Schlagwort: crystal dynamics

We’re officially one month away from launching Marvel’s Avengers on PlayStation 4 – less than that if you count Early Access! Being huge Marvel fans ourselves, these past few weeks have been packed with a quiver of reveals that we have been eager to talk about for a long time, but we wanted to take this chance to go more in-depth about a few more elements of the game: Community Challenges and cosmetics.

Community Challenges

Although they may have their individual stories, the Avengers always work together as a team to take on threats around the world – with a little help from their superpowers and advanced training, of course. Although we might not be able to summon lightning or drop a gamma bomb in unparalleled rage, we can all still take a page from their comic book and work together for the better of all! That’s where Community Challenges come in.

Community Challenges are goals that the community must reach as a whole to gain rewards for everyone. Although we won’t go into detail now on the exact goals and rewards, we can tell you that there will not be a difficult barrier of entry, so everyone can pitch in to reap the benefits of the reward. Each month, a new Community Challenge will take place with different goals to keep you on your feet. Stay tuned for more information closer to launch on the first challenge!

Avengers Cosmetics

As new Super Heroes join the team post-launch, including the recently announced Hawkeye and his “sea of emotions,” they’ll each have their own narratives, skills, gear, outfits, emotes, nameplates, and takedowns to fully flesh out their character and your experience with them. This is especially true for different cosmetics as we know how important alternate outfits are to these iconic characters given their multiple looks throughout Marvel’s rich history.

Cosmetic items also have their own rarities like Uncommon, Rare (Blue), Epic (Purple), and Legendary (Gold). Many of these can be obtained over the course of the story campaign, by deciphering patterns earned in missions, from various vendors, the Marketplace, and more. An example of a Legendary Outfit is the Champion Outfit for Hulk, which is inspired by his look in the Planet Hulk storyline in 2006 where he was sent into space due to being deemed too dangerous. His ship lands on the planet Sakaar, where he’s forced to partake in gladiator battles. It’s legendary storylines like these that make up a good chunk of our Legendary Outfits!

Takedowns are cosmetic abilities that allow Super Heroes to perform a high-damage move under certain circumstances in battle. Each Takedown showcases a Super Hero’s unique personality and are among the flashiest moves you can equip. One of Ms. Marvel’s Epic Takedowns shows her channeling her inner Hulk and “Kamala-SMASHING” an enemy from one side to another like the true Avengers fan she is.

Cosmetics don’t provide any additional advantage to gameplay. True to its name, they are only there for cosmetic purposes for you to personalize each Super Hero. If you’re feeling regal, equip Thor’s Royal Aesirian Outfit. If you want some nostalgia in your travels, equip his Asgard’s Might Outfit. Furthermore, if you’re playing with a team of companion A.I., they’ll be donning the outfits that you currently have equipped to them, meaning it will truly be your team, the way you want it. We can’t wait to see what your team of Avengers looks like!

We previously stated that we’re huge Marvel fans, but we’re also PlayStation fans. We are honored to be working with them to provide additional advantages to PlayStation players. PlayStation players will have exclusive access to certain Community Challenges, where the PlayStation Nation will work together to accomplish a goal in order to gain rewards specific to them.

Even More PlayStation Advantages

When it comes to cosmetics, PlayStation players will have 30-day exclusive access to a Legendary Outfit, Legendary Emote, Epic Takedown, and nameplate for each Super Hero as they are released – this is also for the six launch heroes. In addition, we also have rewards for those with a PlayStation Plus subscription. For each Super Hero added to the game post-launch, Hawkeye included, all PS Plus members will receive a free bundle that contains a Rare Outfit, nameplate, and 100 Credits to celebrate the addition of another Avenger to the roster. At launch, we’ll have a free bundle for Ms. Marvel available for PS Plus members to embiggen our love for Kamala!

PlayStation 4 players will be the first to play the Beta! The Beta for those who pre-ordered on PS4 will take place from August 7-9 with pre-loading available on August 6. Following that, the Open Beta for all PlayStation players will be available from August 14-16 and August 21-23. You also do not need PlayStation Plus to participate in the Beta, so all your friends are free to join! For more information on the contents of the Beta, please see our previous PS Blog.

Learn early details about how Crystal Dynamics is bringing its own spectacular version of Spider-Man to Marvel’s Avengers, exclusively on PlayStation.

