Dave Smith/Business Insider; Crystal Dynamics
I think Marvel's Avengers is going to be a pretty big success. Not only does it carry the name and branding of the most popular movie franchise of all-time, which will attract plenty of fans on its own, but it has a strong foundation: fun characters that feel good to play, and the ability to play with your friends.
There are a lot of nice touches in this game that will keep people coming back. Probably one of the biggest appeals is the game's unlockable costumes for each of the heroes: Although many of them will require real-world money, the outfits themselves are colorful and just plain fun. I also like how the inventory menu lets you press a single button to automatically equip your best gear: In games like "Destiny," that can take a long time to do. So that will make it easy for players to enjoy the game's progression without much fuss.
My biggest concern is the game's lack of focus. It's evident in the user experience, where the character menus and inventories have too much information to throw at you, and it's evident in any of the fights, which feel busy to the point of muddy due to the overwhelming number of signals and alerts and visual effects. I would love to see those tuned to be less of an assault on the eyes, because there's a great game in here.
These elements, I hate to say, really wore on me after the first five hours of playtime. The generic design of the strikes and all of the environments within — copy-pasted labs and hallways — made me feel bored. And that's not a good feeling to have in a brand-new superhero game.
The review scores for this game will really depend on the strength of the game's single-player campaign, as well as its multiplayer activities, and I really worry about the latter since those felt less special to the point of boring. The game is fun, for sure, but lacks a degree of polish players have come to expect in terms of visuals and the user interface. Here's hoping Crystal Dynamics and company can iron out some of the kinks before its release on September 4.