The new Avengers game from Square Enix was officially unveiled during E3 2019 and left some big question marks.
From what was shared during the showcase, it appeared that Marvel’s Avengers would try and provide a solid single-player experience, alongside co-op and multiplayer options.
And the details are still a little fuzzy, especially when it comes to how multiplayer missions will work alongside other parts of the game.
But something we learnt from E3 2019 is that The Avengers game is looking to treat endgame co-op content a little differently.
Apologies for the word usage but we’re not talking about the smash-hit Marvel movie, but how Square Enix plans to structure their Avengers game.
The core of the game will be centered around the single-player cinematic storyline, with players able to explore this section by themselves.
But they will also be able to enjoy multiplayer missions with friends and other special missions with co-op elements as they progress.
And as you can imagine, this raises questions over how endgame content for the Avengers will be handled. With the storyline completed, how will developers Crystal Dynamics keeps players hooked?
This will be done through a series of updates that will be added to the game over time, something we have seen in titles like Destiny and The Division.
But something that will be a little different with The Avengers is that the game’s co-op options will allow fans to skip the meat of the campaign and just team up with their friends, who are further along.
This could mean spoiling their own campaigns and taking on co-op experiences with their chums, using whatever characters they like. And it also sounds like future updates will expand what heroes will be available to use.
The spine of the campaign will remain a single-player experience, but it sounds like fans will unlock special co-op missions that will allow for more freedom too.
Noah Hughes, Studio Creative Director at Crystal Dynamics, revealed more about this system during E3, explaining: “We’ve taken on a relatively universal challenge of blending cinematic storytelling with replayable multiplayer experiences.
“But we’re doing it a little differently than other games have, as we’re using the campaign to feature the heroes, and in some cases they will be single-player (non co-op) levels, where you will be introduced to the Hulk and how he fits into his part of the story, and you will also have the opportunity to learn and master his abilities.
“But even as you’re doing those more hero-centric levels, you’re opening a world and a variety of different missions in an action-adventure context, where the centreline of that campaign isn’t the only thing you can do.
“One of the things that is particularly fun is that once you open up some of that additional campaign content, you can choose which hero you want to play.
“So if Hulk is your favourite, you can play Hulk on the majority of those other levels that aren’t designed to feature a specific hero.”
“But you can also team up in multiplayer on those levels too and we certainly allow players to opt out.”
Speaking about the game’s co-op missions, Hughes added: “With that in mind, there is also the ability to just jump straight into the co-op spoiler zone.
“In some ways, we know that the players may want to play through the campaign spoiler-free, but they may also want to jump in and play with their friends with any heroes that can be found on the disc.
“So that’s where there is that ability to jump forward in time, as if you had played through the campaign, with the world state at that endpoint.
“And at that point, you’re playing as any of the heroes in a replayable context, telling your own stories.”
“Post-launch plans include releasing new heroes into that experience, with new regions and challenges and things, so it’s a bit of a hybrid-beast.”
But while having the freedom to jump into co-op whenever you want sounds tempting, it will still be handy to complete the campaign so that you can unlock all the abilities that will prove most useful.
“At Crystal, we’re very committed to the narrative-driven experience, but we also recognise that games are opportunities for you to live out those superhero dreams, so it’s about finding that balance,” Hughes adds.
From the sound of it, Square Enix is aiming to provide a good cinematic experience that supports unique co-op levels and also feeds into a multiplayer experience in a way which will make The Avengers worth coming back to.