The countdown to launch has begun! We’re excited to see you all in the Beta and to help you complete Community Challenges in-game. You never know, you might be playing with a member of the development team – and if you are, show us your favorite emote and outfit! Marvel’s Avengers launches on September 4 for PlayStation 4 and later on PlayStation 5. Players who purchase the PS4 version will get the PS5 version for free!

Website: LINK

Hello PlayStation Nation! Our second Marvel’s Avengers War Table dropped today, loaded with Beta goodness and a tease of one of our first post-launch heroes. Read on for all the key info!

But first, we want to say a massive thank-you to fans around the world that tuned into our first two Marvel’s Avengers War Table streams and provided great feedback on both the format and the content. Keep it coming!

Okay, on to the big news from today.

Play Video

Beta Breakdown

Beta Dates

So when can you get your hands on the Marvel’s Avengers Beta? The answer is next week! 

• August 7 – PlayStation Advantage Pre-order Beta: As part of our PlayStation Advantage, those of you who have preordered Marvel’s Avengers will be the first in the world to get your hands on Earth’s Mightiest Heroes the weekend of August 7-9. Pre-load: August 6.
• August 14 – Open Beta: The second Beta weekend will be open to the entire PS4 community as part of our PlayStation Advantage partnership. Pre-load: August 13.   
• August 21 – Open Beta: Same as the above — our final weekend is also an Open Beta for all PlayStation players. Pre-load: August 20.     

Want to ensure you’re ready to go as soon as the Marvel’s Avengers Beta drops? You’ll need a Square Enix Member’s account to participate, which we use to validate pre-order codes and content, as well as to deliver post-launch goodies, like new heroes, new missions, and new regions at no cost. 

Beta Content

What will you be playing come Beta day? We built the Marvel’s Avengers Beta to give you a slice of the full game experience: single-player content from the original campaign, co-op War Zone missions, hero and world progress, and even more! Here’s a brief overview of the Beta content.

Golden Gate Bridge Demo: The Golden Gate Bridge sequence of A-Day is a roller-coaster that gives you a chance to try out the unique combat and traversal style of Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, and Black Widow. We’ve even included a boss battle against longtime Natasha nemesis Taskmaster. After completing A-Day, the Beta will give you access to new story Hero Missions, and eventually War Zones, where you can play as Iron Man, Hulk, Kamala, or Black Widow.

To Find Olympia: In this Hero Mission, you’ll play as Kamala and Hulk in search of the last known location of JARVIS, exploring the beautiful forests of the American Pacific Northwest. We’ve thrown in another boss fight for good measure, which will test your resolve against a fellow big green guy.

Missing Links: After finishing the Olympia Archive, Kamala and Hulk will take the Quinjet to the frozen Russian Tundra on a mission called “Missing Links” with the goal of uncovering SHIELD secrets.

HARM Challenge Rooms: Next up, the Beta will test your grit through Marvel’s Avengers’ Holographic Augmented Reality Machine rooms, also known as HARM Rooms. These virtual training simulators let you take on increasingly difficult waves of enemies with other players, or with companion AI. In the Beta, you’ll unlock three HARM challenge rooms, which are called Excursions when chained together in the full game. Once you best the three rooms, you’ll earn a Nameplate that carries over to the full retail version of the game.

WAR ZONES: Once you’ve unlocked an operational War Table in the Beta, you’ll have the option to tackle a series of War Zone and Drop Zone missions with friends or your AI team. We broke down War Zones extensively in a past PlayStation blog, which we highly recommend you check out. There will be five Beta War Zones to play, filled to the brim with human and robotic AIM baddies to beat. In the full game, War Zone missions can range in duration from as short as 10 minutes to around two hours in length. Drop Zones are a smaller, more focused version of War Zones, and they almost always have just one Objective, and are great for earning gear or leveling heroes. The Beta will include five Drop Zones.

Beta Progression

As we described earlier, we’ve built the Beta to let you sample many of the different types of gameplay and systems that you’ll find in the final game. The Beta includes missions built for different players and power levels. As you build your Heroes, you will take on increasingly ambitious missions.

Hero progression is one of Marvel’s Avengers main systems, and the Beta gives a taste of earning experience to level up your unique Hero. In the Beta, you’ll have access to the starting Skill page for each hero. As you earn experience you level up, and each level will grant you a Skill Point. You can then spend these to unlock Skills and shape what each of your Avengers can do.  You can reach up to a Hero Level of 15 and a Power Level of 45 in the Beta.

