Available on: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, Switch 2, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Played on: Switch 2
Publisher Dotemu has carved out a successful niche in recent years with retro-inspired, co-op beat ’em ups, beginning with Streets of Rage 4 in 2020 (which they also developed), and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge in 2022, developed by Tribute Games.
Tribute Games and Dotemu have joined forces again for Marvel Cosmic Invasion, another perfectly-paced beat ’em up with all the right notes of arcade-fueled nostalgia and modern improvements. Though overall nostalgia for the genre is beginning to wear thin.
Read on for our co-op review of Marvel Cosmic Invasion!
Annihilation Conquest
As if you couldn’t tell by the title, Marvel Cosmic Invasion zeroes in on an intergalactic threat with a villain yet to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Annihilus. The bug-like alien is invading our universe with his endless swarms, alongside many familiar supervillains such as Thanos, Hela, and Venom.
Through over a dozen missions, players will travel to familiar sites such as Asgard, Wakanda, the Savage Land, and the streets of New York City (the epicenter of all alien invasions).
The mission selection is a step down from Shredder’s Revenge, however, featuring only a mostly linear line graph. At several points, players can choose between two missions, but it’s mostly pointless, as you have to complete every mission anyway.
In Campaign mode the story is told in brief comic panels between missions, and through character voice over during the missions. With such a large cast, each mission focuses on two heroes (who are also involved in that mission’s optional challenges). The voice acting is top-notch, and the quips between heroes plays into the quippy Marvel universe, though I was hoping for a slightly meatier story. The challenges and collectibles are also a bit easier and more boring compared to Shredder’s Revenge (and unlocking stuff is generally unexciting), causing Marvel Cosmic Invasion to lose a bit of its replayability.
Arcade mode is like Campaign but just straight-up worse. It strips out the story completely, as well as the level-up progression of each character. Each player also maintains their same health bar for each mission (though there are still plenty of healing items). In Arcade mode, choosing missions does matter, as you only have to beat one of them. But if you fail a single mission— it’s game over.
Thankfully the actual beat ’em up gameplay is rock solid, and some of the best the genre has to offer.
Tag-teams
Cosmic Invasion features an impressive roster of over a dozen Marvel heroes, from obvious picks like Iron Man and Spider-Man to more obscure choices with Phyla-Vell and Beta Ray Bill. Cosmic Ghost Rider (actually Punisher from an alternate future!) ended up being my favorite, with his chain-grabs, hellfire machine guns, and motorcycle-riding ultimate attack.
Some of the heroes feel a little samey; Wolverine, She-Hulk, Phoenix, and Venom all grab people with their special attack, while Beta Ray Bill and Captain America have a single powerful projectile they can hurl. But others feel much more unique, such as Rocket Racoon’s myriad of ranged weapons and quick claw strikes, Phyla-Vell’s teleporting sword strike, and Silver Surfer’s tricky-to-master board swipes and energy beams.
The 2D combat feels great, as it should; Tribute Games and Dotemu have long-since mastered the feeling of side-scrolling beat ’em up, with rapid basic attacks, charged attacks, uppercuts, and range attacks. Enemies also come in solid varieties, including lumbering Sentinels, shield-wielding bug-troopers, and AIM agents with flamethrowers and lightning guns.
But the secret sauce, the thing that makes Cosmic Invasion really stand out, is the awesome tag-team feature.
Taking advantage of its large roster, the game lets each player select not one, but two heroes. With the flick of a button, players can seamlessly swap between them, each with their own separate health bar, and focus bar.
Dealing with pesky range units from across the screen? Quickly swap to Nova, Iron Man, or Cosmic Ghost Rider to blast ’em right back. Need to fly above a horde of bugs, or deal with a flying enemy? Use Storm, or Phoenix, or Nova, or web-swing across with Venom or Spider-Man.
Another cool feature: hitting the swap button while executing an attack will briefly summon that hero for a powerful, awesome-looking combo attack. It drains a little bit of focus (which is used to unleash the ultimate), but often even more satisfying and effective than the ultimate attacks themselves!
On the flip side, having two heroes at our disposal makes the game even more chaotic, which becomes truly, hilariously epic with a full 4-person party.
Even when playing with younger kids, Cosmic Invasion is generally an easy game with more heroes. Even the boss fights (and every single mission ends in a boss fight) are on the easier side, with a few gimmicky bosses being relatively easy to figure out once you’ve seen their patterns. Difficulty modifiers can be unlocked in Arcade mode once completed, though Campaign mode has a fixed difficulty curve.
The Rating
Marvel Cosmic Invasion is rated E10+ by the ESRB, with Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, and Mild Language. The pixel art and superhero theme make the violence easy to swallow, and controls are generally easy enough for younger kids to succeed, especially on the earlier levels. See our official Game Picker entry for more details.
The Takeaway
My kids and I adore everything Marvel and we had a great time with Marvel Cosmic Invasion. The tag-team feature helps make the game stand out, and show off its impressively deep roster. The gameplay is easy enough that the whole family can enjoy.
But the overall presentation isn’t as magical or nostalgic as Shredder’s Revenge. Traditional arcade beat ’em ups aren’t the kind of game that you can play for hours and hours. Cosmic Invasion doesn’t move the genre forward as much as revel in its pixelated glory, leaving more innovative games such as Absolum to leave their long-lasting mark.
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