Tag: Avengers

First Glimpse at ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Black Panther Leaked

Crystal Dynamics can’t really get a break. Their potential Marvel’s Avengers DLC line-up gets leaked during the Beta with around 16 characters revealed. Just yesterday, their War Machine design leaked online. We thought that might be it until the next major update by the developers. Well, looks like we were wrong as one more character has been leaked. Sadly, it isn’t as detailed as War Machine was but it does offer a glimpse of what a major upcoming character will look like. The Twitter user @Jleffel22 was so kind to share with us two images that tease what Black Panther will look like in the game. They’ve started circulating recently without a specific source being named.

Also black panther has been leaked pic.twitter.com/m2VUzAtGuF

— Jesse (@Jleffel22) September 27, 2020

There is not much to go by with these images. They are very small but it is easy to make out that it is Black Panther. The ears and eye design are a dead-giveaway. Still, it was hard to say if this was actually official from the game. Well, that changed pretty quickly as this leak has been confirmed by @mmmmmmmmiller. This user is the one who originally released the image that featured War Machine and many other smaller leaks.

https://twitter.com/mmmmmmmmiller/status/1310009260961656832

Black Panther was originally going to be revealed in the last War Table. Crystal Dynamics chose to postpone this reveal in honor of Chadwick Boseman‘s tragic passing. So, we were expecting our first look with the release of the next one that will include a roadmap for the game. Interestingly to note, a while back Miller also released an image of what Wakanda might look like in-game. He pointed to it being the first big addition that will feature a variety of new missions and a raid. That raid would lead your Avengers team into the Vibranium mines to fight Klaue. We cannot wait for the official reveal of what is to come.

Source: Twitter (Leak), Twitter (Confirmation)

September 27, 2020
Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of ‘AVENGERS: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES’ with the Top 10 Episodes

It’s hard to believe that it has now been a decade since the animated Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes debuted on Disney XD. The series, which was developed by Christopher Yost, Joshua Fine and Ciro Nieli, hit just after the dawn of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and served to introduce a new generation of kids to the heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe. It was a brilliant move by Marvel but the all-too-short 2 year run of arguably the companies best animated series left a void that, to some, has never been filled by any of subsequent series. To celebrate its 10 year anniversary, to relive the all the fun moments and in hopes that if we keep talking about it there will be a Season 3 on Disney Plus, we bring you the 10 best episodes of Avengers: EMH!

Episode 1.10-“Everything is Wonderful”

This episode resonated with me so deeply that, a decade after it aired, it became the foundation for my Iron Man 4 pitch. The rivalry between Simon Williams and Tony Stark worked perfectly from jump street and the episode does a nice job of setting up Tony to be the bad guy before delivering some redemption.

One of the great things about EMH in general was the way it fearlessly introduced characters that many fans who hadn’t read the comics might be entirely unaware of. This episode tripled up on that with Wonder Man, his brother, the Grim Reaper, and MODOK. Though he’s technically MODOC here and more memorable for being beaten and belittled by Thor than anything else, it’s always good to see that giant, flying head.

The Easter Egg game was strong in this episode as well. We got Wonder Man’s original suit, the setup for his time on the Masters of Evil, a Jack Fury mention and a peek at the Cosmic Cube. This one also set up quite a bit for season one while being a great standalone episode.

Episode 1.17-“The Man Who Stole Tomorrow”

The recent news that Jonathan Majors will portray the live-action version of Kang in Ant-Man 3 makes this episode all the more relevant as for many 2000’s kids, this served as their introduction to the Lord of Limbo. This kicks off a 3-episode run that’s as memorable to me as any; even before my recent rewatch, much of this one stuck with me.

The episode does a great job of building on the relationship between Tony and Steve, showing us how useful they are as foils to one another. While Cap takes Tony to school during PT time, Tony’s explanation of what it means to be a “futurist” is something that Cap can’t quite wrap his head around but puts a bug in the viewer’s ear for later. The episode also sets up a couple of MAJOR elements for the future of the show: the Negative Zone prison known as 42 and Pym’s army of Ultrons.

Kang’s arrival from the 41st Century to kill Captain America is pretty big divergence from the character’s comic book roots, but it’s well-developed and well-executed and plants a seed whose fruit wouldn’t be enjoyed until Season 2. But from the first appearance of Damocles to the incredible display of his tech-based abilities, the episode makes Kang every bit the threat he should be and sets up one of the most enjoyable mini-arcs of the entire show.

Episode 1.21-“Hail, Hydra!”

An episode that both pays off many of Season 1’s ongoing arcs and introduces some arcs that carry all the way into Season 2, “Hail, Hydra!” is the exemplar episode of how this series was outlined, planned and executed from the very beginning.

While this episode is all about BIG action with A.I.M, Hydra, S.H.I.E.L.D and the Avengers all taking swings at each other in New York City, it’s the character moments that put this episode on the list. Chief among those moments is the exchange between Cap and Hulk that ends with Cap telling the big guy that he’s been watching him and that his actions define him as a hero. It’s the kind of speech that only Cap could deliver and, even in animated form, it gives me goose bumps. This one is really Cap’s episode all around between his Hulk pep talk, his one-on-one with Strucker and the fact that he inadvertently alters reality and creates the Winter Soldier.

Hawkeye is the other standout Avenger in this one, delivering some classic Hawkeye quips, coming to terms with Nat’s apparent betrayal before finally helping her get away in an effort to find Nick Fury, the one man who COULD bring some clarity to the current situation.

A pivot point for the series as a whole, this one checks a lot of boxes and deserves to make the list.

Episode 1.23-“The Ultron Imperative”

“Humanity has failed as a species.” While every episode is ostensibly the same thing as the one before, i.e. the Avengers teaming up to fight a big threat, they’re all a little different thematically and this one takes a turn handling one of the classic sci-fi themes: humanity vs. technology. Dipping its toes into the sci-fi horror pool of man having reached too far and creating something he can no longer control, we see Ultron turn into Pym and Stark’s Frankenstein’s monster.