There are dozens of cosmetics to acquire and show off during the Beta. Cosmetics are available to acquire as part of progression with a gifted amount of in-game currency. No store transactions can be made with real money during the Beta.

In addition to the HARM Challenge Room nameplate, you’ll unlock a second exclusive nameplate for participating in the Beta, which will be carried over to launch. Other progress – such as story progress, gear, and character leveling, will not be carried over to the final game.

However, your progress will carry over between weekends; if you played the Beta on August 7, your progression carries over to August 14 and August 21. This gives you a chance to try and hit those level caps!

Our Post-Launch Plan

Our second Marvel’s Avengers War Table looked beyond the Beta though. We gave a quick glimpse of what the future holds by revealing that fan-favorite Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, is coming to the post-launch campaign.

In Marvel’s Avengers, the “Reassemble” campaign follows Kamala Khan reuniting the Avengers and taking on the current AIM threat led by MODOK. Following that, players will enter the ever-present Avengers Initiative. Through the renovated helicarrier, you’ll expand your team to protect Earth from an array of threats, and in doing so, gain access to new heroes, new missions, and new regions.  

A ton of work goes into new heroes, as we’ve designed them from the ground up to ensure each delivers a unique experience that honors their comic book legacy. Like the core six heroes, all future characters will have custom move sets and combos, Skills, Gear, Heroics, outfits, emotes, and name plates. From a gameplay and cosmetic standpoint, we’ve drawn on 80 years of Marvel history.

Hawkeye is no exception. Our team revisited their favorite comic arc at the beginning of any hero concept process, including Writer Matt Fraction and Artist David Aja’s “My Life as A Weapon.” Hawkeye has his own in-depth story mission chain, and it’s unique from the main campaign because it can be played either co-op or solo, whichever you prefer. He’ll also bring a new villain with him, which you’ll learn about in the future along with other surprises! Below you can see concept art from one of his alternative outfits, drawn from the aforementioned My Life as A Weapon comic.

We’ve got big plans for Marvel’s Avengers. The fight against AIM is only just beginning, and reassembling the Avengers is just the start. There is much more story and heroes on the horizon.

Marvel’s Avengers Fortnite Collab

Before wrapping up the second Marvels’ Avengers War Table, we had one last surprise in store! We’re excited to reveal that we’re teaming up with the Fortnite team for some awesome in-game rewards. Players who complete the Beta’s three HARM-room challenges will earn the Hulk Smashers Pickaxe with a bonus Hulkbuster style in Fortnite. You can visit Fortnite.com for more info!

The Bigger Picture

We revealed a lot during the July Marvel’s Avengers War Table. The Beta is BIG, but it’s only a fraction of what our passionate team has carefully crafted.

Marvel’s Avengers will feature a full-length campaign, over 80 War Zones/Drop Zones, more than 50 enemy types, regularly updated configurations of HARM rooms and challenges, and even more later game mission types. 

On top of that, you get six heroes with the game at launch, each with more than 50 skills to upgrade, and gear and outfits to earn and unlock. The longer you play the game, the more it grows and evolves as we add new characters like Hawkeye, and new story content and regions – all at no additional cost. We’re pretty excited about what the future holds for Marvel’s Avengers.

Keep an eye on the PlayStation blog next week for some Beta tips and tricks from our Dev team. We can’t wait to see you on the Quinjet!

Website: LINK

Since we revealed Marvel’s Avengers, we unleashed an 18-minute trailer detailing the havoc of A-Day, revealed the inspirational Ms. Marvel as a playable character, and now, we’re ready to talk about some of the additional benefits for playing on PlayStation 4, the multiple editions available, and the pre-order bonuses that include some bespoke yet recognizable outfits. We’re also releasing a new trailer that shows more gameplay and new explosive moments from the game!

We’re honored to be working with Sony to bring Marvel’s Avengers to PlayStation 4 players, and with that, comes unique benefits along with being able to play the Beta first. Let’s start with the Exclusive Digital Edition available only on PlayStation Store. This edition comes with 1,000 Credits, used in game for Super Hero customization options. In addition, you’ll also get an exclusive Ms. Marvel nameplate that exudes the bright and cheerful nature of Kamala Khan.

If you pre-order on PlayStation 4, you’ll also receive a team nameplate that can be equipped on any of the core six Avengers, an exclusive and sassy Ms. Marvel “Talk to the Hand” Emote that will make anyone’s face understand, and an exclusive PS4 Theme (Digital Only) that includes a simple yet slick hex pattern to brighten up your display.

