Marvel Cosmic Invasion Could Be The Start Of A New Era For Marvel Games

by

If everything goes right, Marvel Cosmic Invasion could give us a fantastic look at what Marvel games will be like in the future. However, that doesn’t mean all future Marvel games need to use the same retro art style or focus on cooperative online gameplay.

It would be fantastic if the creators looked to the classic comic books and original versions of Marvel characters for inspiration. After so long being influenced by the characters as portrayed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a fresh approach is definitely needed.

Marvel Games Have Finally Broken Free From The MCU

While not all Marvel games released since the Marvel Cinematic Universe started have heavily relied on matching the movies, it’s usually clear that recent versions of well-known characters are inspired by the MCU or other popular Marvel stories.

Marvel games and movies have always worked well together, even before the Marvel Cinematic Universe began. While most X-Men games draw inspiration directly from the comics, many games featuring Wolverine have been influenced by the X-Men films from 20th Century Fox, often featuring elements or the likeness of Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of the character.

For almost twenty years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been so influential that it’s hard not to notice its impact on Marvel games, even those not directly connected to the movies. This influence, whether good or bad, has been a common thread, though it isn’t always obvious.

Take LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, for example. While it wasn’t directly connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (the later LEGO Marvel’s Avengers game was), its versions of characters who did appear in the MCU closely resembled their movie appearances. This contrast is even more apparent with characters who hadn’t yet been included in the MCU at the time – the game’s portrayals of them felt very different from how they were depicted in the original comics.

The inclusion of Thanos and the Black Order in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 (2019) was likely due to the potential for cross-promotion with the Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019) films. Similarly, the Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy probably wouldn’t have happened if James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy movies hadn’t become so popular.

As a Marvel fan, I’ve really enjoyed games like Insomniac’s Spider-Man and Firaxis’ Midnight Suns, but Marvel Cosmic Invasion just hits different! It’s so energetic and reminds me a lot of the original Marvel Ultimate Alliance – that same fun, chaotic feeling of bringing all these heroes together.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion Is A Return To Classic Marvel

Whether you agree or not, Marvel Cosmic Invasion feels like the first Marvel team-up game in a long time to truly capture the spirit of the comics, much like Marvel Ultimate Alliance. It’s a beat-’em-up that carries on the tradition of Marvel Ultimate Alliance in a lot of ways, almost like a spiritual successor.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion captures the bright, classic comic book feel and large scope of Ultimate Alliance, showing a clear passion for the decades of stories it’s based on. It subtly incorporates elements from modern comics, particularly focusing on cosmic storylines.

Lately, Marvel’s been really diving into cosmic storylines, especially after that Imperial series by Jonathan Hickman – it’s been awesome seeing things expand from there. They’ve added some really cool new characters like Nova, Phyla-Vell, and Cosmic Ghost Rider, alongside all the usual suspects like Spider-Man, Captain America, and Iron Man. The best part is that with 15 characters to choose from at launch, you can really mix things up and try different team combinations when you’re playing with friends!

Marvel Ultimate Alliance Is A Comic Book Gold Standard

Man, I’m still searching for a game that feels as epic as Marvel Ultimate Alliance. It really nailed that classic, deep Marvel story, taking you to all these amazing places like Atlantis, Murderworld, and Asgard. What I loved most was that it pulled everything straight from the comics, which made it feel so special and timeless. The story was awesome, the atmosphere was perfect, and they included practically every Marvel character you could think of back in 2006. It’s still a gold standard for me!

While it might take a few more team-up Marvel games to fully realize the potential, Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a fantastic start. It hints at a return to the glory days of Marvel games – titles like the Spider-Man game by Neversoft or Raven’s X-Men Legends – which truly felt like playing through the pages of a comic book.

Read More

2025-12-21 18:26