Three years after the release of the excellent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, Tribute Games and Dotemu are back with another licensed beat ’em up game that blends nostalgia and love for the property. This time around, it’s Marvel that is getting the spotlight, as Marvel Cosmic Invasion includes a mix of 15 of the most popular and strangest superheroes. Taking full advantage of the diverse world of Marvel, the game hops from planet to planet and really embraces the cosmic side of the franchise, which will really reward comic book fans.
Much like Shredder’s Revenge, gameplay is built around being easy to pick up and play. Characters have a main attack, a special ability that can range from projectiles to leaping attacks, a dodge/block, and a special move that takes a full bar of energy. While more casual players can just press the attack button and have fun playing with others, there’s a surprising amount of depth to each character, as their move lists attest to. Learning the ins and outs of each character and their preferred playstyle adds a lot of replayability to the game, and you get to take two characters out during each level, so it becomes fun to switch back and forth depending on the situation.
Cosmic Invasion’s cast of characters ranges from the obvious beloved heroes to some really inspired picks. More obscure inclusions like Beta Ray Bill and Phyla-Vell might confuse MCU fans, but they can easily play as Black Panther, Captain America, Iron Man, or Spider-Man instead. There’s a nice mix, with the game really leaning into the cosmic-level threat well with characters like Cosmic Ghost Rider, Nova, Rocket Raccoon, and Silver Surfer.
The stages are the real star of Marvel Cosmic Invasion, as you really get to see the full breadth of the Marvel universe. While there are a few stages set on Earth, including a rad Wakanda level, the enemy designs really get fun when you’re battling symbiotes on Klyntar and seeing the strange worlds where other heroes come from. One of the coolest levels is Asgard, as there’s a section on the Bifrost bridge that is simply wonderful. Tribute got to really get creative with the stages, and they really are the standout here.
Each level ends with a satisfying boss fight, where you’ll go up against Marvel baddies such as Thanos, Venom, Hela, and Knull. These wind up being really great tests, as the villains have fun attack combos to figure out and provide a healthy challenge that forces players to work together or learn patterns. The only issue is that the final boss fight isn’t quite as epic as some of the battles before, so the game ends in an anticlimactic manner rather than a memorable showdown like TMNT’s Super Shredder.
Like all beat ’em up games, players can beat Cosmic Invasion in a single sitting as its 15 stages take less than three hours to beat. However, with 15 characters to level up, stage-specific goals to achieve (such as performing specific attacks or playing as certain characters), and plenty of bonuses to unlock, ranging from other color palette swaps to database entries, there is plenty of reason to keep going back to it. It’s also just a blast to play, so it will be a game I continue to go back to with different friend groups, just like I did with Shredder’s Revenge.
Marvel Cosmic Invasion Review: Final Verdict
Marvel Cosmic Invasion lives up to the rich history of superhero beat ’em up games. Full of charm and plenty of depth, it winds up being a blast whether you’re playing alone or with a group of friends. Tribute Games wonderfully builds on what made Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge so great and cements the studio as the go-to brawler developer.
SCORE: 9/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 9 equates to “Excellent.” Entertainment that reaches this level is at the top of its type. The gold standard that every creator aims to reach.
Disclosure: The publisher provided a PlayStation 5 copy for our Marvel Cosmic Invasion review. Reviewed on version 1.001.000.