Adding a little nostalgia for every Marvel fan, pre-ordering Marvel’s Avengers will also let you be the proud owner of the Marvel Legacy Outfits, which are inspired by moments from the comics that defined who each Avenger was as they embraced their powers to become the icons they are today.

Captain America’s bravery shines in this Front Line Outfit from his time enlisted in the military during World War II. Iron Man was able to deceive his captors by building armor that looked liked this Iron Will Outfit to escape. The first time Black Widow’s iconic black suit appeared in the comics, it looked like this Classic Stealth Outfit – complete with the Widow’s Bite. Thor’s winged helmet, chest installations, and red cape were his trademark from the very beginning of his origins, reflected in the Asgard’s Might Outfit. Before Ms. Marvel went on one of her first missions, she made a makeshift costume that looked like this Greater Good Outfit. Finally, when the Hulk first emerged, his massive body tore through Bruce Banner’s clothing to resemble an experiment gone wrong, much like this Breakthrough Outfit.

We also have a Deluxe Edition and Earth’s Mightiest Edition (our version of a Collector’s Edition), each with their own heroic content. The Deluxe Edition contains the Obsidian Outfit Pack, where each Avenger is fashioned with metallic versions of their Iconic Outfits. With golden accents throughout, the Avengers are ready to inspire hope in the people of Earth who have become fearful of the existence of Super Heroes. There are also six nameplates that are Obsidian-themed to fit the overall Deluxe Edition aesthetic. Finally, you’ll get 72-hour early access to jump into the world of Marvel’s Avengers! For those getting the physical version of the Deluxe Edition, it will also include a 1-month free subscription to Marvel Unlimited, which is an online subscription service that lets you enjoy over 25,000 Marvel digital comics.

Finally, Earth’s Mightiest Edition is for the biggest of Marvel fans, the collectors of unique items, and for those who want something special to commemorate Marvel’s Avengers. In addition to all items from the Deluxe Edition – including an Avengers A icon SteelBook® Case – it features keepsakes of each of the core Avengers drawn directly from in-game narrative. This includes a full color 12” statue of Captain America, a Hulk Bobblehead you might recognize from inside our Kamala trailer, a Mjolnir Keychain, Black Widow’s Belt Buckle, Iron Man’s Prototype Armor Blueprint, Kamala Khan’s Honorary Avenger Pin, and a commemorative Avengers group photo!

Phew, that was quite the amount of information, but we hope we painted a better picture of what you can expect with all the editions and bonuses for Marvel’s Avengers when it launches on September 4, 2020 for PlayStation 4!

Website: LINK

The Avengers are a complex group of Super Heroes, and that complexity takes center stage in the team’s upcoming original, action-adventure spectacle currently in development at Crystal Dynamics. While the super-powered ensemble is traditionally celebrated as a group of heroes, the catastrophic event that kicks off their newest journey paints them as villains.

But the responsible way to wrap your head around a larger-than-life experience like Marvel’s Avengers is to observe the facts. As such, here’s some key intel we’ve gathered on the upcoming blockbuster action game during a chat with Studio Creative Director at Crystal Dynamics, Noah Hughes. We also received a concise video that highlights exciting new details around Super Hero customization, mission variety, and the insidious AIM’s influence on society.

Asymmetrical co-op is a big focus

Not a shocker here, but the Avengers’ unique combat styles complement one another.

“We know everyone is wondering how co-op works, and we’re excited to go into more detail in early 2020,” Hughes says. “However, we can give a quick overview in the meantime! As you see in the video, there are two different types of missions: Hero Missions and Warzone Missions. Hero Missions are single-player only and are part of the overall Campaign. These Hero Missions are specific canvases to showcase each hero as you reassemble them to your growing roster. Warzone Missions can be played solo or with a group of up to four players as any Hero in your roster, allowing you to embody an Avenger within a team of Avengers! Each mission scales based on the team size and makeup.”

“While you’ll be taking control of iconic characters, player choice is important to our experience. Players can customize each of their Hero’s Gear, Skills, and choose from a diverse array of Outfits, all of which creates a personal experience. For instance, one player might play Thor as an AOE damage dealer controlling the crowd, but an ally could build him up primarily focused on melee tactics. It is critical that we deliver the true feeling of being each unique Super Hero — it’s the Avengers after all!

