MARVEL's Avengers DLC Review - Less Assembly and More Settings

Marvel's Avengers was launched last September and the reaction was mixed, being generous here. At launch, the game lacked some features such as multiplayer and was in technical problems. Six months later, most technical problems, although the previous console generation always has problems, have been solved, but it may be too little, too late. The acceptance window may have passed this game.

It did not help that the promised content arrived late or not at all because the technical fixes should first be carried out. DLCs ​​so promised as Spiderman, on PlayStation, and Black Panther still have to appear. What has been delivered since last September is a technical hotfix, which includes PS5 upgrades, as well as DLCs for Kate Bishop and HawKeye Avengers. Thus, the Full Avengers team to this day with Captain America, Ironman, Thor, Black Widow, Hulk, Ms. Marvel, Kate Bishop and Hawkeye.

In the original version of the game, the solo campaign told the original story of Ms. Marvel Alias ​​Kamala Khan. The story is the strong point of the game. Probably because it has so many comic traditions to shoot. Solo mode is the best way to play because the IA of this game is bad. Not only the enemies, but more importantly, your allies. The game is organized around the creation of a team of four members. But often, your companions planted in the air, contributing little to the fighting and reprimanding you not to do better. You can do just as well fulfill solo missions.

Of the two DLCs of Season 1, Kate Bishop is the best of both. His story is more engaging. You can play your original trip and how it meets and is part of the Avengers to find HawKeye. It is also a little longer than the history of HawKeye. Kate's story lasts about two and a half hours while HawKeye is only two hours.

The HawKeye DLC is disappointing compared to Kate's on several fronts. It has very little interaction with the Avengers and its continuation of power is about the same as that of Kate. Both have an arc and arrows for distance attacks and swords for the melee. The problem for HawKeye is that Kate has been released the first and it is faster and more agile. Play HawKeye is just a less nice tank. Finally, from the point of view of narration, the Hawkeye DLC has no real end. It's just the first part of a story you have no idea how and when it will continue. Maybe it will be in the DLC Black Panther, but given the importance of HawKeye in the story, think of Flash in FlashPoint, it does not seem likely.

Although the list has been expanded, the basic gameplay remains unchanged and the DLCs are just add-ons rather than bringing new things to do. Nor introduce new enemies. These are more AIM robots and the same missions: Clear the AIM bases and / or stop AIM servers associated with level-inspired level designs because most HawKeye DLCs take place in the Wasteland. As the name suggests, you will end up crossing boring sand stretches in which enemy cookie bases are sprinkled. The gameplay was already repetitive in the first campaign and the DLCs only deepen this rut.

The multiplayer works now, but you may have trouble finding companions with whom play. It's not a good sign of longevity. As usual, your experience depends on how your living companions work as an unity. It should be noted that the multiplayer is compatible with multiple platforms, so if you connect to a PS4 drive, you can return to long loading times via elevator scenes.

On the positive side, a patch of March has solved many technical problems. The PS5 upgrade offers the benefits in terms of graphics and loading time. The data transfer speeds of the PS5 continue to shine with their turbocharged SSD glory. The initial load of the main menu comes to four cleaner four seconds with PS5 against 24 for PS4. Express loading times really show their speed when you have chosen a mission. You will hardly have time to blink eyes while only four seconds go through and you are in action. With the PS4, you will be tempted to get into the knit because it takes more than an agonizing minute to accomplish the same thing.

Two graphics modes are available to choose from: 60 FPS mode the highest performance and Quality mode 30 FPS / 4K. The resolution in both modes is dynamically managed with performance version using the checkerboard solution. Both modes target the 4K quality mode 4K reaching the target more often. The performance mode evolves much to 1440p, especially during major action scenes.

Both solutions use better quality textures, which gives a much sharper and sharper image than the PS4. Superior quality is evident in particle effects generously applied in battle. The weapons, the powers of the characters and explosions all look great and the screen flickers less as you move. Performance mode makes quality cuts while handling shadows and water. This is also true for the depth of field and motion blur. All these items are best with the quality mode. In addition, the quality mode has improved the effects of environmental destruction.

More importantly, the two modes are a superior work to achieve their respective goals frames range. The quality mode is almost locked 30 FPS, while the higher performance fluctuates slightly more generally when passing game graphics to kinematic. The only time you will see dips in the game is when you Hulk Smash everything in sight. In terms of fluidity, the performance mode easily wins because the input answer is so much faster and more smoothly at 60 frames per second. As usual, it is the preferred way to play.

By playing the game, there is one thing that struck me, however, that underlines a fundamental design flaw. As a service, game balance is a top priority. Each character in the game has to feel balanced with others. This works well in a new property as Destiny but not for an entity also known as the Marvel Universe. It's just strange that in a given combat situation, Hulk and Hawkeye have the same power levels, offensive and defensive. There is no way that Hulk is stunned by an attack of a single red shirt enemy as if it were a puny human. Yet this is the way that Crystal Dynamics has chosen to follow. This is a franchise that you may be able to accept, but it does not work for me. I would have rather seen the game missions adapted to reflect the attributes of Marvel characters.

On a SP5, the game looks great, plays well and loads fast. However, none of this can overcome the level design uninspired and lack of variety of the enemy. Thus, despite technical improvements, the game did not become more fun to play. The two DLC add characters whose power sets are too similar. The main saving grace here is that the campaign stories are interesting enough to warrant a single-player game. Unless there is a major change in the gameplay, Avengers does not seem to come together to become a continuous service game. In short, I came to the gameplay but I stayed only because of the story.

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