While the Marvel Cinematic Universe regularly brings millions of viewers to the cinemas, Marvel video games often meet with little enthusiasm from gaming fans. Yet not all games are a bust.
With Captain America & Black Panther, as well as Wolverine and the Midnight Suns, many Marvel game releases are coming up again. So far, however, video games based on the comics and films have rarely been convincing. Time and again, more money seemed to flow into licences than into the actual development of the games, which resulted in licence cucumbers like “Punisher: No Mercy” or “Iron Man 2”. But there are also Marvel games that can shine with more than the names of their main characters.
Marvel”s Spider-Man
This 2018 action adventure is the best-selling game on the PS4 for good reason, as it really gives you the chance to immerse yourself in the world of the friendly spider next door. It doesn”t simply adapt a story from the comics or films, but tells an independent story. In this story you will meet many familiar characters from the comics, including villains such as Vulture, Kingpin or Electro. But also on Peter Parker”s side you can look forward to a reunion with beloved characters like MJ or Aunt May. With your webs, you can swing through the open world and experience many smaller storylines and quests in addition to the main story. The complex battle system also offers new opportunities to use Spidey”s powers creatively. The game offers a lot of variety and can keep you entertained for hours.
Since 2020, there has also been a remastered version for the PS5 in addition to the original version for the PS4. A sequel has also been released, in which you take on the role of Peter Parker”s successor Miles Morales. But don”t worry if you don”t own a PlayStation: a PC-optimised version of Marvel”s Spiderman was also released in 2022. If you want more Spiderman, you can also look forward to 2023, when the official second part of the game is due to be released.
Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
Since 1996, Street Fighter fans have been able to fight with Marvel lovers. And the fighting game crossover makes perfect sense, considering that Marvel heroes don”t shy away from fights in the comics either. Marvel characters have now met Capcom characters in a total of 8 titles. While in the very first part you were still limited to X-Man and Street Fighter characters, in the sequel you could already play a wider selection of Marvel heroes and villains.
With the Marvel vs. Capcom series, fighters from other Capcom games also found their place. But “Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds” is not only convincing with a wide selection of characters from favourite games, comics or films. With an easy mode for fighting game beginners, even newcomers get into the game well and the otherwise familiar Street Fighter game mechanics offer action-packed and dynamic fights for everyone. The 3 vs. 3 fights can sometimes seem a bit chaotic, but comic book references and a great look quickly make up for this.
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
No major franchise doesn”t have a LEGO collaboration behind it, and Marvel is made for collaboration thanks to its multitude of characters and locations. In addition to LEGO sets for building the Marvel world yourself, this has also resulted in a number of games: LEGO Marvel Avengers and LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Parts 1 and 2.
Like most LEGO video games, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is an action adventure game. The first Super Heroes part shines above all with a wide selection of 180 characters, the typical LEGO humour, which sometimes pokes fun at itself and its cooperation partners, and an open world with many missions. As in the comics, each character has his own abilities that can help you in different situations and even Marvel legend Stan Lee makes an appearance. The game is a labour of love for Marvel, with many Easter Eggs and a world worth exploring. As such, the LEGO adaptation often feels even more realistic than many other Marvel video games that merely try to copy the films.
Marvel”s Guardians of the Galaxy
Pinball games and a Telltale title have already been dedicated to the intergalactic superhero team around the Celestial hybrid Peter Quill. In 2021, an action adventure featuring the ever-popular characters was finally released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch and PC. While there was still criticism before the release because the characters were not based on the actors from the films, the game quickly scored points after the release. Similar to the films, the game can convince with a lot of humour and a great soundtrack and even won a Steam Award with the latter. Other prizes and nominations were awarded above all for the storyline.
You follow Star-Lord aka Peter Quill through the linear story from a third-person perspective. Although the single player does not offer an open world, it manages to lead you through the action in a more focused way, similar to a cinema film. Without any distractions, the main focus is on the development and relationships of the characters. You cannot play characters other than Star-Lord, but you can give them orders. But if you think you”re missing the action, don”t worry, there”s plenty of it in the fights against alien monsters and big space battles. However, you should avoid playing the game on the Switch if possible, as the cloud version can cause annoying lags.