You can fast-track straight to multiplayer if you want

Or hey, you can head right into the co-op missions that exist outside of the campaign if you prefer, after completing the introductory “A-Day” battle. “The caveat there is that you’ll be exposed to spoilers” from the campaign, Hughes cautioned.

Your character progress will be persistent between modes

Another thoughtful touch from Crystal Dynamics. Your character’s progress will persist across different play modes, so you can jump between the campaign and co-op missions whenever you want without missing a beat. Another bonus: you and a friend can team up online, and the game will scale the difficulty to accommodate. A feat worthy of the Avengers!

There are many ways to customize your Super Hero abilities

As you gain levels, you’ll be able to purchase new abilities via skill trees. Though many of these skills will upgrade your attack power, you’ll also be making choices between different build types.

“We have a vast amount of Gear unique to each Super Hero in Marvel’s Avengers, each with its own rarity, stats, and Perks to unlock,” Hughes says. “When we say ‘play your way,’ we mean it. Players can dive deep into min-maxing their hero build through Skills and Gear. Players can switch out Gear and choose which pieces suit individual playstyles as new, better Gear is discovered or earned, allowing them to further tune their playstyle.”

“For Gear — the real powers are found by unlocking their innate Perks. Perks are unique modifiers tied to Gear that augment or enhance how each Super Hero plays — examples of Perks are the ability to unleash an AOE Burst upon taking damage or faster recharging Heroics. In addition, Branded Gear Sets, which enable more custom builds with stat bonuses are present in the game. Gear — and Skills — are a foundational part of our progression system and allow players to really flex their creativity. This, combined with the crazy number of purely cosmetic Outfits available for each Super Hero, will make everyone feel unique. What you’re seeing in the Game Overview video is pre-Alpha so it’s subject to change and evolve as we develop the game.”

New suits will be cosmetic only

The game’s detailed visual customization will allow you to unlock (or purchase) new suits and outfits as you play, but the fashion upgrades won’t affect gameplay. There will be “…no loot boxes, no pay-to-win, you’re not going to be paying money to beat the game or be better at the game,” Hughes clarified.

Outfits will be a combination of fan favorites from comics, the colorful and rich designs present in eighty plus years of Marvel history and new designs that are completely original to the game.

The growing influence of AIM…

What would a world where Super Heroes live be without insidious powers to keep in check?

“AIM, or Advanced Idea Mechanics, rises from the ashes of ‘A-Day,’ when many people were affected by the Terrigen mist from the reactor explosion. AIM feels that those affected must be cured,” Hughes says. “A growing public sentiment is shaped that Super Heroes are dangerous and if left unchecked, they could wreak more havoc than good. AIM wants to define mankind’s future with reason, with logic. They believe in science, not Super Heroes, and that this devout purity to science will make the world a safer, stronger place; which also means Super Heroes can’t be left to roam freely.

“Due to this doctrine of science, AIM has mobilized an AI force to protect the rest of us against super powered individuals while claiming to research a cure for those affected by A-Day.”

“Having 80 years of history to draw from, we’ve recreated classic AIM characters from the comic books through the Crystal Dynamics lens, such as the Keeper (our version of the iconic AIM Beekeeper), our version of the Synthoid, or the all new Monotronic Exo; this is how AIM stands toe-to-toe as humans versus Super Heroes. And this is just the start. However… AIM’s pursuit of a technocratic utopia, if left unchecked, could unleash an even greater threat to the world that only the Avengers could stop. It’s up to players to unravel the AIM conspiracy, reassemble the Avengers, and save the Earth.”

The characters are really in-depth

Any worthy Avenger has a Swiss Army knife of skills that lets them adapt mid-combat. Crystal Dynamics is creating characters with robust battle options.

“I am very much enjoying Black Widow the most right now,” says Hughes, “I love her agility and combos. Black Widow’s grapple allows her to zip around, she’s got pistols which give her really good range, and she’s got Widow’s Bite and various equipment as some of her specials…”

“Her gauntlets have special attacks — you may have seen there are a couple Heroics you can trigger through Skills players can modify or upgrade, like her trademark Widow’s Bite. She’s also got her tonfa, which are awesome, and she can also combine them into a deadly bo staff. There’s just a wide and wild range of unique skills she can put into action.”

Post-launch characters will come at no additional cost

Though Crystal Dynamics isn’t discussing the number of post-launch Super Heroes planned, Hughes clarified that sheer quantity itself isn’t the goal. “We treat each of these Heroes as wanting to be able to star in their own game… The truth is the hardest thing is deciding which Heroes to not make.”