In many ways, this animated Ultron proves superior to the live-action version we got in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron even though the two have a lot in common. Much like the film we see Ultron take over Tony’s suits, build himself a new body and get the idea that he’ll ultimately never be able to be destroyed because he’s capable of uploading his A.I. anywhere at anytime, so what’s the difference? It’s all in the setup. We’ve had time to see Ultron introduced and grow and, terrifyingly, we’ve seen him learn enough to know how to rewrite his own programming to remove blocks put in place by Pym. Fortunately, Pym saves the day by coding Ultron to realize he’s part of his own problem, shutting him down, but the shadow of his failure will continue to loom over Pym’s shoulder into season 2 and we haven’t seen the last of Ultron just yet.

Episode 1:26-”A Day Unlike Any Other”

The most cinematic episode of season one comes out swinging, hits hard in the middle and ends with one helluva cliffhanger. The final episode of 3-episode arc, “A Day Unlike Any Other” is the cherry on top of not only that arc but the season. It’s a good Avengers story on steroids, hitting the highest notes when it teams the Avengers up with Asgardians and other supporting characters from the Nine Realms in an effort to stop Loki’s conquest. Tony’s uru armor is the best of several upgrades the Avengers get as assists in taking ‘on the Prince of Lies and its forging is a scene that’s stuck in my memory for a decade.

Of course the Avengers and their new allies find a way to stop Loki and earn the respect of a well-rested Odin and head back to Earth finally putting an end to the guy who stirred the drink for all of Season 1s mischief. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, however, a despondent Captain America, haunted by his broken shield and bargain with Hela, gets zapped by a doppleganger, kicking off the Skrull Secret Invasion. Watching the series 10 years ago, this final scene absolutely blew my mind because the Secret Invasion comic event was only about 2 years old when the show was made. It was a brilliant choice that paid off in a big way in Season 2, but for now here’s to the mightiest heroes in the Nine Realms.

Episode 2.3-“Acts of Vengeance”

One great thing about Avengers: EMH is the ongoing Masters of Evil arc. It had to be mentioned at some point, but the decision to make Amora one of the series ongoing antagonists is one of the things that works the best over the two season run. Taking her revenge on the Zemo’s Masters, Amora takes it up a notch forcing Zemo to turn to the Avengers for help. The double-crosses don’t stop (Skrull Cap!) and ultimately it’s Simon Williams whose redemption comes when he sacrifices himself to stop Amora from using the last Norn stone.

It’s that Norn stone that ties to the interesting side mission taken on by Thor, Balder and Odin on Nidavellir. There the trio find that in meddling with the Norn stones, Surtur himself has been released and regained his Twilight Sword which means Ragnarok must be right around the corner. The backgrounds drawn in Nidavellir and the design of Surtur are visual highlights for the entire series. This episode is a great example of how well the series routinely balanced multiple storylines in one episode without one taking away from the other.

Episode 2.4-“Welcome to the Kree Empire”

If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you know I amA a huge fan of the Cosmic corner of the Marvel Universe. As such, this entire second season is a treat for me, but this episode stands out in the pack because my first love on that side of things was always the Kree Empire and here they’re done right! It is without hesitation that I say that 22 minutes of EMH pays more tribute to Yon-Rogg, Ronan and the Empire than has been done to date in the MCU. Add to that the introduction of S.W.O.R.D. and Abigail Brand who are cleverly inhabiting Kang’s Damocles as their base and you’ve done enough to make me happy for 22 minutes story aside.

Fortunately, this one has a great story and Carol Danvers is the heart of it. In her first outing as Ms. Marvel, Carol kicks ass while representing Earth. She stands toe-to-toe with Ronan, stands with the Avengers and, at the end of the day, joins the team. This version of Carol stands apart from both the comics and film versions and is maybe the best of the three.

Points to the creative team for having Skrull Cap’s hatred for the Kree force him to act out of character. And, as the episode ends, we get to see Skrull Cap put out a call making Earth the next battleground for the Kree-Skrull war.

Episode 2.11-“Infiltration”

The setup for the Skrull invasion of Earth began early in Season 1 but this episode tees up the payoff and does it so well, that I enjoy it more than the following episode, “Secret Invasion.” The episode establishes a tone of mystery and paranoia through the eyes of Ms. Marvel and by the time we get to the standoff in Wakanda, we truly have no idea who is who and are all just as confused as Carol. As the battle in Wakanda rages on, Carol and the audience only get more confused, especially when the second wave of Avengers arrive but by the time we figure out who’s who when Mjolnir cracks and Thor turns green, we realize it’s too late, but it’s still great to watch Carol and crew clean house.

For me the big pay off is getting to see Doom’s plan come to fruition. Victor is one of my favorite Marvel characters and has been poorly represented in live-action but the creators of this series get him. Doom is not a villain and he’s always the hero of his own story and he’s not going to let a group of aliens come and take over his birthright (ruling the world!), so he’s here to help clean up this mess.

I love the subtle things Skrull Cap has been doing throughout this season and him taking Hulk off the board by convincing him to turn himself in as Banner is another nod to the well-planned and well-executed Skrull strategy to take Earth by taking the strongest there is off the board. Of course there’s someone out there whose always keeping one eye open: Nick Fury is on to Skrull Cap and is about to make his play from the shadows. However, the final twist is discovering that Veranke was one step ahead of both Fury and Stark, leaving nobody in the way of her invasion. I love that the writers sprinkled in references to the Skrull prophecy promising Earth to them, a route I hope to see the MCU take when they deal with the invasion.

