Thanks to the amazing folks over at Intel, over the weekend I had the pleasure and enjoyment to play Marvel’s Avengers on PC. That’s right, the glorious PC master race finally got a crack at the upcoming triple A title developed by Crystal Dynamics and Eidos-Montreal, who both notably worked on the Tomb Raider series and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. Also noteworthy is the fact it was also published by the just as amazing and experienced Square Enix, who can’t put a step wrong in 2020.

In this blockbuster action/adventure game, you are introduced to the long awaited cast of Marvel heroes that you all know and love. This team of Avengers has a roster the likes of Black Widow, Ironman, The Mighty Thor, The Hulk and Captain America. You are also greeted with a new addition to the team Kamala Khan a.k.a Ms Marvel. And I must say, while the game and characters already looked mighty fine on console, the game looks and runs even better on PC.

Even though the BETA did only represent a small taste of what the final game has to offer, what it did offer is a compelling well crafted introduction mission that throws you straight into how all the Avengers’ game mechanics worked and to how each character played compared to the other. The whole introductory mission felt like a scene straight out of an epic comic book or even a blockbuster movie. Also included, is a later story mission that gives more of a tease of what the game has to offer in the completed story campaign. This second story mission takes place 5 years later, after that first mission, with The Hulk and Ms Marvel working together to assemble the fellow Avengers in order to stop A.I.M., with not much of the main story being spoiled as to not ruin the overall game experience.

The BETA is quite expansive and really compelled me to play it more than once, increasing excitement for the full release to really enjoy the story campaign, as it is looking more than promising.

The games mechanics transition very well on the PC. With easy prompts to notify you on what keys to initiate during moments in battle, to navigate through the games level’s or character within the menus, it really was easy to manage. Smooth movements on the keyboard and mouse when traversing in these open areas of the world was a breeze. When choosing any of the missions available in the BETA, it’s as easy as a click of the mouse button, with all of them to be played either solo or co-op. This is a great part about Marvel’s Avengers, you are not restricted to playing the game one way, giving you the choice to experience the game the way you want to play with or without friends.

In saying that, each member of the Avengers plays completely different, it’s like you’re playing a different game every time. Switching from Black Widow to Ironman for different missions for example felt like the characters were in their own game. The controls were still easy to comprehend with each character having a basic quick attack, heavy attack, block, dodge/counter and three special abilities.

For those that need a little bit more practice, a training room can be accessed to brush up on those combos you definitely will be eager to try out. Also to note, when using the keyboard and mouse, I can say transitioning between controller was just as easy and fluid. I do have to say, the controlling was so smooth when playing Marvel’s Avengers, 5 more minutes easily turned into an hour.

Now, while Marvel’s Avengers give you a chance to play from a huge roster of the Avengers and the fun experiences you can have when playing in a group, the missions themselves however seemed a little repetitive, at times. Environments seemed a little of the same and battling the same enemies again and again, it lost a little favour eventually. Also, the enemy and friendly A.I. did have some trouble attacking. Allies would occasionally just stand there taking damage while enemies do the same, and maybe even accidentally kill themselves with an explosive barrel. I’m sure all this will be ironed out when the full game launches, though the game is fun even in these moments.

The gear aspect of this game is great; I always found myself running around to find more to upgrade my characters. I can see where all my time went at that point in the game. The grind was real, trying to find rarer gear to make sure I was prepared for the next encounter. The gear certainly worked well with the RPG elements. Upgrading Ms Marvel, for example, was great to unlock more powerful combos to unleash upon unsuspecting A.I.M soldiers. The gear also helps being prepared for when encountering certain enemies that have special weapons and certain gear can help mitigate that attack.

Overall, Marvel’s Avengers PC BETA was just a tease, a very tantalising tease. With the storyline missions being the highlight for me and the co-op missions being a nice touch, I look forward to more interaction between the iconic characters, not just with the new addition of Kamala Khan but with the rest of the Avengers assembly of characters. The pros and cons of the BETA is never a final aspect of the completed game but considering what I played during my time, I do have to say Marvel’s Avengers does look like the Marvel game I have always wanted and a story I look forward to watching unfold.

Written by: Simon Hayward