MARVEL Cosmic Invasion review

MARVEL is a global brand with a loyal and passionate fan base. They adore every story, character, and fantasy setting. Moreover, they can’t get enough of anything associated with the brand. Accordingly, I think that MARVEL Cosmic Invasion is going to be a huge hit.

Tribute Games has created a retro, side-scrolling beat-’em-up that can be enjoyed alone, in couch cooperative mode, or online with up to three friends. This old-school design makes this beat-’em-up stand out from many of its competitors. Furthermore, when you consider the homage to the MARVEL world, you can’t help but smile and fall for its charms.

MARVEL Cosmic Invasion is a love letter to the MARVEL universe!

MARVEL Cosmic Invasion is a love letter to its amazing and colourful universe. Furthermore, the blend of villains, monsters, and weird subplots makes this a great title to experience. Whether you are fighting Venom, Phoenix, or Taskmaster, you’ll have a whale of a time. The 15 playable heroes must work in pairs to overcome every goon and tackle every boss they face.

In theory, you can select whoever you have unlocked. However, this won’t help you to complete each stage-specific challenge. Instead, you must pick the correct pair of heroes to overcome each obstacle. Whether that involves a Spider-Man web task, a She-Hulk smash-and-grab, or slicing people as Black Panther, it is surprisingly challenging and hard to achieve.

Fun fighting and great stage design.

A beat-’em-up lives and dies by its smooth fighting and combos. Luckily, MARVEL Cosmic Invasion does a great job with its list of combo attacks, special abilities, and earth-shattering powers. Moreover, there are enough enemies to tackle as you move through each level. Ground troops, mutants, flying bugs, giant worms, and more await each of the superheroes.

Every level is a joy to explore. Although it is a 2D game, it effectively challenges you to work across different layers. The flying monsters are challenging to kill, and you’ll need plenty of practice to judge their path and take them down. Alongside this, there are plenty of huge bosses to destroy. This is one of the shining lights of this fighting experience and something that will test your patience as well as your fighting prowess.

MARVEL Cosmic Invasion is so old-school.

Retro gaming is unbelievably cool. Therefore, when a modern title uses dated influences, it is a joy to play. MARVEL Cosmic Invasion uses a pixelated and 2D finish to great effect. Furthermore, the vibrant colours, smooth animation, and small roster of characters give this a 90s edge. The audio has a synth vibe that is in keeping with the early console approach. The upbeat but shrill music matches the old-school design. Additionally, the sound effects are loud and in your face. The result is a game that immediately grabs your attention.

I was impressed by the controls. A simple tutorial gets you started, and after that, some trial and error lets you perfect your art. This was a great choice, as you get to experiment with every character to find the one that works for you. MARVEL Cosmic Invasion oozes replay value. There is an arcade mode and a story mode. Furthermore, you can tackle this with more than 1 friend if you fancy some company. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to test this mode. However, I’m sure it’ll be a hit.

MARVEL Cosmic Invasion puts its peers on the ropes.

This beat-’em-up will appeal to a large audience. If you love Streets of Rage or MARVEL, this will drive you crazy. The dated gameplay, pixelated visuals, and loud audience are brilliantly retro. Additionally, the ability to select your favourite superhero is a massive bonus. Accordingly, I think it’s great, and you should get a copy from the Xbox store!