Episode 2.23-“The New Avengers”

There are so many good episodes in Season 2, including another half dozen or so great ones between “Infiltration” and “New Avengers” that it’s hard to skip all the way here, but this one outdoes them all, is probably the 2nd best episode of the entire series and I gave myself a limit of 10 episodes so here we are…

This episode follows through on so many threads that have been left hanging since Season 1, primarily the arc of one of the series’ great antagonists, Kang. The Council of Kangs (I couldn’t believe they went there!!!) step in to free Kang, enabling him to wipe out what they perceive to be the greatest threat to all possible timelines. Kang uses the arc reactor as a time machine and takes the Avengers off the board entirely, leaving Earth defenseless…or is it? Always the futurist, Stark has a backup plan which he activates via Jarvis. Meet the New Avengers!

It’s a wild episode as ninjas and dinosaurs and Martian machines (I’m 99% sure that we have a Killraven Easter Egg here, which is INSANE) invade NYC but the dynamic of the new team is really centerstage here. The Spidey/Wolverine interchanges are solid gold (as are all the shots of Spidey swinging through town) and it’s awesome to watch the new team quickly come together to take on and take down Kang, especially with Spidey taking the lead and an impromptu Fastball Special. This one was just one nod to comic fans after another and as much fun as any episode over the 52 episode run. Of course Spidey brings back the team, but it’s a good thing Stark expanded the roster of Avengers because as he says, the world needs heroes, and the biggest threat they’ve ever faced is just a few episodes away.

Episode 2.26-Avengers Assemble

Hands down the best episode and potentially the biggest undertaking in all of Marvel’s onscreen entertainment (yes, I think this is bigger deal than Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame), “Avengers: Assemble” is what always made Marvel Comics great to me as a kid: over the top crossover issues/events that gave us character pairings we didn’t know we loved and non-stop action. The action starts just over 1 minute into the episode when Terrax heralds the arrival of Galactus and continues on for 20 more minutes. During that 20 minutes of chaos, almost every hero the show introduced over two years appears (notably absent are the Guardians and Mockingbird), several of Galactus’ heralds show up as the Devourer finally reaches Earth!

The story of Galactus and his heralds has fascinated me since I first read about his history in Thor #168 and #169 and I’ve tracked down every trace of that story over the years: seeing them all here (well, not all of them) and seeing Galan given the reverence he deserves had me smiling when it first aired in 2012 and again recently when I rewatched it.

This episode delivers time after time: from watching the heralds work, to the Code White montage to perhaps one of the greatest Cap speeches of all time as he overlooks the entirety of Earth’s Mighties Heroes. Watching the awesome power of Galactus hold up against all of the Avengers’ heaviest hitters is a spectacle I hope to see matched on the big screen someday, but until then it stands out in my mind as one of the great big action scenes in all of comic book entertainment. If you’ve never watched a single episode of this series, you could jump straight to this one and realize the full potential of what can be done when a creative team has as much knowledge, passion and love for the source material as what this crew had. But my goodness, do I wish I knew what happened next…

With all the love for the show and the recent push to renew other animated series such as Young Justice and the X-Men, I’ll continue to hold out hope that Christopher Yost (who recently gave a look at what a potential third season might be like) gets a chance to bring this treasure back to life.

September 26, 2020
First Look at ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ War Machine Leaked

Marvel’s Avengers had a rough start but finally was able to clean out most of the major bugs. Sadly, this is a standard release for games of this kind. Still, we are not here to rest on the past but look at what the future may bring for this new gaming franchise. During the last War Table, Crystal Dynamics promised the reveal of a roadmap for their content. Sadly, we are still waiting for the official reveal as the developer focused on bugs and Quality-of-Life improvements. There was one glimmer of hope in the form of data miner @mmmmmmmmiller who shared a first look at the upcoming Wakanda expansion. Now, he went all out to give one more major reveal in the form of the War Machine design.

https://twitter.com/mmmmmmmmiller/status/1309659441789374464

That is a beautiful design for Rhodey’s armor. War Machine is a heavier tank than Iron Man so they hopefully will lean into that fact. His ultimate might most likely be a barrage that we have seen in the films. It will be interesting to see how much he differs from the existing character. The inclusion of these echo characters is most likely so they can keep the meta alive in the game while two players can play a variant of the same character. He will also come with his own set of missions and a continuation of the existing storyline. We will see if they reveal him as part of the road map, as theories are he won’t be added until 2021. Still, it is great to have a hint at what is to come in this ever-expanding game.

Miller did also share some smaller tidbits in the form of audio files. He seemed to share files that confirmed that they already recorded reactions of Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, and Winter Soldier. There is one that he hasn’t revealed that seems to sound like what could be Vision. Yet, it also uses the word “win” which could potentially hint at some kind of PVP mode coming to the game. In my last journal entry, I stated that the game is a bit barebones. So, all we really need is more content with new mission types, environments, and loot to offer some more variety to the game. These service games can become an exciting prospect once it gets starting and we hopefully will get the reveal soon.

Source: Twitter

September 26, 2020
Ten Years Later ‘The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ Is Still Among the Best

How has it already been ten years? In 2010, Disney XD released the series The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. At the time, I only had a passing knowledge of comics. It was 2008’s Iron Man that made me interested in catching up on almost 70 years of history at the time. I thought I managed to get a good look at the mythology this franchise has set up. Man, I was so wrong. EMH dives into every single facet that Marvel has to offer. The show interweaves so many different storylines based on unique properties and makes it feel cohesive. Every member of the team is given an arc throughout the show that also ties into the overarching plot. It is still tough to chew that this show was canceled after its second season. As today is its tenth anniversary, It seems like the perfect time to revisit this iconic Marvel series.

And There Came a Day Unlike Any Other

I binged the entire show on Disney+ to return to that feeling when I first saw it. It is amazing to think about how well this show holds up after ten years. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe built up its various Avengers members, this show just throws you straight in. The first two episodes are quite the rush now that I rewatched it. There isn’t any hand-holding here, they throw you into this show without any warning. If you have no idea who any of these characters are, you are going to have to do some research. We get introduced to the Absorbing Man, Blizzard, Mad Thinker, King Cobra, the Wrecking Crew and so many more. Just thinking back, I had no idea who most of these characters were. It’s an incredible balance this show does throughout its run by understanding what characters need an introduction. Do we really need an origin story for the Wrecking Crew? No, let’s focus more on Graviton who serves as the main threat.