Marvel’s Avengers assemble on PS4 May 15, 2020.

Website: LINK

Happy Friday PlayStation Nation!

Did you hear the big news out of the Marvel Games panel at New York Comic Con? Crystal Dynamics is ecstatic to round out the Marvel’s Avengers roster with the inclusion of New Jersey teenager Kamala Khan. Better known under the mantle of Ms. Marvel, Kamala joins the team as a pivotal catalyst to the original story our team is telling.

Co-created by G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona, Sana Amanat, and Stephen Wacker, Kamala is the Pakistani-American teenager who defends her hometown Jersey City as the costumed Ms. Marvel. If you want to read up about Kamala Khan, she made her first appearance via Captain Marvel #14 in August 2013. Winning over the hearts of comic fans around the world, Kamala headlined her own monthly comic series starting in February of 2014. You can read her current ongoing monthly series as well.

While we teased young Kamala in our A-Day Prologue Gameplay Footage, (remember the little girl who stumbles on the deck of the Helicarrier?) we felt it important to keep her full role in the game secret until now. We were waiting for just the right moment to reveal her, and talk more about her narrative arc in the aftermath of A-Day.

Shaun Escayg – Creative Director and Writer at Crystal Dynamics – explains it well. “Telling our story of Kamala’s coming-of-age brings a fresh, hopeful perspective to the gameplay experience and her unique abilities as Ms. Marvel make her a character every person will want to play. Kamala Khan is the defining ingredient that makes our game stand apart from any Avengers story you’ve experienced before.”

Kamala is an unapologetic fangirl – one of the traits we most love about her. Kamala wears her passion on her sleeve – making her relatable for many of us at the studio, and for fellow fans worldwide. Fandom is even the catalyst to her coming-of-age story. Invited to A-Day as an Avengers fan-fiction contest finalist, young Kamala is exposed to Terrigen Mist during the unanticipated attack.

Iron Man, Hulk, Black Widow, and Thor blame themselves for the mass devastation and the loss of Captain America. In the five years following A-Day, the Avenger’s absence has devastating consequences worldwide. A secretive, new organization has risen – Advanced Idea Mechanics, otherwise known as AIM. AIM believes that science – not Super Heroes – is the key to protecting the world.

Now a teenager, Kamala finds herself developing extraordinary polymorphic and healing powers as a direct result of the A-day incident. With the Avengers disbanded and Advanced Idea Mechanics turning public sentiment against Super Heroes, Kamala hides her abilities from the world.

Kamala’s unwavering loyalty to the Avengers, intelligence, inquisitive nature, and ever-optimistic personality lead to a huge discovery when she uncovers a shocking conspiracy. As Kamala learns to harness and embrace her powers, she finds the will and the way to reassemble Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

Joining our stellar performance cast as Kamala Khan is Sandra Saad, who brings the character’s strength and spirit to the motion capture stage. “Kamala’s a tremendous inspiration to me,” shared Sandra. “She’s so relatable, and I think we can all find aspects of ourselves in her. So, at the end of the day, playing her ended up feeling like I was playing a super version of myself. I ultimately focused on paying homage to who Kamala is but bringing my own dash of originality and uniqueness to the role whenever appropriate.”

With this exciting announcement, Kamala Khan week officially kicks off on our Marvel’s Avengers social channels! Tune in daily to learn more about her unique combat style, Heroic moves (EMBIGGEN!), outfit origin, trivia, and more.
We can’t wait for you to suit up as Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Black Widow, The Hulk, and Kamala Khan when Marvel’s Avengers launches on May 15, 2020. Best part? The narrative will continue to be delivered on an ongoing basis, with every new Super Hero and region delivered at no additional cost. This is what’s next for the Avengers.

Avengers Reassemble!

Website: LINK

You might think you know what you’re getting from a title featuring the world’s most iconic heroes. But following Marvel’s Avengers showing at Gamescom 2019 it’s time to think again; these are unique and original versions of the characters with new powers, new abilities and, crucially for the wider storyline, a world that sees them in a new light.

Developer Crystal Dynamics is set to release a game that takes everything you think you know and expand on it past anything we’ve seen before.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZh4uQYDlsA&w=560&h=315]

“We stake our reputation on it!” Studio Head Scot Amos explains. “Just like we approached Lara Croft back in 2013, we want to show the world how we do things in a new and original way.”

