On September 4, Marvel's Avengers will go live on Playstation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, and PC. Along with The Last of Us Part II and Ghost of Tsushima, this is the most anticipated game of 2020.
Some of this hype is attributable to timing. The movies Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019) whet the public's appetite for a massive team-up game, where these iconic superheroes could do battle alongside one another. The PS4-exclusive Spider-Man (2018) also spurred players' imaginations. If Insomniac could do that with a single superhero? What could Crystal Dynamics do with multiple characters at their disposal?
The Marvel's Avengers beta, available to players who pre-ordered the game, went live on the weekend of August 7-9. There was a second round of beta testing from August 14-16. And if you pre-ordered the game but missed the past two weekends, there will be one more weekend to test drive the game on August 21-23, on any platform.
Here are some initial reactions--both positive and negative--to the Marvel's Avengers beta. Bear in mind this is a beta; the game is still a work in progress, and this review should not be taken as a final verdict on its quality. And with Crystal Dynamics planning to support this game for years to come, there is plenty of time to emphasize and expand upon what works and phase out what does not.