Speaking of, this show made me a huge fan of the character. He may be a minor villain but something about his powers was the perfect choice to bring the Avengers together. It was the reason I wanted Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to follow through with their tease of the character. His connection to S.H.I.E.L.D. added a great deal of intrigue that would perpetuate throughout the series. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes doesn’t try to shove every single upcoming plotline in this two-parter. Its focus is on introducing people to the diversity of villains, setting up the jailbreak, and the Avengers coming together. Small hints are set but they are only really built on throughout the seasons.

When Earth’s Mightiest Heroes

After a fantastic opening, it kind of goes a strange direction. We get the Avengers together and quickly rush through their characters. Instead of continuing from that point, it takes a step back. We return to the time before the events of ‘The Breakout’. This was my first time experiencing an out-of-order airing on television. Chronologically, ‘Iron Man is Born’ is the first episode of the show. At the time, this was one hell of whiplash because the events didn’t match up. Even Disney+ still has it in the wrong airing order. As you noticed though, the opening two-parter still works on its own. It’s such a strange aspect that Disney XD at the time aired it this way. It actually is even crazier that Disney+ still does not include it in chronological order. Somehow that just became an aspect of the show to this day.

The actual continuation is the episode ‘A Little Assembly Required’ that shows that these Avengers don’t get along instantly. It seems a tradition at this point that heroes always get into fights when they start teams. this episodes kind of highlights the advantage and disadvantage of having so many characters. This version of the Hulk is my favorite interpretation. He isn’t just a rage monster but actually is quite intelligent but still loves fighting. As they introduce him as this walking time bomb he tends to disappear for some time during specific arcs. They do this with a lot of recurring characters. It’s even showcased in the intro as it only shows the members relevant to the episode. Of course, this is great to keep an overview of the arcs but it forces them into making up excuses for others to “disappear”. A revolving door of characters works for the show, just sometimes it feels like the confrontations are forced to make sure to even the odds.

Found Themselves United Against a Common Threat

Still, this is a show about Avengers. We get so many fantastic adaptations of classic storylines. They are all interwoven throughout episodes that have a completely different focus. It all feels natural and is the advantage of long-form storytelling. An experiment creates Wonder Man that also introduces us to M.O.D.O.K. He briefly mentions they are working on a weapon for HYDRA. Ant-Man gets attacked by Klaue, who is helping Man-Ape that took over Wakanda. We also have Enchantress manipulating iconic villains to do her bidding that ends up forming the Masters of Evil. We briefly get introduced to Carol Danvers and Mar-Vell before the second season builds up the Kree-Skrull War. In just two seasons, we probably explore every aspect the Marvel universe has to offer.

Sadly, no matter how great the show was, it didn’t get renewed for a third season. It was replaced by a show called Avengers Assemble. The goal was that this show connected to Ultimate Spider-Man but it was nowhere near the same quality. Alongside Spectacular Spider-Man, this is one of Marvel’s best adaptations of their comics. It is a waste it was canceled in its prime but it did have a great ending. Every hero unites against a common threat like no other. Galactus has come to devour the world and it is up to all our favorite heroes to take them down. It is the perfect finale for this show even if there was so much more potential. Funny enough, Disney+ once again includes it out of order, as the 15th episode ‘Powerless’ is listed after the finale ‘Avengers Assemble!’ Even out of order, this show is an absolute gem. I believe it taught the Marvel Cinematic Universe a few lessons as it continued after the show aired its final episode.

September 22, 2020
First Look at ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Wakanda Location Leaked

Marvel’s Avengers had a rough start. Yet, I still believe the foundation is promising. Bugs have been an issue that the team has been actively working on. They were transparent about the issues they fixed with their last patch. Sadly, 1,000 bugs isn’t a great thing to hear but they could’ve just hidden it as well. Crystal Dynamics is working on the game’s current core issues. Yet, they are also developing the next DLC update.

We know that we will be getting Kate Bishop in October followed by Hawkeye. The last War Table did reveal that originally Black Panther was going to be included but due to the tragic circumstances they decided to skip. So, we are waiting to get an idea of what else is heading our way. They promised a roadmap later down the line. It’s been a few weeks since launch and we’re still waiting. Well, that was until now. A Twitter user that goes by @mmmmmmmmmiller started sharing information from the game. The user started sharing an image that he proclaimed is part of the upcoming Wakanda update.

https://twitter.com/mmmmmmmmiller/status/1307517400246616069

The image doesn’t scream Wakanda at first sight which had me skeptical. It includes that the mining facility for Vibranium is in the background. It’s just a bit more industrial rather than the futuristic look we get in the MCU’s Black Panther. The theory is that there are two distinct areas known as Borderland and Jungle. A raid will take place in the mining facility. Players will get to fight Klaue. Sadly, no information if Wakanda would include its own Outpost.

I tried to research if there was any other image that would match but couldn’t find anything. It’s not an in-game model so I wondered if the game used artwork assets in the game. The Chimera Outpost seems to use artwork from the Helicarrier which could give this some credibility. The game uses a mix of artwork and in-game stills which makes it a bit confusing.

So, I wanted to see what else would be shared to see if anything else would match what we know so far. We got a good look at a Black Panther emblem. This seems to be similar to the 3D model we saw during the last War Table’s tease. The person shared the names of the various suits that leaked shortly after the Beta ended for Kate Bishop. They also point out the character will have two distinctive challenge cards. One will be free and another premium. It would make sense to give people access to some content and then adding a paid layer instead of locking all costumes behind a paywall. If this is true, it is great to see some new locations added to the game. I do hope that the city of Wakanda is also included in a future update and not just the forest. There is a chance that assets are changed later on but it’s a glimmer of what’s to come.

