Marvel Cosmic Invasion

MARVEL Cosmic Invasion is a love letter to all Marvel fans. The game’s roster has classic and new heroes that jump into the beat ‘em up action. This title is so much fun!

It's often hard to iterate and improve on a genre that's been around for decades, but Marvel Cosmic Invasion makes the most of that opportunity. It might feel like you've done this song and dance before, but with a deep and otherworldly story, a great cast of characters, and excellent visuals and music, it's an absolute blast to play.

Aside from some minor issues, more often encountered when playing alone, Marvel Cosmic Invasion is one of the best beat 'em ups currently available, and an absolute treat for Marvel fans.

A loving homage to the Marvel Comics of old, a fitting adaptation of the Annihilation Saga and an incredible beat 'em up in its own right, Marvel Cosmic Invasion is simply fantastic.

I finished all the levels and the majority of the challenges by myself in about 5-6 hours, but spent a couple more hours playing solo and cleaning up leftover challenges. There's a ton of replayability here, as well as an entire arcade mode if you really want to challenge yourself with a limited number of lives across the entire gauntlet.

You’re telling me that Tribute Games made a 4-player beat ’em up, based on the greatest comic crossover of all time, and you can play as Beta Ray Bill?!

One of the best scrolling beat ‘em-ups ever made, with fantastic retro graphics, four-player co-op, and as much variety and combat depth as the genre will allow.

I appreciate that the roster isn't just diverse in terms of picks, but playstyles. For instance, some characters can fly, a select few can use grabs, and not all characters can block. It incentivizes using every single roster member you can find, especially ones that gel with your playstyle. Again, it's crucial to note that it adds a lot of depth to solo play, since the vast majority of the game's characters play so differently. You're constantly experiencing something fresh if you mix things up.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion delivers fast, fun action with only a few hiccups. Despite these stumbles coming with some of its biggest moments, the game still offers a lot of good times, especially if you are a Marvel fan.

With plenty of characters and great combat, there is a lot to love about Marvel Cosmic Invasion. The fantastic visuals and sound design shine through from Tribute Games and Dotemu. It's just a shame that the game's difficulty spikes and lack of extra lives in the campaign hold it back. Thankfully, the Arcade Mode more than makes up for the game's shortcomings, with great modifiers that let you enjoy the game however you want.

The stages and enemies aren’t going to blow you away, but Marvel Cosmic Invasion’s tag team action still has the juice.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a gorgeous throwback to the days of the Arcade, but one that ultimately feels a little too safe and short for its own good.