Marvel Cosmic Invasion Review - A Heroic Love Letter

Skip To...

One of the genres many of us gamers have been familiar with since the arcade days is that of beat ’em ups. It is, in many ways, a cornerstone of the industry and has paved the way for many other genres. Still, that doesn’t mean the classic beat ’em up genres have been abandoned — they have simply evolved. Marvel Cosmic Invasion delivers a classic arcade feel through its visual style and gameplay, yet it’s also highly approachable for those who want to take some of Marvel’s most iconic heroes out for a cosmic spin.

The Guardians of the Cosmos

We’ve seen all sorts of Marvel stories make it to different media, with some of the most successful ones focusing on the Avengers and whatever the recent films are trying to do. However, an unexplored yet beloved one is Annihilation — the tale of Annihilus’ quest to conquer the real with his insectoid army. Marvel Cosmic Invasion focuses on this story, and while it does it in a sort of condensed way, it often feels like a love letter to the entire Marvel universe.

The campaign puts you in the spandex shoes of several Marvel heroes, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Rocket Raccoon, She-Hulk, Phyla-Vell, and many more. The job of the 15 playable characters is simple: beat some insectoids, Sentinels, and AIM members while looking super duper cool while doing so.

The truth is that the campaign isn’t that groundbreaking, but what makes it shine are the characters, settings, and some of the callbacks to the Marvel universe. Each stage is flawlessly crafted in this classic pixel art style, which also maintains a comic book feel. The actual playable characters enhance it even further, as Dotemu and Tribute Games took their time to understand each hero and translated them perfectly into a beat ’em up environment.

For instance, one hero that blew me away was Venom. Besides his powerful abilities, it was great to see him become Eddie Brock briefly when he launched specific attacks. She-Hulk was another standout, as she kept this 4th-wall-breaking charm in certain stages of the game, which was quite enjoyable, especially if you know the characters.

Another thing I liked about the campaign is how it encourages you to bring a specific pair of heroes to a level. For instance, in a part where you fight a bunch of corrupted symbiotes, there’s no one better than our friendly neighbor, Spider-Man. In missions involving Sentinels, leave it to Earth’s mightiest mutants, and so on. Yet, that doesn’t mean you can’t pick the ones you prefer. You can bring whichever pair of characters you want, and it gets even more fun if you play the game in co-op.

Before delving into the actual gameplay, another part I want to highlight is the hero representation. As we know, the media tends to pay homage to our favorite comic book heroes in different ways, and Marvel Cosmic Invasion is among the best when it comes to understanding and portraying Marvel characters faultlessly.

Rocket Raccoon, for instance, brings all his marksman gadgets to stun enemies, shock them, or blow them to smithereens. Phoenix epically wields her psychic powers, allowing you to pull enemies toward her before sending them flying with a devastating attack. I could gush about the superb job the studio did at putting all these iconic heroes in a beat ’em up, but the truth is, I would never stop rambling about how great they all are. Instead, let’s dive into the actual beat ’em up part, which is just as excellent.

A Cosmic Beating

We all know that games under Dotemu’s catalog belong to the staples of the beat ’em up genre, and Marvel Cosmic Invasion isn’t an exception. This entry embraces the arcade feel, with somewhat tanky controls, slow movement, and precise, impactful attacks that make reaching that 200-hit combo extremely satisfying.

Any of the 15 playable characters has its own combo, which varies depending on the hero. Spider-Man is all about fast and acrobatic attacks, while Nova focuses on setting enemies on fire with the last hit. On top of that, each hero has a Special Move, which is their gameplay gimmick.

Beta Ray Bill, for example, can throw Stormbreaker and leave it in the arena to shock enemies. Storm sends gusts of wind that knock enemies back. But on top of that, each character has yet another powerful move that you can perform by holding your normal combo button.

In the case of She-Hulk, she does the iconic Thunderclap that also sends a wave toward the enemies to hit them. Spider-Man does a swing kick, Beta Ray Bill calls down thunder, Captain America bashes enemies with his shield, and so on. And if that wasn’t enough, each character has an ultimate move that you can perform once you have enough focus. Spider-Man will throw webs in all directions, Rocket Raccoon will go wild with his guns, etc.

Furthermore, you get to pick between two characters in each mission, and you can swap between them at any time. You can either call the other character in so you can control them, or call them in to hit enemies and get you out of a tight spot. Initially, I wasn’t using this mechanic a lot, but once I delved into the more challenging levels, that’s when this feature became vital to my survival.

While these moves sound quite destructive and enough to fend off the hordes of insectoids or other Marvel enemies, the truth is that each stage requires a lot of strategy, timed movement, and patience to complete.

One thing that Marvel Cosmic Invasion does well is gradually increase its difficulty. You’ll start fighting a couple of easy insectoids that go down with two kicks, maybe a few flying ones to test your aerial skills, but that’s it for the first few levels. However, you’ll start seeing some of the most annoying (in a good way) enemies in the game soon after.

You’ll get AIM members that turn their rifle into a shotgun to knock you down, Sentinels that stun you, insectoids that become Sonic the Hedgehog and bring your HP down in seconds, and so on. Now, while I loved the variety and enemy design, the truth is that if the game fumbles only just one thing in terms of difficulty, it’s its boss fights.

In terms of design, all are amazing. It was great to see some forgotten villains in the game that needed some cosmic butt-kicking. Yet, it was really strange to see the mid-game boss being extremely challenging while the actual big bad guy was a walk in the park. Other bosses were just frustrating to fight. While I’m all for the arcade feel of a beat ’em up, the truth is that some of your defensive options are often not enough to get out of a stun-lock.

On the other hand, the game rewards repetition and, in some cases, failure. If you lose during a stage, you still level up, and each level gives a hero some extra HP, unlocks their passive skill, and so on. Still, it often felt as if the road to the boss was carefully crafted, but reaching the final baddie was that Moonknight meme of throwing random stuff at someone. Again, just a minor inconvenience, and nothing that would ruin one’s day.

Besides the campaign, which you can play several times to complete challenges or find a few collectibles, there’s also Arcade mode, where you only have one life and get to pick between different stages as you progress. And outside of fighting, you also have a Codex Matrix that unlocks some hero color palettes, music, and even Arcade modifiers, which is great for those who are always looking for their next completionist challenge.

Paying Homage to a Beloved Universe

Marvel Cosmic Invasion is yet another superb beat ’em up in Dotemu’s catalog, and one that shines greatly due to how well it understands the Marvel universe and manages to translate that into a game. It is a love letter to the iconic heroes we love, as well as to the villains, locales, and stories, all enveloped in one of the most gorgeous and timeless art styles I’ve had the pleasure to behold.

While I feel some bosses need a bit of balancing to make the whole package feel marvelous, the truth is, Marvel Cosmic Invasion is one of the flashiest and most accessible beat ’em ups of the year, and one that wraps up an excellent year for the genre with a shiny, golden ribbon.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion (PC Reviewed)

8.5 Great

Marvel Cosmic Invasion is an excellent beat 'em up, but an even better love letter to the Marvel universe. Even if it has a few balance issues, it is one of the most approachable games of this genre, and one that stands out due to its style and combat mechanics.