Source: Twitter

September 22, 2020
‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Journal: Barebones Endgame, or a True Initative?

Anyone who follows me on Twitter might have noticed that I’ve been rather vocal about Square-Enix’s Marvel’s Avengers. In general, the game has some major flaws. There is no way to deny that. Games as a Service tend to have rough starts. There are different levels of issues, but it has been there since even before Destiny. Some of these games needed a year or even longer before they hit their true stride. So, I tried to spend some time after finishing the campaign to see what more is there to this game. You can check out my thoughts on the campaign by clicking here. It’s a heartfelt story that offers a unique perspective on our favorite heroes. I probably played around 14 hours to finish it. It’s the same campaign length I had with Batman: Arkham Origins back in the day. Now, it was time for the endgame content. Here we can see if the game truly holds up for the long-time commitment.

An Enjoyable Aftermath

One thing the game handled well is that the story continues. While cutscenes are now more sparse than before, I was surprised to get small moments throughout the hero-specific missions. Thor’s mission with a fake was quite the highlight as A.I.M. soldiers were defecting. Sadly, they didn’t have any unique designs but that could still come once we return to the Woken storyline. I was a bit surprised that Kamala and Iron Man didn’t have any unique mission types. Still, my main focus was to fulfill the various fraction missions to get my hands on the Darkhold. Yes, the evil book that was featured in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a big reward once you finish a major mission chain focused on A.I.M.s cloning technology teased at the end of the campaign.

I think this part is done well. You have missions that grant you additional gear which lets you level up accordingly. I was having fun as I unlocked a variety of new missions that weren’t available before. After some time you do start to notice a trend. These missions start to reuse assets frequently. Plus, the Hive mission becomes the main focus. The 1.3 patch just added a new mission type that I will get to later. The issue is that with their strong focus on A.I.M. there aren’t any surprises after you finish the story. There’s no bonus villain here. You’ll revisit a lot of the same places as you try to grind for gear.

A Questionable Grind

The grind is a selling point of looter games. You receive gear with unique perks. At first, you’ll focus mainly on the power level. It isn’t until you hit 130 that you start caring about stats. This aspect is a lot of fun. It made me think about my character customization. Yes, gears don’t change anything visually but they can have their perks. So, why not grind for gear that lets Thor freeze his enemies as he hits them. You can even add a Jotunheim ability to his heroics, so you can create your custom version of Thor. I am still building up the character but am excited to play around with his abilities and gear. There is a sense of accomplishment that makes the character your version. Some have even started giving their builds unique names.

The issue is that the best gear is not easy to get. It does make sense. You don’t want players to finish the game too fast. The problem is that most of the perks aren’t that unique. The new Mega Hive adds a single-player experience to grind for them. It’s a “Last Man Standing” mission. Originally, it was just going to be one ongoing level. They split it up so you can spread it out throughout the week. Now, you aren’t forced to finish it in one sitting. The only issue is, it doesn’t change anything. It’s the same assets as before. Crystal Dynamics focused on the challenge of it. That is fine but the reward doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get the best gear. Of course, this created more friction with players. There is a lack of reward. It also doesn’t include the multiplayer aspect that many play it for. The game has to walk this tightrope. As such, it should’ve at least offered a multiplayer variation. We are going to receive A.I.M. Secret Base missions that will be multiplayer-focused. I like that they are adding single-player options in the endgame. Just think they should’ve focused on multiplayer first.

A Barebones Endgame

Does this break the game? No, not at all. It just hampers the experience as you wait for the next real content drop. I think a general issue is the bugs that the developers are actively working on. Yes, they shouldn’t have been around when it launched. In reality, this is the GaaS standard that sadly perpetuates throughout this industry. No one is defending it but we also can’t change it now. I do believe that Crystal Dynamics has been hard at work. They have moments of more active conversation but they do show that they care. People mocked their reveal of 1,000 bugs being fixed but I appreciate the honesty. Most games have bugs that are hidden and get patched out throughout their life cycle. World of Warcraft, Destiny, Final Fantasy XIV Online, and many more repeat these issues. It wasn’t until the A Realm Reborn update that FF XIV was truly playable and got where it is now. It’s due to their dependence on having an active online connection that creates unique bugs that sadly pop up after launch. I wouldn’t want to be in the shoes of these developers.

I still firmly believe in the game’s potential. Yes, it’s a rough start but it sadly is kind of the norm with GaaS. The gameplay is a lot of fun. Each character offers something unique. I love that the game is also offering alternatives for single-player. It was the gear aspect that was handled wrong and should be fixed. I’ve probably put in well over 100 hours so I got my money’s worth from the base game. I would still recommend it to anyone interested. If you’re not in a rush to play it just wait until more content is added and bugs are fixed. Right now, it is just very minimal once you reach a certain threshold. It is okay to play it and take breaks between sessions. The reason I started this as a journal is that more is on the way. It keeps evolving and that is an exciting prospect. Now, I just cannot wait to try out the new Secret Base and Kate Bishop once she arrives next month.

September 20, 2020
‘Avengers’ Journal: Wishlist for the Initiative

Not too long ago, I shared my experience with the single-player campaign of Marvel’s Avengers. Reassemble tells the story of Kamala Khan, as she reunites the Avengers five years after the A-Day incident. It is a surprisingly heartfelt and grounded coming-of-age story. Kamala becomes the emotional anchor for the team. Now that the campaign is over, we enter the Avengers Initiative. Here, I was able to explore what the game truly has to offer. We get quite a few missions teasing future storylines. There are even unique mission types like HIVE raids to add some variety. Sadly, live-service games have a certain reputation due to past experiences. Avengers isn’t innocent of sticking to those conventions. Yet, Crystal Dynamics has a chance to grow beyond those tropes. Here are some aspects that I believe will accomplish that goal.

