We’ve been covering Marvel’s Avengers for quite some time now. Ever since the beta was released, we have been taking a closer look at the stories surrounding the controversial game. It had a rough release with a plethora of content getting delayed as it tried to fight through California wildfires and the pandemic on top of everything. After around eleven months, the first Omega-Level Threat has finally arrived alongside quite a few new and returning additions to fill out the summer. It isn’t the initially promised Cloning Labs but the second introduced OLT, Family Reunion. It’s a reworked version of a mission released with Kate Bishop’s DLC in December. After its initial release, I had the chance to tackle the OLT with friends to see if it keeps its promise of the game’s most challenging content.
Crystal Dynamics has openly discussed that this OLT will feel “old” to the latest Villain Sector focused on AIM’s Monica Rappaccini. It is mainly a reworked version of the original mission that premiered in December with some tweaks. The new modifiers offer a different level of challenge as you face the Tachyon timer, which was never a big deal. Enemies are spawned very frequently with unflinching armors that sadly restrict you from making full use of your character’s juggling capabilities. On the flip side, you also make it difficult to just one-shot the various AIM bots and Keepers. It’s not a perfect solution, but it did force me to communicate closely with my teammates to ensure I don’t die or we run out of time.
The true challenge is two-fold. The giant AIM mech is way faster than before and quite difficult to take down. It was a pleasant surprise and was a blast coordinating with others to take out its different weak spots. Then comes the true challenge of the game, the new Super-Adaptoid fight. At first, you can take a good chunk of damage off of it, but then it splits into multiple clones, and chaos ensues. We’ve probably got wiped around six times in the Super-Adaptoid fight, as we slowly adjust to the new moves. Even knowing what was coming didn’t make it any easier. My Thor had no chance and got knocked out frequently, as I have casually just looked for gear that I felt gave me good stats. It was a blast playing with my team and taking on the mission in a new way, as I mostly played solo until today.
Yet, the loss was exhilarating as we’ve kept getting closer and closer to beating the Adaptoid. Few shared their frustration with the mission, but I believe it does what it promised. It’s not perfect, as it does feel strange to remake an older level instead of adding something new, especially after a long delay. It’s even the small things such as reusing the old visual icon on the War Table rather than making it stick out as a unique mechanic. It truly feels like an element of an earlier era for the game, as it was still finding its footing as a service offering.
The one thing I want to commend both the OLT and the Cosmic Cube Villain Sector, they’ve changed the way I played the game. I no longer use whatever random gear I get but sit down and go through each piece. As a more casual player, these new additions put me in a situation where gear matters. Yes, the gear doesn’t stick out as it could in the game, but the latest additions did make me sit down and think about what I want to do with my gear. So, I want to praise the game for pushing me to rethink my approach to it even 200 hours into my overall run.
Overall, I think the OLT was a great addition. It certailny isn’t perfect, as it could’ve benefitted from some surprises, and it’s time to test out new elements on how to add challenges besides through specific modifiers. They teased that future content will be closer to Cosmic Cube, which took me quite a few tries before I was able to finish it. It was a lot of fun coming together with friends online and take on this mission. If this is just a taste, I am hopeful and excited to see what the future holds for the game. I still hope that we get more randomization that can add to the challenge and even catch players off-guard. Here’s hoping Black Panther’s War for Wakanda update adds some new modes to extend the endgame in the future. Still, it’s a great first step, and it’s a great warm-up ahead of what they described as their biggest content drop to date.
