MARVEL Cosmic Invasion
Review
Blast From the Past
by Camrin Santchi
reviewed on PC
Resurgences
The 90s were quite the time to be a superhero fan. Before the eras of the DCAU and the MCU, there were the animated universes of the 90s - which birthed some of the longest lasting alterations to comic lore to this day. Some of the more notable ones include the 'Black Suit' of Spider-Man causing personality alterations, or Batman's Mr Freeze gaining an incredibly tragic backstory revolving around his wife.
Nostalgia is an open market in this day and age, with sequels and continuations to previously ended franchises, like the animated series X-Men 97 being a direct continuation to the 90s X-Men series, and the comic Spider-Man 98 doing much the same for the 90s Spider-Man series. A part of the 90s that became a surprise but more than welcome return for this reviewer was the side scrolling beat 'em up. Arcade cabinets starring the Avengers, X-Men, and more were much beloved, and an attempt to recapture that glory is Marvel Cosmic Invasion.
Space Bugs
The plot of Marvel Cosmic Invasion centres around Annihilus, an interdimensional insectoid conqueror setting its sights on the Marvel universe. The threat of Annihilus is enough to gather together many heroes to fight alongside one another, especially since Annihilus appears to be working alongside many other villains - either guaranteeing them something they want for their cooperation such as Sauron (A pterodactyl man, not that Sauron) or by assimilating them directly to his cause like The Beetle or the mutant hunting Sentinels. Story isn't always a selling point for a beat 'em up, but an adaptation of the Marvel Annihilation event may be just enough to turn heads and capture intrigue, especially since this version lets Earth Heroes in on the fun. Fan favorites like Captain America and Iron Man were busy with Marvel's Civil War last time Annihilus came to play.
Some Surprise Challengers
Some of the characters chosen for Cosmic Invasion aren't exactly who would be expected, based on either modern popularity, the 90s aesthetic, or anything in between. For example, She-Hulk and Beta Ray Bill are primary playable characters in contrast to the typically more popular Hulk and Thor Odinson, and the King In Black himself Knull is actually the boss of a level, even though he debuted in the 2010s. While a bit surprising, the additions and alterations to what people might have expected add to Cosmic Invasion's identity in that, while it is a retro inspired game, it isn't going to shy away from modern Marvel or even referencing lesser known characters. One can also see this in some of the palettes for the playable heroes, as well as background references like Man-Thing, Fin Fang Foom, and Jeff the Land Shark to name just a few of the familiar faces eagle-eyed (or perhaps Hawkeye's) fans might spot.
Thwip, Snikt, and Smash
Players of Cosmic Invasion pick two of the currently unlocked cast to play through a selected level with, and can freely swap between the two at any time to conserve health, focus for special attacks, or otherwise take advantage of a playstyle that may aid in certain situations. For example, someone that can fly like Iron Man may be useful to avoid a wave of attacks or deal with flying opponents, but you may want She-Hulk to throw around Annihilus' forces on the ground or when there are a lot of them. Switching characters is surprisingly smooth, but can be just a little chaotic if you’re currently being swarmed.
In the Campaign mode each mission has three challenges for completion, and typically two of those will involve the usage of specific characters. As characters are used they level up, getting passive bonuses, health increases, and more that make them easier to use in the future. At several points during the Campaign some characters will be in different spots so may not be available for certain missions, but otherwise there is nothing stopping players from sticking with one or two characters for as long as they like.
Love Of The Game
Cosmic Invasion channels the arcade cabinets of the 90s in the best of ways. Everything about the gameplay, audio, and graphics feels like that era may have never ended, and that includes the difficulty. There is a bit of a learning curve in Cosmic Invasion, at least for those who aren't used to the genre. Dodging and blocking take practice especially since different characters have different timings or abilities. Learning to zone with ranged abilities or take advantage of invincibility frames on supers can also take some adjusting.
Alongside the Campaign mode, Cosmic Invasion also features a free-play mode that can have added modifiers, a gallery for character bios, art, music, and more that makes the game feel like a collector's edition in the best of ways.
Thankfully the era of quarter-sucking is over, or else this reviewer would have already lost quite a few coins to the siren call of nostalgia with Marvel Cosmic Invasion. This game is a brilliant callback to the era of beat 'em ups, and should be on the radar of any fan of the era or the Marvel Universe.
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9.6
fun score
Pros
A fantastic 90s era beat 'em up Graphically, Audibly, and Mechanically
Cons
90s era difficulty that can be Punishing for Unexpectant Players