A Loot of Issues

So, the loot system isn’t great. It is used to level up the power of your character. Like classic RPGs, the stat changes are the focus. To put it in comparison, Destiny adds different visuals to gear. Yet, I have to confess that I didn’t care much for this aspect. When I finally found a design I liked, I had to replace it with something more powerful anyways. So, it was a bit pointless to me. When Avengers revealed the loot included different abilities based on Marvel’s history, I loved this approach. It gives you an incentive to find them with unique attributes to enhance your playstyle. Yet, at the end of the day, the gear is mainly just to upgrade your stats. You go through so many different versions that you can’t stick to a specific style throughout. I mean, you could if you are willing to grind it out for hours-on-end. Especially with the necessity of power levels for missions.

There’s a lack of incentive to invest time in grinding for gear. For some, it’s the design changes. There supposedly is Epic Gear in the game that does add some visual flourishes. I do believe that this addition would be enough to make it worth the time. It could be something small like Iron Man’s arc reactor glowing green if a Gamma-based gear is attached. This way it doesn’t affect the skins. Also, give people the chance to create or add effects to existing loot. Would love to see the tech lab add a new station. You can combine gear to create a new one. If you gather enough resources, you can even add your preferred effect to the weapon. Giving players a bit more freedom would also give them more of an incentive.

A Feeling of Déjà-vu

So, I am currently going through the endgame content. Taking my time to go through the character-specific missions and post-game content. I was excited when I finally unlocked my first HIVE raid mission. It felt like every time I was going through the story, I was opening up new aspects of the game. The only problem was that you start to realize a pattern between these missions. They commonly consist of multiple parts that are in a different order. You start by destroying an elite squad of A.I.M. goons. This is then followed by a hacking mission where you get bombarded in a small circular area. You might also have to protect three defecting A.I.M. scientists, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, or hunted Inhumans. I love the gameplay and the missions but it’s hard to deny that they tend to repeat. Just switching the order doesn’t make it less noticeable. Especially if you tend to retread familiar ground through recycled A.I.M. bases.

We know that we will get a lot more content when Kate Bishop is released next month. While I do believe it will great to have various content additions alongside new characters, I hope they don’t restrict themselves here. Hopefully, this game will see years of content to come. It doesn’t always have to be in the form of a new character or story mission. A concept like the Avengers lends itself to a major variety of possible conflict. It could be something as simple, as a mission getting interrupted by a brand new enemy type. Maybe HYDRA has returned and you end up in a conflict between them and A.I.M. that sets up a future storyline. Even just adding a new faction like former A.I.M. scientists that want to help you and formed after Black Widow’s unique story.

A Faction of Conflict

Factions are an interesting addition to the game. It’s something that was obviously inspired by Destiny. After taking on different objective types, you can rank up your connection to either S.H.I.E.L.D. or the Inhuman resistance led by Hank Pym. On paper, this is a great idea that gives you an incentive to replay missions. It even unlocks unique Villain Raids where you take down a boss you encountered in the main story. My only problem lies in the fact that you barely really get anything out of a Fraction rank up. You get some resources, maybe even unlock some collectible and you get access to more purchasable weapons. It doesn’t change much as you also have two available vendors. It sadly is just a bit underwhelming from what they could’ve done with this concept.

I hope they expand it with new factions, as the world continues to grow. Also, it opens up rivalries and unique story moments. Inhumans don’t trust A.I.M. scientists after the experiments. So what if a faction of A.I.M. defectors is founded. Supporting them ends up decreasing your alliance with the Inhuman faction. It isn’t until you solve a unique mission line that they learn to work together. Also, it lets your activities within the game have actual consequences. How about you can invest in the factions that see their outposts grow. Maybe the Ant Hill gets some upgrades. Crystal Dynamics could add some mini-games that are unique to the base. Players can win some free resources or credits. As of now, the only reason you need to visit the Ant Hill is to get the faction missions. It’s a shame that there isn’t much to them as of now.

A Chimera of Potential

I believe one aspect of this game has the biggest potential. The Helicarrier Chimara was a huge selling point for me. Just the idea of exploring your own Helicarrier was fun. I couldn’t wait to see it back in the air after resting in Utah. One of the best missions in the story was when the Helicarrier got attacked by A.I.M. Suddenly, everything you repaired throughout the story was gone. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and Inhumans that joined you vanished. It reflected the story’s narrative and was a great way to add something to the story. Now, in the post-game, the Chimera lost that charm a bit. You mainly use it as a hub for small interactions and accessing the War Table. Yet, there is so much more Crystal Dynamics could do with this concept.

Now that you have a base crew together to keep the Chimera flying. With a war with A.I.M. on the horizon, it is time to build up a team. Let our activities with the Factions allow us to recruit Inhumans or S.H.I.E.L.D. agents with different abilities. They can either act as support during missions or be sent out on their own to gather resources. You can build up an entire team that has their personalities as you talk to them on your flying battleship. Perhaps they even give you rewards if you regularly talk to them and build up their loyalty. Maybe some will become new vendors that specialize in specific gear like cryo or gamma. All that is up to your decisions throughout your journey. After a time, you can even customize and specialize your Helicarrier. Maybe you are more focused on mobility or firepower for your team’s missions. Invest some time to upgrade the Quinjets that let you call in for backup during a mission.

A Sign of Growth

I won’t deny that Avengers is a bit barebones as of now. Yet, the price of admission was worth it. The story and gameplay alone hooked me in. Thes ideas are just ways that could really make this game stand out. It would add so much more variety. This way. Plus, it would just offer some variety to the core gameplay that keeps you coming back. The game’s biggest issue is the lack of polish. Of course, the bugs are the most apparent issue alongside the rather high costs for the marketplace. With a lack of diversity in skins, there is no real incentive to buy anything especially at some of these prices. It’s also a waste for the marketplace not to be available in the actual Chimera. They could add a meta-joke with the CEO of Square-Enix as the vendor. It would be quite funny and similar to how he was a secret boss in Nier: Automata. The potential of the game is the whole reason I aim to keep up this journal. Hopefully, Crystal Dynamics will stick to it and we will have years of content to come. I’ll also be selfish and hope they actually implement some of the ideas I’ve mentioned here.

