Superheroes are kind of the perfect genre to bring to video games, with a blend of vivid visuals, flashy powers, and unforgettable characters at the core of the concept. The power fantasy inherent to plenty of video games lends itself well to embodying the likes of Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Storm, and a truly great game that adapts the comic book medium for gamers embodies the brightness of the natural aesthetic. A great example of that is Marvel Cosmic Invasion, which might be one of the best recent examples of how well Marvel’s heroes fit into the gaming world.
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While titles like MARVEL SNAP and Marvel Rivals speak to the flexibility of the concept in being adapted for different genres and gameplay styles, Marvel Cosmic Invasion brings back an older gameplay aesthetic that used to define these kinds of adaptations. The result is a game that feels classic and new all at once. Developer Tribute Games, which accomplished a similar feat with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge in 2023, has brought that classic approach beautifully into the modern gaming space in a way that feels authentic to the past without being beholden to it.
Review: 4.5/5
| Pros: | Cons: |
| Slick visuals that feel retro but reflect modern advancements. | Short run-time. |
| Tight controls and a natural sense of variety reflect an exciting gameplay loop. | Action gameplay can become repeitive. |
| Tag-Team gameplay invites experimentation with character selection and gameplay. |
A Retro Throwback That Still Feels Slick And Modern
Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a pitch-perfect fusion of retro gaming aesthetic and modern design — and it might be just about perfect. The game is meant to be something of a throwback to an older era of games, recalling titles like Marvel Super Heroes and the Konami X-Men arcade game in terms of design. However, the game has been amplified with modern touches and flourishes, with incredibly impressive pixel art that flows with a tight sense of style and design. Each level is vivid in terms of color, but without bleeding into one another or losing the intended effect in the process. The result is a game world that looks terrific, lived-in without losing the natural brightness of the designs.
It’s also seen across Marvel Cosmic Invasion‘s various recreations of the larger Marvel Universe, with locations from the depths of space to more familiar territory like New York City or Wakanda brought to life with clear designs. Marvel Cosmic Invasion benefits from solid sound design and a commitment to recreating the Marvel Universe in this new form, and the commitment of the development team shows in every frame. While the core story of the game isn’t anything special, it doesn’t necessarily feel like it’s trying to be. The game takes everything Tribute Games did with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge and enhances it, with a vivid and vibrant aesthetic that’s charming, cool, and even unsettling at times.
The Best Kind Of Beat ‘Em Up Gameplay
One of the things that makes Marvel Cosmic Invasion so good is the way it refines the side-scrolling action genre with tight design and innovative touches. Each of the game’s characters has a certain weight and speed to them, which helps each of them stand out from one another in terms of gameplay. Their unique move sets invite plenty of experimentation, encouraging players to select different characters and try them all out instead of just picking one familiar face to bring into battle every mission. This is complemented by the game’s tag-team approach to combat, where each player can choose two heroes to bring into combat.
Easily swappable mid-combat and with a focus on overwhelmingly powerful special moves, these two dual hero teams highlight how the characters (11 available from the beginning of the game, four more unlocked by working through the campaign) all differ. The core gameplay mechanics are great, with each character showcasing a straightforward combat capability that can blend together. It’s important to have a good mix, blending ranged attacks and increased mobility with durable tanks with close-range power. If players can find that correct balance, they can deploy a massive amount of damage with relative ease, all while the game continues to up the challenge at an enjoyable pace..
Each character also comes with unique qualities that make that experimentation more engaging — and with every level coming with distinct bosses and extra challenges, replayability is a key ingredient. This helps counter the game’s relatively short length, which may be the game’s only true hiccup. That retro aesthetic and approach leave the game with only a relatively few hours of gameplay for players to knock out before they move on to trying to complete specific challenges. It’s only disappointing because the actual gameplay is so much fun, one of those titles where you just wish there was more depth to dive into. The basic combat can grow repetitive if you keep just the same characters in rotation, which is where the character selection and variety really come into play.
Why You Need To Play Marvel Cosmic Invasion
Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a love letter to past generations of side-scrolling beat ’em up, all while highlighting what the genre still has to offer modern players. There’s a tightness to the overall design that has to be seen to be believed, a flexibility in player approaches courtesy of the different combinations of heroes available for multiple players.
The game excels in single-player and is perfectly designed to appeal to larger groups who want to save the Marvel Universe as part of a team, speaking to the strength of the game’s design and execution of the presentation. While it might not have the full level of depth that players may be wishing for, there’s nothing bad to say about the actual gameplay experience or the presentation.
Short and sweet, Marvel Cosmic Invasion is about as good as beat ’em up games get, and works best as a retro throwback and a modern inheritor to the genre. If you’re a Marvel fan, a gamer with an appreciation for retro approaches, or just someone who enjoys action games, then Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a must-play.
ComicBook.com was provided a review code for Marvel Cosmic Invasion.
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