancy new outfits for their characters. (One fighter, Spider-Man, will be exclusive to PlayStation, an unpopular move with those playing on the Xbox and PC.)
Comic book video games still have a long way to go before catching up with the Marvel film juggernaut, but this new Avengers game will move the genre a little closer.