September 11, 2020
‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Tops UK Physical Sales Charts

Marvel and Square-Enix are testing out a new market. Their recent release of Marvel’s Avengers is a service game. After their success with the single-player Spider-Man, they aim to expand this new entry as time goes on. The Avengers is a team of constantly changing members so it makes sense on paper. Naturally, these games are surrounded by quite a lot of controversy. It is certainly no stranger to it. No matter where one stands on it, the investment seems to be paying off for Marvel.

Avengers has topped the UK physical sales charts. This does not take any digital sales into account. Those will be interesting as they’ve seen a massive increase over the year. To put it into perspective, it sold slightly more than Crystal Dynamic’s last game, Shadow of the Tomb Raider. For another comparison, it had sold less than a third when compared to Spider-Man. Keep in mind that these games have a very different audience and selling point. The web-crawler is also quite the merchandising juggernaut. As such, these are mainly comparisons from a sales perspective.

Avengers focuses on long-term investments. At the time, Spider-Man was the fastest-selling game in the UK. That is not an easy act to follow, especially as this console generation is nearing its end. These elements can have an influence on the reduced sale when compared. It’s closest comparison point would be BioWare’s Anthem. It was considered a disappointment with less than six million sales in its release year. We will see if Marvel’s latest foray into gaming will be able to prove as a lucrative investment. Of course, it also depends on Crystal Dynamics. If they fix the current major bugs and keep it updated, the game could stick in the charts for some time. There is also a good chance will see an extra push once Spider-Man is added to the game next year.

Source: Games Industry, VG24/7, PC Games Insider

September 6, 2020
‘Avengers’ Journal: Reassemble, or Disassemble?

It has been quite the journey so far. The release of Marvel’s Avengers has been an interesting one to say the least. Funny to think that my first article on Murphy’s Multiverse was on the Beta. At the time, it was a good summary of my first impression. Since then, I’ve finally gotten my hands on the final game. Finally, I get to play through the single-player campaign. That also means I also get to share my experience on the first major story of the game with you. As the game is set to continuously update, I hope to keep covering the game’s development. That inspired me to not just call this a review but my Avengers Journal. So, without further ado, let’s jump into the first main story, Reassemble.

A-Day of Beginnings

A-Day has been the focus of most of Avengers marketing. As such, most players probably are sick of hearing about it. Still, some of the cutest moments are hidden in this opening sequence. We start the game as a young Kamala Khan attending the iconic event. You get to wander around gathering comics while playing mini-games. She even gets to meet the various members of the team with hints at their dynamic. It’s a very heartfelt moment and a well-done sequence. Was surprised how many details were hidden throughout. Kamala is quite awkward at times. It makes sense that the young fangirl is still learning. Her emotional anchor is her father, who knows the importance of free ice cream. I’ll be honest, the biggest highlight of this story is the relationship between Kamala and her father.

After catastrophe unfolds, we skip to five years later. Kamala stumbles upon footage of what led to the explosion. It paints the events in a very different light. A.I.M. has become obsessed with “curing” Inhumans. Once her hacking gets uncovered, they start hunting her down in a well-done sneaking section. She is confronted by a mutating George Tarleton and Monica Rappaccini. Both survivors of the events and leaders of A.I.M. Not giving in to their offers, she runs off. In her travels, she finds the Helicarrier Chimera, where she snaps Bruce Banner out of a year-long Hulk journey. This unlikely meeting leads them on the path tor reassemble the Avengers one by one.

A Story to Remember

Before I jump into major spoiler territory, I have to praise the writing for this game. I expected a fun romp with my favorite Avengers. Yet, this story goes that extra mile. Making Kamala the main focus was a great idea to ground the story. She is the one meeting her heroes, something any of us can sympathize with. It plays on the “never meet your heroes” narrative and lets her become the emotional anchor for a team that grew apart. As she is Inhuman, she also has a personal stake in A.I.M.’s mission. Kamala is the glue that keeps everything together. Her stake in the story also rounds out the other Avengers.

Of course, this is not just about Kamala. The entire team fell apart when Captain America died during A-Day. Banner gave up and let Hulk take over for over a year. Suddenly, a young ambitious hero wants nothing more than to help those in need. Sandra Saad and Troy Baker give some amazing performances throughout the game. This story would fit in with the best the Marvel Cinematic Universe has offered. Also, this version of M.O.D.O.K. is a true highlight. They not only make the giant-headed scientist feel threatening but also sympathetic. Usman Ally gives a haunting performance that makes a once joke character stand out.

A Game Left Unpolished

The game does have quite a few issues though. I have faced a few lagging issues during cutscenes. The closer I got to the end, the worse they got. You will also notice sequences where they invested more time into the animation than others. I do wish the character-specific missions got a bit more attention, as they mostly consist of radio dialogue. Yes, the marketplace is way too expensive but the story gives you quite a lot of cool skins to play with. My biggest concern is the bugs still plaguing the game. I tried to switch Hulk’s skin and he just turned invisible. It is especially odd when story moments start only for the mission select menu still being on screen. The game has quite a few rough edges that are hard to ignore. However, I will commend Crystal Dynamics for being very active. You can access their Discord server to give them feedback. They are even reacting to posts on Reddit. This team does seem to care about the game and I believe that if they stick to it, they will fix these issues in no time.

