Marvel's Avengers was supposed to be released back in May, but it ended up being delayed and is now coming to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this September. Crystal Dynamics has since confirmed that it will also be available on the PS5 and Xbox Series X, with those who purchase it on current gen consoles getting a free upgrade down the line.
Last week, the curtain was pulled back on the game in a big way (to coincide with when E3 was supposed to take place), and we've now rounded up ten major details you need to know.
From how the multiplayer aspect will work to gameplay and microtransactions, things are really starting to take shape for Marvel's Avengers. We even have intel on possible spinoffs and other members of the team being added to the game somewhere down the line.
So, to check out these latest details, simply click on the "Next" button below to check them out!
10. More Avengers Will Be Available After The Game Is Released
The plan is for Marvel's Avengers to be a game with a long lifespan, and Crystal Dynamics is looking to keep players interested by making more members of the team available after it launches.
There are some obvious additions, of course, with Hank Pym an obvious addition given the role he's likely to play in the game, and Captain Marvel (who was spotted on a poster in Ms. Marvel's bedroom). Unfortunately, Spider-Man won't be among them as Sony is fully in charge of the web-slinger.
However, what we don't know is whether there will be additional story missions with these characters. Chances are they will only be available in the multiplayer side of things (we'll get to that).
9. What Type Of Game Is Marvel's Avengers?
That's a question many fans have been asking, and Crystal Dynamics creative director and writer Shaun Escayg said he believes it's "something new" while talking to IGN. "It is an epic action-adventure. It is narrative driven. There is a single player campaign that sets up the world, set up the state of the Avengers. So, it's very story driven."
"From a gameplay perspective, it's hard to also give it a single definition. I would say it's gameplay is...it's Avengers gameplay,” lead combat designer Vincent Napoli added. "[It's] a hybrid ranged melee, action, RPG. Everything combined. The goal is you need to feel like you're playing the Avengers. These characters need to come to life and everything else is built around that."
That certainly sounds like a unique approach to Marvel's Avengers, and makes sense based on the gameplay footage that has been revealed from the game since that "E3" presentation.
8. How Multiplayer Works In The Game
Multiplayer is going to be a big part of Marvel's Avengers, with up to four players able to get in on the action. However, the story campaign itself won't feature any multiplayer components and will be a single-player experience with scripted set pieces similar to the Uncharted and Tomb Raider games.
However, as you progress through the campaign, side missions will become available which can be played with friends. It's here that you'll be able to choose which Avenger to take control of.
For example, if you want to take control of Thor and level him up, you can do that each time you play. In story mode, you'll switch between members of the team as the levels play out.
7. The MCU Similarities Are A Coincidence
Marvel's Avengers will make use of a team not all that different to the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version (well, minus poor old Hawkeye, of course), and there are even some striking visual similarities to the big screen take on Earth's Mightiest Heroes. However, Shaun Escayg claims that the similar roster is purely a coincidence.
"I don't even think we thought of it that way," he told IGN. "When we came at this, we're just like, 'What's the most original story we can tell?' Literally. West Coast Avengers is a comic that we started with. [We] didn't really approach it from the movies. We didn't. We actually approached it more from the comics."
It's hard to believe this sort of brand synergy was a coincidence, because Crystal Dynamics is bound to realise that fans of the MCU will be tempted to pick up the game after seeing that line-up!
6. Expect Plenty Of "Quick Time Events" In The Game
Just like in Spider-Man, Marvel's Avengers will include QTE (Quick Time Events) during missions.
Asked by PC Gamer about the decision to include those - they remain divisive among fans, particularly experienced players - Crystal Dynamics responded: "For us, this audience is so broad. This isn't just some hardcore gamer's game. It's a way for us to integrate QTEs in a kind of tutorialised way."
"They're also cinematic moments we want to make sure land from a narrative perspective. So there might be a point where we use them just to give that moment for players to get the best experience on the narrative side." It makes sense, and could actually add to the game in some ways.
5. The Game Boasts An Incredible Voice Cast
While it may not tie into the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version of The Avengers, Crystal Dynamics has assembled one hell of a voice cast for the title made up of some great video game talent.
In terms of the main team, Troy Baker (The Last of Us) is Bruce Banner, Jeff Schine (Telltale's The Walking Dead) is Captain America, Travis Willingham (Critical Role) is Thor, Laura Bailey (Uncharted 4) is Black Widow, and Nolan North (Uncharted) is Tony Stark. Not bad, eh?
However, there are some cons too. Watching the footage from the game, it's hard not to think of Nathan and Sam Drake from Uncharted when Tony Stark and Bruce Banner are talking to each other!
4. What Captain America's Death Means For The Game
The trailers have made it clear that Captain America dies during the opening chapter of the game, but it's also been confirmed that Steve Rogers will be a playable character. That doesn't really make much sense, but there could be an explanation based on comments from Shaun Escayg.
"You'll understand more once you play the game," he teased when asked how Cap seemingly returns from the dead. "The Marvel universe is huge. Will it resolve in this game? Who knows. Is this something else? Who knows. The things that we draw from, it's so big. We can pull from multiverses at this point. It's a great question. You're going to have to play it to see it."
The Multiverse coming into play here could be a very big deal for the game, and the Captain America who later appears as a playable character hailing from another world points to a potentially crazy story which will take us to places we definitely didn't expect to go.
3. M.O.D.O.K. Will Be The Lead Villain
With the Avengers disassembled shortly after that Helicarrier explodes, Shaun Escayg explains that the sudden void left by the disappearance of Earth's Mightiest Heroes is what leads to Ms. Marvel attempting to step up as a superhero and A.I.M. emerging from the shadows.
"If we had the heroine and our villain both at A-Day, one infected by the Terrigen Mist, one injured by the Terrigen Blast, how would they both see this world? So a heroine who thinks, ‘No the Avengers empathy and humanity and subjectivity’ and ability to embrace differences and know what their differences are, or even recognize them, is why they are human and therefore the best protectors for humanity."
"And then a villain that feels absolutely not," he continued. "These are their weaknesses, their subjectivity in their power is uncontrollable. They’re ruled by their emotions. In this way, Ms. Marvel and MODOK are positioned as opposites when it comes to their opinions on the Avengers and the story will focus on how this team recovers from an ultimate defeat and learn to believe in themselves again."
2. There WILL Be Microtransactions
With all this good news comes some bad. Marvel's Avengers is going to feature microtransactions, and while it was said during 2019's E3 that there won't be loot boxes or ways to essentially pay to win, you will have to fork out your hard earned cash to get the full experience from the game.
"There will be custom outfits that you can purchase in microtransactions," Shaun Escayg confirmed, before Vincent Napoli added, "There are other aesthetic ways to customize your player card and your player experience, but there is nothing that affects the gameplay."
While it's frustrating to think we'll have to buy those extra costumes, at least they will be optional, and choosing not to pay won't negatively impact the experience of playing the game as a whole.
1. Will The Game Set The Stage For A Guardians Of The Galaxy Spinoff?
There's bound to be some big twists in Marvel's Avengers, but is it possible the game will set the stage for a spinoff revolving around the Guardians of the Galaxy? Rumours of Eidos Montreal - who have contributed to this title - working on a game featuring those A-Holes have been doing the rounds since 2017, and recently resurfaced.
No official announcements have been made, and it's still unclear how much of a "shared world" these games are going to take place in. However, it is undeniably possible that a post-credits scene or some sort of cameo will set the stage for Guardians of the Galaxy (which could easily play out with a similar gameplay style to Marvel's Avengers).
We'll just have to wait and see...