The Marvel’s Avengers beta will be worth a download (Image: SQUARE ENIX)
Having got to play the new Marvel’s Avengers beta earlier this week, I can say for sure that everyone who can, should check it out.
Not only will there be a time to try out the game for free across all platforms, but Crystal Dynamics hasn’t skimped on content.
There’s no guarantee that you will actually like the gameplay, story or level design put together by the well-respected development team.
But Crystal Dynamics has done such a stellar job with the upcoming Marvel’s Avengers beta that there’s no reason to skip.
SHOULD I DOWNLOAD THE MARVEL’S AVENGERS BETA?
From what I experienced this weekend, I would say that there are zero reasons to skip the Marvel’s Avengers open beta when it arrives on your platform.
While your time might be short with the beta, depending on if you have pre-ordered or not, there’s plenty to do.
You’ll need to get through the opening sequence of the campaign, the one which you might have seen play out a couple of times.
This gives you the chance to experience game time with the classic Avengers team, but it’s probably the most boring bit.
Getting past this will give you the chance to experience different characters and team-ups, making for a compelling package.
Having played Marvel’s Avengers on a bog-standard PS4, I can safely say that the game looks great.
Visuals aren’t everything, but the cut-scenes and scenery of each map looked top-notch, even without any significant PC power behind it.
Gamers will get a lot of time to play as Kamala Khan as part of the story section of the new Avengers beta.
While not the strongest hero on the roster, Khan’s unique abilities make it a fun time and there’s plenty of robots to boink off cliffs and ledges.
It will be up to you to find out if the story of the Avengers falling apart and being rebuilt appeals to you, or whether your interested in unravelling the game’s mysteries.
But with so much on offer, you’re going to have plenty of time to find out if Marvel’s Avengers appeals to you.
Crystal Dynamics has even thrown in a few boss battles so that you can experience the various different combat situations that will be coming in the full package.
After finishing up with the opening sequences, the Marvel’s Avengers beta opens up to even more content, including HARM room simulations, as well as War Zone and Drop Zone missions.
The map is chock-filled with things to do, and the best part is that you will also get to experience some of it with your friends.
Online play will also be enabled for some of these missions, and you’ll also have the option of bringing a few NPC Avengers too.
So even you don’t have a squad of friends ready to assemble, you can still smash through the War Zone with a crack group of AI.
While this may only be a beta and you won’t get to keep your progress when the full game comes out, Crystal Dynamics has made it possible to unlock a bunch of different gear for your characters.
This opens the door to customising what your Avengers can do, as well as complimenting your playstyle.
I enjoyed the combat offered by the Avengers who were more melee-based, meaning Black Widow, Hulk and Ms Marvel.
But the others you can try out are also fun and well worth checking out if you have the time. While I liked much of the new Avengers beta, there were things that I didn’t like too.
Combat is a huge part of the game, but it’s going to take me a little while to get used to the lock-on mechanics. A lot of times, there was a ton of different enemies surrounding me, and it proved hard to keep focus on a single foe.
On the higher difficulties, crowd-control felt too chaotic, but it should be noted that I only had a limited amount of game time. Some players may also run into conflicts with the speed of the combat, as well as trying to avoid shots being fired.
But based on what I did experience, Marvel’s Avengers has a solid foundation to build from and a game loop that will have me coming back for more.
But it will be up to gamers themselves to really experience what is on offer and decide if this is for them. This week will see the launch of the Marvel’s Avengers beta on PS4, with added game days available for those who preorder the game.
This starts on August 7 with the PlayStation Advantage schedule, which is available for those who have preordered Marvel’s Avengers.
August 14-16: PlayStation Advantage Open BETA & Xbox/PC Closed BETA: The second BETA weekend will be open to the entire PS4 community – Pre-load will be available on August 13.
August 21: Open BETA for All: August 21 – 23 will give all fans across all platforms a chance to jump in and play the Marvel’s Avengers BETA – Pre-load will be available on August 20.