Some people have voiced their concerns with Nolan North‘s Tony Stark. Yes, he is quite quippy even more so than other adaptations. I do agree that his in-mission banter can get old pretty fast. Yet, I enjoyed his performance out of the suit. He has a small arc throughout the story that leads to a great emotional moment. I will say though, there is one character that gets sidelined. Somehow, they had trouble fitting in Thor. He gets one mission but isn’t quite relevant to the overarching story. Overall, the game needs some polish. Even with its rough edges, I am having a blast. If they stick to it, maybe reduce the ridiculous prices in the market place and expand upon this foundation, we could have an amazing experience for years to come. It all depends on Crystal Dynamics keeping their word.

Alright, we’re jumping into the rest of the story. Here’s your mandatory spoiler warning. I will talk about the major story moments and the ending. Only continue at your own risk.

A Quest to Assemble

Shortly afterward, we get a hilarious sequence of Tony putting together a make-shift suit. It eases you into the controls for the iconic character while also showing Tony thinking on his feet. I loved the idea that he didn’t instantly get his iconic suit back. We see him create a makeshift one that is at the edge of breaking during his first solo mission. Sadly, this short flying section is the only mission of its kind. I did wish they upped his flying speed a bit here to make it a bit more fast-paced but it was a great change of pace. His recruitment also means we can fix the Chimera and get it airborne again. Former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and Hank Pym’s Inhuman resistance join you in your effort, while you do some missions for them.

Kamala gets confronted by Dante, who comic fans might recognize as Inferno from the comics or Marvel Rising, she rushes to infiltrate a highly guarded Inhuman prison. As she tries to embiggen beyond her limits, she is captured and is confronted by our main villains once again. Throughout the game, we see George turn into M.O.D.O.K. due to some formula that is injected into him by Monika. We see the first confrontations between them. Luckily, Tiny Dancer turns out to be Black Widow who infiltrated A.I.M. since A-Day to uncover what happened that day. It was strange that Kamala got more stealth sections than the game’s spy. This mission ends in a showdown with Monica, who ends up getting captured.

A Short-Lived Victory

Finally, the Avengers had some kind of victory. Sadly, it didn’t last long before George attacked the Chimera mid-flight. Thor joins the fight and keeps the Helicarrier from crashing into downtown Manhattan. Even as they lost quite a bit on the way, they still had proof that Tarleton was behind the reactor explosion on A-Day. Yet, the decyphered video reveals that it was Captain America that caused it. It ends up in an extremely well-done dramatic moment as Bruce and Tony end up fighting and destroying what is left of the Helicarrier. It was only a bit bizarre that suddenly everyone just vanished before ending the next mission. She luckily realizes that they are hiding something in space, which leads to probably my favorite segment in the game.

The space station reveals that Captain America is alive. He was put on ice by Monica. His blood was used as the healing serum on Tarleton that transformed him into M.O.D.O.K. This was the final straw. In his rage, he ends up using it on Monica and seemingly killing her. He then starts his plan to erase Inhumans with Terrigen gas. In a final showdown, every Avenger has to use their unique abilities to take him down. Yet, he has one last trick up his sleeve. He brings a Kree sentry from beneath the ocean. It was the reason that the Terrigen was acting up during A-Day. Kamala’s arc finally reaches it’s climax, as she embiggens to have a one-on-one fight. Finally, the Avengers are united, and M.O.D.O.K. is defeated. After the credits, Monica is revealed to still be alive. The sentry wasn’t quite done yet either, as it sends a beacon into space.

A Future to Behold

What sells the story is that it was planned throughout. If you play close attention, some early plot points become relevant later on. Especially the post-credit reveal of Monica was teased throughout the game. Kamala’s arc is a fantastic coming-of-age story while also giving us a unique look at what it means to be an Avenger. There are some amazing performances and I hope that with each new Avenger, they will also offer unique missions for the original six. As the Avengers Initiative starts with Kate Bishop, be sure to keep an eye out for future articles and journal entries on how the game unfolds.

September 6, 2020
‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Reveals Release Window for Both Hawkeye DLCs

Just a few days ago, we got the official announcement that Kate Bishop would be the first addition to Marvel’s Avengers. The game is only a few days away from its official release, so it is exciting to know what to expect once we’ve finished the main campaign titled Reassemble. Some might have noticed that they also were very open about the release being shortly after launch. They did not offer a specific release window but did tease that they would reveal their road map in a future War Table update. Surprisingly, taking a closer look at their press release, they included when we can expect not just Bishop’s DLC but also that of Barton. The press release states that Kate’s Operation titled “Taking AIM” will kickstart late October followed by Clint’s to finish the double-feature in November.

Here an excerpt from the official press release:

The Marvel’s Avengers WAR TABLE also revealed a new post-launch Hero coming as part of the game’s Avengers Initiative, Kate Bishop. Kate’s Operation, “Taking AIM,” kicks off in late October featuring a new villain and new mystery. Bishop, who is mentored by Clint Barton, comes with distinct Heroic Skills and takedowns that only an Olympic-caliber gymnast and master archer like Kate can pull off.

Kate Bishop will be the first new Hero introduced to Marvel’s Avengers after its launch on September 4. Taking AIM’s story begins shortly after the conclusion of the game’s Reassemble campaign and is just the first half of the two Hawkeyes’ Story Arc. Clint Barton’s Hawkeye takes the stage in November to complete the double-feature and lay the groundwork for what’s next.

Interestingly, they’ve decided to include it in the press release but not their video. The fact that they describe these stories as a singular story arc may also hint at the nature of these characters. Taking a closer look during the video, you can see that both characters share the same symbol. As such, we could see some double-features more often in the future, or smaller story arcs from the leaked line-up. Still, we shouldn’t expect monthly character updates like this every time. Some characters will require more work than others and might also include bigger updates. These could be either new areas, new mission types, or completely new enemy factions. Interesting to note is that the press release also ends on additional post-launch content being revealed soon, so we might see a follow-up War Table early next month to confirm the release date.

Source: Square-Enix

September 2, 2020