If that’s the driving force behind the team, it certainly shows in the early build showcased this week. There are five studios working on the game, which sounds huge, but Scot assures works “in an almost magical way.”

“Four of the five studios have collaborated many times in the past, and the fifth is a new studio created by our people, so we know who we’re working with — if we didn’t have those relationships, it’d be tough.”

So, is there a ‘Team Thor,’ a ‘Team Hulk,’ and so on, each focusing on their own Avenger?

“Not quite,” explains Scot. “Inside of Crystal Dynamics we have our ‘PET team’ — the Player-Enemy Team. They’re the heart and soul of all the character design, the move sets and the combat styles. Then you have the Heroic moves that you’ll have seen in the demo, which are things you’ve never seen these guys do before.

“These have been fun to invent, because people expect Thor to throw the hammer, they expect Iron Man to fly — but now he has these lasers, and rockets? What can I do with these? We may have seen versions of these throughout their history, but we’re bringing it all together in an original way.”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idyTuocGe3w&w=560&h=315]

With a virtually unparalleled history to draw from to create these characters, distilling all of that down to say “this is our vision” is a challenge that Scot and the team have met head-on, working with Marvel to get their Avengers just right.

“Shaun Escayg, our Creative Director, along with Bill Rosemann, VP & Creative Director at Marvel Games and his team, collaborate on everything,” says Scot.

“Marvel, from the beginning have been great and pushing us to be authentic, but also original. They have 80 years of content to draw from, and it’s not just how they play, it’s how they look and interact.

“So there’s been a process where they’ll let us go in our own direction while still drawing on that history, saying, ‘Hey remember this comic, or this one panel where Hulk did X,Y,Z — what’s your take on that?’ And we love that. We’re huge fans first and foremost.”

We begin the game at A-Day — a celebration of the Avengers. But very quickly that changes, and they’re not looked at as the heroes they once were, and the whole world view changes. It wasn’t something that Scot and the team approached lightly…

“When we started on our first draft of the story, we had a lot of things to consider,” Scot explains. “We wanted our game to disband the Avengers and have the player bring them back together again so you’re not just saving the world, you’re saving the Avengers. After A-Day they’re bruised and battered, they’ve lost all hope because they feel they let San Francisco be destroyed and failed their leader, Captain America.”

“Fortunately, the team at Marvel Games said, ‘We love it! You can tear them down, build them back up, rebuild the team, and show the humans behind the masks.’ That’s one way that Marvel Super Heroes have always been so brilliantly written, that you have a Super Hero with normal everyday problems that they have to deal with — and building a game around that has been a real treat.”

While no single character proved more challenging than the rest to the creative team, Scot explains that the real challenge for designing these characters was from the interplay between them.

“You look at how Thor plays, how Widow plays, how Hulk plays — we’re talking flight, or shooting and grappling, or massive strength — and they’re all so different. So, the challenge was to be able to balance those differences so they each play their role in the game without any one being overpowered or too dominant, but at the same time never feeling that you’re playing the same character in a different skin.”

And it’s that interplay that is sure to be a huge part of a newly unveiled mode: the four-player co-op Warzones, featuring Warzone Missions that let you and your friends put your own Avengers crew together from the roster that you’ve been levelling up throughout the Hero Missions of the main campaign.

“It’s a co-op experience where you’ll need to decide which role you want to play,” Scot says. “For example, someone can take crowd control with Thor, while another player puts Iron Man into the air, or leads from the front with Hulk.”

“We also wanted Warzones to be versatile enough that you can play as your levelled-up characters, with all the high-level perks and upgrades that you’ve earned, but still have lower-level friends join you. So we had to figure out how to dynamically scale the world so that if you have a low-level Hulk and super upgraded Thor, there’s still a way to play together and it won’t feel unbalanced.”

Our hands-on time with Marvel’s Avengers at Gamescom was a relentless blast through its opening stage. Not a tutorial as such, but an introduction to each of the core Avengers, how they play their distinct role in the team, and the powers, weapons and abilities they use to face down the enemy, as San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge crumbles around them.

And just as Scot and the team hopes, each character feels very distinct from the others and fully-formed as a hero in their own right — and that’s just the start. When Marvel’s Avengers launches in May 15, 2020, you’ll be free to assemble your own team and see how this unique spin on the much-loved legends has evolved.

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